


String Theory

by NeoStarReset



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: 1st person pov, Action, Backstabbing but literal, F/F, F/M, Gen, I'm taking the sci-fi to whole new levels with DR, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Murder Mystery, Mystery, OC POV, Occasional acid trips, Plot focused, Psychological Horror, Science Fiction, Some Humor, Survival, Survival Horror, Thriller, V3 centered, Yes it's an OC insert fic you cowards, backstabbing, long fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-01-13 04:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 57
Words: 457,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21238067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoStarReset/pseuds/NeoStarReset
Summary: ❀ 〰〰 ❀ 〰〰 ❀"This rule will remain active throughout the Killing Game! For whoever manages to kill Prairie Marble...gets to graduate scot-free! No need to wait for a perfect moment, kill her whenever you like! Kill her in front of her friends and lovers! Bring your kids! Either way, there's NO class trial and NO punishment! Puhuhu~!"❀ 〰〰 ❀ 〰〰 ❀Among the 17 Ultimates, the protagonist Prairie Marble has no memories of her past, nor is she able to retain the memories of flashback lights. All she knows is that she has memories from when she first awakens from a locker within the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.Something about her is just too odd to ignore, even for an Ultimate, and Monokuma wants to get to the bottom of it. Will Prairie be able to survive the killing game and protect her peers? Or will Monokuma entice murder among them and taint their hearts with despair?❀ 〰〰 ❀ 〰〰 ❀[A transcript made of the original Japanese text (translated to English) was used to help write canon dialogue/events. Transcript translator: Juicedup14 on YouTube.]





	1. In The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> _This story is also featured on my Wattpad account and on Fanfic dot net under the same username "NeoStarReset"_

❀ _**1.1 - In The Beginning**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

When I open my eyes, I'm encapsulated by the listless sensation of my body weighed down by sleep inertia. My world feels like it's spinning slowly, but all I can see is darkness. Confused and wondering if I've closed my eyes again, I blink several times only for nothing to change.

The uncanny lack of change wakes me up enough to panic and flinch- hard enough that I bang the back of my head against the confines of narrow metallic walls all around me with a yelp.

Well, _now_ I'm awake.

_Wait...where am I? What's going on?_

I press my hands on the walls around me and turn a little in the darkness. There's hardly any room around to move, but...

I feel my way around until I've turned myself towards a space where I don't feel a fourth wall, taking a wobbly step forward so my hands find a metal surface that creaks under my reaching palms.

The material of the metal wall under my hands is somewhat flimsy in comparison to the other three walls, so I suspect it's a door, but besides that...the metal isn't all that cold. Maybe due to exposure to my body heat? If that's the case though, how long have I been inside here?

Now knowing that I might have a way out, I push as hard as I can manage through the anxiety I'm still experiencing. I'm doing my best to make sure panic doesn't overrule my judgement, flicking my useless apprehensions off for the time being.

Surprisingly, the wall gives away much easier than I expect it to. As the metal door flies open under my weight, I feel my arm slash on something to my left, mostly cutting into my upper bicep close to my shoulder.

Startled both by my sudden fall and the sharp flash of pain from out of nowhere, I let out a cry and grab at my left arm with my free hand. The bright light stinging my retinas is enough to ease some of my nerves for the most part, but it seems fate has no sympathy to offer me mercy since I land on my elbows and knees hard enough to feel it rattle my bones.

At first I curl up and rub my throbbing arm as water pricks at the corners of my eyes, but I eventually manage to force myself up on my unsteady feet with a grimace.

_Ugh, there's a lot of blood on my hand..._

Extending my arm out and turning my head to examine the gash on my bicep, I can see the cut is pretty deep. It's nothing too serious- I'll live...but it still sucks. A quick wipe of the blood on the underside of my maroon skirt cleans my hand somewhat, and I roll my shoulders a bit to get the feeling back into them.

I smile to myself in mild satisfaction once I deem myself okay. It's better to look on the brighter side of things, right? I may not know what's going on, but I'm at least still in one piece.

Glancing down at the school uniform I've got on, I eventually come to feel a sensitive and uncomfortable feeling at my neck, making me reach up and frown when I feel a thick velvety band of a choker hanging around my neck. There's a weird pendant on it, one that easily comes off when I pull on it and makes me raise an eyebrow of confusion when I see it's some kind of foil that had been attached to the choker.

At first glance, the shape of what's in the foil reminds me of those after-dinner mints they give you at restaurants when you dine in. When I unwrap the foil, I snort in amusement at the sight of a small brown cube that falls out. Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?

...

Despite my nerves trying to ebb me towards the side of caution and the fact that I'm still somewhat debating the authenticity of this odd thing that just so happened to be hanging around my neck, I pop it into my mouth recklessly.

Almost immediately, a stupid smile curls over my features, my taste buds relishing in the wonderful flavor as the chocolate and mint starts to melt across my tongue.

It's in that moment that I'm enjoying the decadent treat that a metal sound like the locker door slamming against metal makes me flinch. Before I can turn my head, someone suddenly slams into me from behind so hard that I swallow down the entire chocolate and nearly my own tongue in the process.

I let out a muffled shriek of disapproval and fear, though the sound barely escapes me due to the weight of this other person on my backside as my jaw is pressed into the bend of my good arm.

_Who is it? They're so heavy- why aren't they getting off of me yet?! They feel like a dead weight, gosh...is it a _**_dead_** **_body_**_?!_

I panic a little at the thought, feeling my heart pick up speed. I almost feel lucky I can't see who it is, save for the arm that appears to have a brown knit sweater layered over a white flannel, the sleeves rolled up just beneath their elbows.

The hand and arm is notably masculine in comparison to my dainty looking hand pressed against the ground as I try to pull myself out from under them. During this, my heart skips a beat when I hear a groan right beside my ear, a warm breath hitting my cheek and sending chills of horror straight down my spine.

"Ugh...what...?"

_A deep voice. It _ ** _is_ ** _ a guy. But why is he on top of me?!_

I continue my struggle, but it's obvious whoever's collapsed onto me is not totally conscious enough to realize what's going on yet. I can't even lift up my head to say anything. Well, I can move my legs I guess, so...!

I let out a muffled whine of distress and kick my legs back in an attempt to get his attention, hoping this is just a misunderstanding and not intentional on the guy's part. He could be drunk...! He could be a total pervert doing this inebriated!

_Now that I think about it...what will I do if this is an attack of "that" sort?_

I kick more and whine louder, squirming enough that I feel the weight of the guy shift slightly on me, causing my ribs to dig into the grass and tile beneath me. I want to scream at him to get off me, but I still can't get any coherent words out.

"Huh...? ...Wait-"

As suddenly as his weight had crashed on top of me, it vanishes in equal time when he seems to come to, taking my forearm in his grip and helping me on my feet again. My auburn brown hair is all over my face, so I rip my arm out of the jerk's grip and swat it out of my way to come face to face with...

A guy.

I mean, yeah, no surprise- his voice gave it away already, but...it isn't until this exact moment that I realize this is a guy who's nearly my own age. Another beat later, my idiot brain reminds me that I myself am a girl.

In the presence of aforementioned guy.

...It's at this moment I realize I have some sort of problem around guys, especially when my heart skips a few beats and a cold sweat breaks over my forehead.

This guy is tall and PAINFULLY handsome, chasing away any insults I'd been brewing in my mind to throw his way for falling on top of me before. His hair is green and wavy in a way that it frames his features, one longer strand hanging to his lower jaw at the left. Not to mention he's got a jaw for days and is pretty tall from where I stand. Next to me, he's a total tower in comparison.

Besides the utter mess that is his extremely attractive face, my tongue goes dry and I snap my mouth shut when I realize I've been gaping at his face a bit too long.

"I'm sorry, are you okay? That must not have been very comfortable..." The green haired walking heartthrob says with an awkward yet apologetic smile, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. His voice is a soothing deep tone, exuding a strangely relaxed disposition that stands out oddly considering the current situation. He must not be entirely "there" yet...

...

"Uh, do you need to sit down? Your face is a bit flushed," he says when I say nothing, causing me to blink and jump out of my thoughts into the present.

"My face is all comfortable!" I respond in my haste of anxiety to say something so he doesn't think I've lost my marbles like he obviously has. As soon as it passes my lips though, my stomach plummets at the expression of confusion that forms across his features. I garble in panic, thoughts and feelings in the form of incomprehensible gibberish pouring from my mouth until the guy's eyes eventually settle on my left bicep.

"Oh, you're hurt," he cuts me off, gently taking my forearm and pulling me towards him so he can see the gash better. After eyeing it with a frown, he releases my arm and doesn't even blink when he pulls at his sweater's sleeve, making the entire thing tear off at the seams where it's connected to the rest of his sweater. Startled by the display, I squeak a little and start turning my head in all directions to find any potential escape routes.

It's me finally looking around that eventually settles my panic, surprise and confusion replacing it when I see the odd state of the room we're in.

_We're...in a classroom? But what's with all of this overgrowth of plants everywhere? There's grass between the tiles, desks neatly lined up for an entire class that's not present...this place looks abandoned. On top of that, what's with the barbed wires in front of all the windows?_

I search for some kind of answer in my mind, but...nothing comes up. I don't know where I am, I don't know why I'm here, I don't even know when I got here. I don't remember...anything.

A sharp sting at my arm snaps me out of my thoughts, prompting me to jump and yelp. I almost forgot about the guy that's holding my arm hostage.

"Sorry, just tightening it so it doesn't bring anymore bacteria in. We can try and clean it later at a water source," he responds, making me blink in honest surprise when I see his work.

_He doesn't even know me, but was kind enough to go as far as to dress my injury...he doesn't feel responsible for it, does he?_

"I hope this makes up for falling on you like that. I mean, it was my fault after all," he sheepishly adds in that almost easy going tone of embarrassment.

I shake my head before even preparing anything to say this time, my concern taking precedence over my social anxiety with boys.

"No, no! That wasn't because of you...I slashed my arm before when I fell out!" I exclaim a little too hurriedly, noting his mild surprise. When his inquisitive gaze becomes too much, I avert my gaze from his face quickly. "I-I'm not good talking to boys..."

For extra measure, as I can feel his gaze glued to my face, I cover my face protectively with my fluffy locks.

"I'm sorry...!" My voice has gotten smaller with every word I've uttered, up until I hear the guy let out a chuckle.

"How about you just pretend I'm a girl then? That might make it easier," he suggests in obvious amusement, causing me to frown.

"Your voice is too deep and you don't look anything like a girl..." I point out, just as he makes a small huff of disapproval I can tell isn't serious.

"That offends my femininity." Despite the fact that he hasn't done anything like change the pitch of his voice to sound feminine, I can't help but giggle a little at his matter-of-fact statement. "Anyways, do you know where we are or what this place is? Because I don't."

I peek out from my hair before letting it all drop so my face is visible again, giving the classroom another quick once over.

"I don't either...this place looks abandoned," I answer, before looking back to find where I'd been prior to being turned into a human pancake. A pair of somewhat deep lockers side by side makes me frown in thought. I didn't initially realize there were two of them- maybe because I was distracted with the chocolate attached to my choker. "Why were we shoved inside lockers though?"

"Hmm..." the guy hums to himself before turning towards me again. Caught off guard with his gaze on me once more, my body tenses up like a deer caught in headlights. "So do you have a name?"

My eyes break away and I look at the floor as if it's the most interesting thing I've ever seen.

"I-I'm Prairie Marble," I answer with no more than a slight stutter, hearing the guy give a resigned sigh at my jittery state.

"Prairie, huh? That's a pretty name...not common at all where I'm from though. My name is Rantaro Amami," he states, ever so patient with me and my anxiety. "It's nice to meet you, but less nice to completely crush you like I did. Sorry about that again."

A small noise escapes me in my attempts to stop myself from laughing, much to my embarrassment. When I grab my hair and cover my heating up face, I hear Rantaro laugh on his end.

"I heard that," he says with a friendly tone that manages to lower my walls enough so I drop my hair from my face to smile back at him.

We look around again until both our eyes eventually settle on the door leading out of the classroom. The clock hanging over the dirty chalkboard is filled with weeds and clovers inside the plastic cover, the time stuck on four thirty. It doesn't look like it's kept track of time in ages, however. Obviously, the only way to get more answers is to leave the room through the only door there is.

It's a good thing Rantaro is so calm and collected. I sort of feel less anxious about the situation with him here, since I'm still trying to mentally ease my nerves over the fact that he's a guy and I'm a girl.

_Stupid teenage hormones, calm down, please _ ** _please_ ** _ for the love of god, shut up and just deal with it...!_

"Well, we can't do anything about your arm in here. I think we ought to try finding a bathroom. They might have running water we can use to clean it off," Rantaro suggests, gently taking my hand and pulling me along towards the exit.

My mouth snaps shut tightly, completely taken aback when I stare down at our conjoined hands

_Why is he holding my hand? ...Well, I guess it's probably just a gesture to comfort me, so I'm not gonna complain about it. Besides, he's been nice to me since I woke up and I sort of like the attention._

I bite my lip hard to keep a stupid smile from forming on my face, even reaching up with my free hand to hide the twitch of my lips.

Just before Rantaro can reach for the doorknob, the heavy sound of moving metal on the other side catches us off guard and prompts us freeze in our tracks. Disturbed by the sound, we share looks of confusion before I decidedly reach out to open the door a crack for us to peek outside.

I doubt either of us expect what we see in the school hallway.

Patrolling outside in an equally overgrown plant infested hallway is a giant mecha-like contraption maybe four times our size. The metal gleams under the flickering lights of the hall and the little light streaming in from one window near the end of the hall. It displays lethal functions like a barbed drill and a strange long cord that seems to act like a tail, swishing behind it as it brings its foot down and makes the ground almost rumble with it's massive weight.

Needless to say, it's something that looks to have walked out of a science fiction film set in the distant future.

Rantaro pokes my good shoulder from where he's hovering behind me to see outside over my head, pointing to direct my attention across the hall where I spot a pair of bathrooms for boys and girls. It's a bit far, but...we might have a chance if we make a break for it when the machine isn't facing us.

I feel Rantaro grip my hand a bit tighter as we wait patiently for the mecha to come back up the hall. The moment it turns and passes our door, Rantaro and I quietly run out across the corridor, watching the mecha warily as we open the bathroom door and slip in without the door clicking behind us too loudly.

"Phew..." Rantaro sighs in relief, pulling me towards the sinks and patting the counter beside one. "Okay, now sit up here so I can fix you up properly."

Despite my uneasiness now that I know there's a metal behemoth outside patrolling the halls, I do as he asks and pull myself up on the counter where he's gestured, grimacing through the process. While he cleans the cut with water and surprisingly clean stocked paper towels, I allow the last of my anxiety around Rantaro to drift away. Being around him still makes me a bit antsy, but...I think I'll be able to speak without totally tripping over my words now.

"Thank you for being so nice even though you don't know me," I gather the bravery to say, prompting Rantaro to look up from my gash and offer a friendly smile. After a second, it becomes too much and I avert my gaze nervously.

"Don't worry about it, I don't mind," he answers, pausing before adding, "You sort of remind me of my little sister. She's bad at talking to other people too- especially boys. In a way...your presence is sort of therapeutic for me."

Surprised by this admission, a genuine smile appears on my face.

_So he's the big brother type then? Well, I guess that answers the hand holding bit from before! He's handsome _ ** _and_ ** _ pure hearted!_

"I'm glad I can be helpful to you too then," I comment, watching him redress the gash and smiling when he helps me off the counter. "So...what should we do now?"

Rantaro momentarily looks towards the door, scratching his head in thought. Whatever he's considering must not be the greatest of ideas since he has this serious and uneasy expression on his face, but I doubt we have many options at this point.

_I have a feeling we're going to have to probably make a run for it._

The thought prompts me to bend down and tighten the shoelaces of my red sneakers in preparation, my fingers not at all clammy despite the jarring sight of the unusual mecha. My green haired companion is smiling at me when I stand up again and look at him for directions.

"You may be shy, but you're very perceptive. You'll be able to keep up, right?" He inquires, making me nod earnestly. "I don't know where we can go, but we ought to see if we can find some way out of here. Whatever reason we woke up shoved inside lockers for, it can't be good."

I nod in agreement again with a determined hum, the two of us walking to the bathroom exit. Rantaro places one hand on the doorknob and then takes my right hand with the other, glancing back towards me.

"One..." He starts, immediately causing my muscles to tense in preparation for the run. I can do this, right? I don't actually know how fast I am, why did I say I could keep up...? "Two..."

I really hope I can keep up.

"...Go!"

He opens the door and we waste no time taking a right in the hall when we see the red accented mecha head towards the left, oblivious to our presence once again as we run down the hall and round a corner towards the left. With the amount of grass and plants growing through the tiles, I'm surprised neither of us stumble as we run and take a left into a different hall.

We try a few doors on our way before giving up and continuing down the hall in a power walk. So far I'm keeping up well enough at least...

We round another corner to take a left and stop dead in our tracks as we come face to face with another mecha, this one pink accented rather than red.

"Th-there's more than one...?!" I gape, taking a step back with Rantaro as his jaw tightens.

_"Ooo! There's a pair here! And finally a girl too! IIII'm gonna getcha~!"_ A feminine voice cheerily echoes from the mecha in front of us as if going through a megaphone. So they're being piloted then...?

Unlike how I'm stunned, Rantaro wastes no more time spinning around and pulling me along to the other side of the hall as the mecha suddenly picks up speed to chase us. The sound of metal scraping against rocks and tile as it pursues us is terrifying enough to keep me running, quite easily matching Rantaro's long-legged run despite how much taller he is.

My breath hitches when we pass another hall with a green accented mecha approaching, the two of us blazing straight past it until we reach a corner leading to two large double doors. Either this will be a dead end, or we'll be lucky and pass through it. They can't possibly chase us once we get past the doors right? They'd never fit through the doorway!

_"If" we get past the doors._

What a pessimistic subconscious I have.

I swallow nervously as we near the double doors and, as if having the same idea, both Rantaro and I slam ourselves into it in case it's difficult to open- only to tumble in together with equally surprised shouts.

"I didn't think the door would swing open that easily..." Rantaro groans breathlessly as he stands up, me pulling myself up onto my feet and quickly dusting my uniform off from the grass and dust that has gotten caught on my clothing.

"Ah, new people. And our first lady too...kehehehe!"

A shiver rattles up my spine, prompting me to dart closer towards Rantaro's side as we turn to see...

"Hey, were you two chased down by those crazy mechas too?! Jeez, what do they even want from us?" Another boy, different from the previous speaker, complains with an expression of irritation as he crosses his arms. He's got short, dark violet hair- quite nearly black by the looks of it. A couple of the locks seem to flare out, though it still frames his innocent-looking boyish face. He's not as tall as the other boys, probably only slightly taller than myself.

"You two are okay though, right? You aren't hurt or anything?" This comes from another guy, one with white spiked hair under a hat and a high collared trench coat that obscures most of his face save for two sharp blue eyes that shine with honest concern.

"We're fine, just a little spooked after that. Right, Prai...?" Rantaro trails off when I relocate behind him, clutching his one-sleeved sweater while the other strange boys gather around us. "Ah, sorry, she's shy. Try not to crowd her."

"Hello! Me Gonta! Gonta Gokuhara! Very nice meet you both!" Speaks the tallest of the people in the room- a guy that actually looks like a full grown man. I mean, I guess Rantaro is sorta mature looking too, but...this Gonta guy is a literal mountain!

"It's nice to meet you too, Gonta," Rantaro doesn't miss a beat answering, offering the much larger guy a easy grin.

There's an intense feeling inside me that wants to ask Gonta why he talks in such a strange manner, but I do well to hold my tongue. He's probably foreign and still learning the language...

"I'm Kokichi Oma! By the way, does anyone else wanna go out there again to see what happens if we poke one of those mechas with a stick? I mean, people have to be piloting them, right? There's no way those are just remote controlled!" The purple haired guy suggests, prompting all eyes to fall on him with varying levels of disbelief. At this reaction, he shrugs and turns to start walking to the double doors on his own, only barely stopped by Gonta grabbing his arm to tug him back.

"G-Gonta cannot let Kokichi go into danger! Not good idea!" Gonta exclaims, causing Kokichi to snicker mischievously as if he wasn't intending on going out in the first place.

"I'm Kiibo. I had the misfortune of waking up with THAT guy..." The white haired teen says almost solemnly, causing Rantaro and I to turn towards him. "No last name, if that's what you're wondering. I just go by Kiibo."

"And I am Korekiyo Shinguji. You may refer to me as 'Kiyo' if my name is too much of a mouthful," the fourth stranger, and the last of them, says in an eerie yet soothing controlled tone- like someone otherworldly but friendly. This was the guy with the creepy laugh...!

My expression must be like an open book, because Korekiyo cackles when he lets his gaze drift my way, causing me to cling to Rantaro more and shiver uneasily.

_That's the laugh! _ ** _Creepy_ ** _...!_

With that, I decidedly cling to Rantaro like a lifeline.

"It's nice to meet you guys. I'm Rantaro Amami and this is Prairie Marble. She has a bit of trouble with guys, so please be nice to her," Rantaro introduces us, reaching back to unknot my fingers from his sweater so he can maneuver me to stand in front of him. Half of me is annoyed that he's gone and mentioned my problem with boys so directly. Doesn't he know how embarrassing that sounds?

Rantaro must suspect I'll bolt back behind him the first chance I get, since he rests both his hands on my shoulders to keep me in place.

"Say hi," Rantaro attempts to coax me, prompting me look up at him dubiously before glancing at the other boys. Four pairs of eyes stare back at me curiously, enough that my stomach twists uncomfortably and my brain goes blank.

At that point, I can only manage to yank my hair over my face as it reddens, hiding pitifully as I barely utter a weak, "I'm sorry...!"

"So small and cute! Gonta surprised!" Gonta admits boldly, while Rantaro hums in understanding and gently massages my shoulders from behind.

"You know, she doesn't seem to be having too much trouble with you, and YOU'RE a guy!" Kokichi points out to Rantaro, taking a few strides forward in a march to stand right in front of me. "Hey, hey! You'd have waaay more fun if you latched on to me instead of him!"

I back up into Rantaro more and then scramble to remove his hands from my shoulders, scurrying back behind him as soon as his grip loosens. The green haired heartthrob chuckles a little and thankfully seems to give up on trying to help me overcome my nerves. I relax substantially knowing he won't force me under the spotlight again.

"If it helps...technically I'm not of the male gender," Kiibo speaks up.

A collective shift in everyone's expression occurs after processing Kiibo's strange words, ebbing towards confusion until the gym doors are thrown open suddenly. Any further inquiries on Kiibo's statement drift away from our minds as we turn towards the double doors.

"EEEK!" A small red haired girl shrieks as she races into the safe enclosure of the gym, followed quickly by a girl with long strangely tied pigtail links and a third girl with tan skin and two lazy tied twin tails that reach her chest.

"Wow! We barely escaped by the skin of our teeth! Nyahahaha~!" The tan girl chirps in such an upbeat manner, it's almost a bit creepy. Probably more so than Korekiyo's infamous cackles...

"Th-that's okay! The point is that we got away and we're in one piece!" The pale-brown haired girl with her strange pigtail links declares, a fist raised up in victory.

"Nyeeh... I think that run is enough exercise to last for the rest of the year. I never want to move that much again," the short red haired girl states, taking deep breaths with the other girls now that their run is over.

_...It's nice to see other girls, but...these ones are kinda weird. I'll just stay with Rantaro. He's safe._

I pretend not to notice Rantaro's gaze when he looks back at me. He's probably checking to see if I want to leave and join them.

"Not interested in saying hi?" He asks in obvious amusement, despite my efforts to show a dismissal attitude. "Or would you rather stick with me?"

Aaa, is he really going to make me say it? It's so embarrassing...! Maybe I might be better off with the girls even though they're peculiar. That, or maybe I should just grin and bear the embarrassment of telling Rantaro I want to stay with him.

"Hey, look! Degenerate males!" The girl with pigtail links suddenly blurts out much to the surprise of me, Gonta, and Korekiyo. Kokichi just snorts loudly in amusement, followed closely by a sigh of resignation from Kiibo.

As if to answer Rantaro, I give him a dry look and watch as a smile curls at his lips in response. 'Cause YEAH RIGHT I'm gonna go join those girls- they're weird!

_Then again, we do have Korekiyo, Kokichi, and Kiibo on our end...and they aren't normal in any way, shape or form._

"Ooo, are you the people that trapped us here? Or are we all trapped together? How interesting!" The happy-go lucky girl with white hair grins, hands clasped together in front of her.

"Hmm...this is all getting rather repetitive. I think we should hold off on introductions for now, yes? It'd be best if we wait and see just how many more people will make an appearance," Korekiyo suggests, fixing his face mask a bit. I wonder why he's wearing that...is he sick or something? Is he sensitive to dust or pollen in the air?

"I agree, let's just relax and wait. I mean, it's not like we can do anything else. We're pretty much at the mercy of whoever's running the show," Rantaro calmly observes, much to my dismay.

_At the mercy of them, huh? But how did we even get here? How did we go from point "A" to "shoved inside lockers"?_

...

_Actually, on that note, what even was point "A"? I can't remember what I was doing before..._

I let go of Rantaro's sweater, lost in thought. I know my name is Prairie Marble- that much is solid fact I can confirm in my head one hundred percent. what else?

_Well...there is nothing else. After those guys threw me in that van, I-_

_Wait!_

I touch my forehead with a wince and turn away from everyone else. That thought just now...I _was_ thrown in a van. I can't remember what I was doing or where I was when it happened, but some people in a van grabbed me and...ugh, it's no use. That's all I remember. I can't even remember what I was wearing or how it happened.

_I should say something to the others, what if it happened to them too? Maybe one of them might know who they were._

I look up and turn around to mention it, but shrink back from the group and think twice when I realize most of the other teens are talking among themselves in little groups- probably speculating about the situation for the most part. Rantaro is much further from me now, speaking about something with Korekiyo and Kiibo while I stand off towards the side.

_Should I mention it? What if they already know and remember that? What if bringing it up is stupid and useless? But then again, what if they don't know?_

I ought to say something...right?

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 1.1 - In the**** Beginning**_ ❀


	2. Ctrl+Z!

❀ _**1.2 - Ctrl+Z!**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Hey, Prairie Dog, what are you thinking so hard about to make you do an ugly face like that?"

I jerk back from Kokichi in surprise as he materializes right next to me, but I school my tense muscles so I don't immediately scurry off towards Rantaro like I normally would. I stutter a little, before slapping both hands over my mouth to try and start over so I can speak like a normal person.

Since it takes me a bit of time to cohesively prepare my words, Kokichi just crosses his arms and watches me with an amused hum. I can practically feel him thinking about ways to make fun of me...

"Uh..." I start, fiddling with my pearl white tie that contrasts my maroon red uniform, feeling the weight of his gaze practically tear at my nerves bit by bit. "S-so..."

_"...__Sooo__...?"_ Kokichi annoyingly mimics me playfully, stepping closer. At that, I take a considerate step back to let him know exactly where my boundaries are. When he smiles wider and takes another step forward, I get the gist he's telling me I have none and I shoot him a look.

"...Were you shoved in the back of a van like me before you woke up?" I ask out loud, my voice much less meek than it had come out thus far and a bit sharper as a result of Kokichi's behavior.

Kokichi's smile drops suddenly, morphing into a flat expression that I can't identify at all.

"Wait, Small Prairie? What you say? People...shove you in back of van?" Gonta pipes up from behind me, prompting me to turn away from Kokichi to nod at him.

It isn't until Gonta has spoken that the rest of the gym falls silent, processing his words at my statement. Rantaro walks back over to me with Kiibo and Korekiyo, the three other girls also joining Kokichi, Gonta and I.

"Oh! Gonta remember being tied with net! They drag Gonta into back of white van with strange picture. Something about 'Dango'...?" Gonta agrees with me, while I quickly scan my memories and... Right, I saw a logo on the van when I was trying to kick them off from dragging me in.

"'Dangan...ronpa'?" I repeat as the logo becomes a bit clearer in my mind.

"...Oh!" The other girl, the one as short as me with red hair, jumps as if remembering as well. "I remember! It _did_ say 'Danganronpa'! I read it on the side of the van too, they caught me while I was walking to the ice cream shop!"

"Hey, I remember they grabbed me while I was out grocery shopping, but that logo sounds familiar to me too!" The girl with weird pigtails chimes in.

"So all of us were kidnapped in the same manner by the same kind of van with the same logo? Hm... Curious," Korekiyo comments mysteriously, a hand pressed to his chin. "I'm glad you managed to recall the name on the van, I never saw it clearly when they got me. Wonderfully done, Prairie."

Even though he's a bit creepy and a guy, I can't help but feel just a little proud when he rubs the top of my head gently, prompting a smile from me.

"That just leaves the question of, what _is_ Danganronpa?" Kiibo queries, causing the lot of us to share looks with one another to see if someone has the answer. Now that's something even I can't remember for the life of me. For arguments sake, I can't even remember ever hearing it before the memory surfaced in my mind.

There's a long silence as we all ponder the conundrum, but it's eventually broken when Kokichi comments, "Uh, okay. I get how they can throw the rest of us in a van and stuff, but they managed to nab a guy like _Gonta__?_ That's too fishy for me!" He walks forward so he's next to me and looking right at Gonta with a studious leer. "Say, you're not secretly part of this 'Do-dango-mango' gang that's kidnapped us all, are you? Speak now or forever hold your peace!"

Gonta actually jumps a little at Kokichi's accusations, shaking his head vehemently as his face falls.

"No, no! Not nice to trap people in school! Gonta would _never!_ Gonta honestly captured too! Big net and blanket make very hard to see and then Gonta wake up inside a locker next to Kiyo!" He insists while I catch Rantaro frowning in Kokichi's direction.

Standing next to the target of Rantaro's glare prompts me to shift away from Kokichi a bit, but the purple urchin seems to notice and looks my way to grin. Without batting an eye, he shifts closer to regain the space near me. I don't blame Rantaro for disliking Kokichi, the guy isn't even batting an eye at the situation. Doesn't he care that we're stuck with those giant mechanical killing machines?

"For someone not taking this seriously at all, you've got some nerve throwing accusations around. _That's_ pretty suspicious, if I do say so myself," Korekiyo makes a point to reprimand the shorter teen, who looks away from me to train his purple orbs on the long haired male with the mask over his lower jaw.

Before Kokichi can make a smart-mouthed retort, Rantaro cuts in.

"Okay, how about we _don't_ start blindly bickering and throwing accusations at one another. We're all trapped here at the moment together, whether we like it or not. The least we can all do is get along until we find a way out of this mess. If you're somehow unable to control yourself from behaving immaturely, then stay quiet. Simple as that," Rantaro explains, causing everyone in the gym to nod in agreement.

You know, save for Kokichi, who simply sighs dramatically and turns to face me as everyone else breaks away into groups again. I notice Rantaro shoot me a concerned look when he notices Kokichi directing his attention to me. I just wave Rantaro off, giving him what I hope is a somewhat confident smile to abate his worries before I mentally prepare myself to deal with the violet eyed boy.

"I guess you're not as boring as I thought you'd be," Kokichi comments with a smile, one admittedly more charming than his usual Cheshire cat grins. Actually, looking at him now, I'm secretly horrified to realize just how cute of a face he has, ranging on the high handsome boyish levels rather than the high handsome pretty-boy levels Rantaro's face unfortunately sports.

...Thinking more, Korekiyo and Gonta aren't half bad themselves. They're different, but they're pretty handsome now that I think about it. Kiibo is up for question, only because he's been hiding his face since the beginning and because of that earlier thing of him mentioning he's technically not a "boy"...whatever that's supposed mean.

_Why am I surrounded by attractive boys? _I wonder in dismay, feeling my cheeks dust red as I look away from Kokichi to gather my bearings. I can barely make eye contact with him now that I've noticed- I'll never unsee his good looks now...!

"I-I don't know what you want from me, but...you're wrong 'cause I'm _painfully _boring," I correct him, finally forcing myself to meet his gaze as he watches me struggle to speak to him. "You'd fall asleep around me."

Kokichi balances playfully on his heels and responds, "I'm not falling asleep. So you're the one that's wrong. Besides...!" Kokichi steps even closer and grins when I scramble backwards to regain some space, only to be followed by him when as he attempts to close it. Eventually, we continue this to the point we're further away from the other teens and I curse my nerves for allowing Kokichi to play with them so easily. "The way you get so nervous around boys is _super _funny! Hey, stop walking. I won't do anything, I just wanna hold your hand~! Pleeeaaase?"

"I don't want to hold your hand- I don't want to be anywhere near you...!" I complain meekly. "Y-you're mean and weird!"

"Aw, _that's_ a mean thing to say..." Kokichi stops advancing immediately and I freeze when I see this utterly crushed looking expression on his face, followed by a pout as he hangs his shoulders and head in a solemn manner. "Alright, I won't bug you anymore..."

He actually sniffles as he turns away, making my chest ache with sudden guilt at the idea that I might have actually hurt his feelings. After all, I don't know why he behaves the way he does- maybe I hit a sensitive nerve by calling him weird. It's just hand holding, I guess, it's not _that_ bad...

In my haste to make him feel better, I step towards him as he moves to leave, boldly taking his hand in mine to see if it makes him happy again.

_"Ah!_ Glad you decided to see it my way!" Kokichi whirls around with my hand in his and tugs me close to him with a big grin, any signs of his previous disappointment and emotional state having been completely wiped away. One might even say he wasn't actually sad to begin with...and that it was just an act all along.

When he wraps an arm around my waist to hug me to him I yelp out loud in horror, feeling my face turn bright red before I push away from him and unhook his arm from around me. Kokichi just laughs at my response, holding his stomach as he tries to stay upright.

_Oh, so I'm just the butt of his joke then, huh? He thinks it's funny I get easily flustered around guys? Well...!_ I think, frowning at him and letting my eyes flick around the gym where the others are. No one is looking our way- even Rantaro is busy talking to the others.

I'm still close enough to Kokichi, so with my mind made up on vengeance, I lift up a foot and stomp it down as hard as I can on one of Kokichi's feet shamelessly. His laugh cuts off abruptly and I watch as the first chill of pain visibly runs up his body.

It. Feels. _Great._

I already know this action isn't without repercussions and panic when Kokichi lets out a loud profane curse at the pain, scurrying to the others and making a beeline to hide behind Rantaro. Kokichi hops around on his good foot and babies his toes a little before racing over towards the rest of us.

"Oh, you _brat!"_ Kokichi snaps, his expression that of something more demonic than boyish and cute like before. I yelp at the sight, ducking further behind Rantaro as he shifts the two of us back from the visibly agitated Kokichi.

Before he can take any steps closer towards us, Kiyo, Gonta, and the girl with the weird pigtail chains steps in his path, prompting Kokichi to come to a stop.

"How appalling, trying to pick on a girl. What in the world has gotten into you? You weren't behaving at all like this earlier," Korekiyo speaks up, standing his ground.

_"Me?_ She stomped on my foot! I'M the one getting picked on here, get with the program! She's guilty!" Kokichi argues, pointing straight at me. All eyes follow his finger towards me, prompting my stomach to swirl anxiously not only in shame at my childish behavior, but because of all the eyes on me. I shrink back from everyone's gaze automatically.

Just when I think it's all over for me and I'm about to suffer a social death...

"Um, Gonta no can see small Prairie doing that," Gonta speaks up, with the pig-tailed girl nodding eagerly at his side.

"Nyeeh, yeah, she's too timid looking to be the kind of person that does that..." The red haired girl pipes up in a slow voice, casting me a look from where I'm hiding behind Rantaro.

"Yeah! She's too small, cute, and shy to antagonize somebody! Look at her, she wouldn't harm a fly!" The pig-tailed girl agrees, turning to give me a friendly smile despite me using Rantaro as a shield.

"Tell that to my throbbing foot! The foot she outright _assaulted!_ You can't seriously be falling for that _Bambi_ face, she's lying! I should know! I know my kind!" Kokichi exclaims heatedly, stomping his bad foot and wincing at the slight pain the action brings him.

"Oh, so you_ are_ a liar," Kiibo comments off-handedly, blue eyes narrowed on Kokichi from under his hat and jacket collar. "So how are we to know you aren't lying right now? After all, Prairie hasn't given us any reason to doubt her. _You _on the other hand..."

"Nyahahaha~! Besides, didn't I see you bothering her in the first place? Maybe you _deserved_ it!" The white haired girl with pigtails points out as cheery as ever, a dark shadow curling over her smiling face as a result of her last accusation.

Kokichi makes a noise of annoyance, growling things quietly under his breath and shooting me one last glare. I feel Rantaro's arm drape over my shoulder, directing my attention up to him.

"Don't worry about him," Rantaro reassures me with an easy going smile, even turning us so we face away from Kokichi and walk towards the other end of the gym. "...Next time, just walk away, Prairie. Stomping on people's feet is hardly the reaction someone our age should be resorting to," he adds in a low murmur, prompting my eyes to widen a fraction as I resist a squeak of shame. Rantaro saw right through me...?!

"I-I-!" I start to fish for some kind of excuse, until he glances my way again with his piercing gaze. The moment his reprimanding green eyes meet my blue orbs, my resistance completely falls apart and I crumble under the pressure. "...I'm sorry...!"

Rantaro stops us and chuckles when I grab my hair and cover my face up to hide my shame. "I'd normally suggest you go back and make an apology, but...something tells me that Kokichi is more the type that gets even rather than accepts apologies, so stay close to me," he suggests, making me uncover my face a little to smile thankfully despite feeling I don't deserve it.

I can still feel Kokichi's glare laser into the back of my head, but soon my attention is completely focused on something else I only then notice- that being Rantaro's arm still hanging over my shoulders. I want to remove it, but at the same time I don't want to. The attention is both nice and a bit nerve wracking, but I also don't want to offend him by removing it myself either. What if he thinks I think he's some kind of perverted fiend? Especially after what we've been through already!

Thankfully, Rantaro removes his arm from my shoulders just by chance, prompting me to blow out a small breath of relief that's nearly imperceptible.

I flinch suddenly in surprise as the doors to the gym are thrown open, two more girls storming in on quick feel like everyone else had with the mechas that chased us. Quickly proceeding after the girl with red eyes and the olive green haired girl beside her is a short guy with pink cheeks and a pair of sharp round eyes that narrow on everyone in the room he enters.

It's when I notice the new trio's eyes turning towards Rantaro and I that I end up half hiding behind Rantaro again sheepishly, feeling my cheeks turn red when he fishes me out from behind him so he can maneuver me towards a wall of the gym with him.

Once we reach the mossy vine covered wall, Rantaro takes a seat, patting the spot on the ground beside him until I follow suit and sit down as well. Both of us then quietly observe as the most recent arrivals are given a brief rundown of things so they aren't so confused.

_Those three make it twelve of us so far... _I think, before looking down at my skirt and smoothing it out so I'm not accidentally showing too much of myself off.

"How many people do you think will show up?" I find myself asking Rantaro, half surprised I'm comfortable enough to have blurted out the question unplanned like that.

Rantaro crosses his arms as he glances at everyone in the gym with a thoughtful hum. His eyebrows are furrowed, and I almost can't help but stare at him a moment too long. He's... He's so handsome- almost_ too_ good looking. Did Rome lose one of their city's statues or something?

"Well..." He begins, snapping me out of my stupor with his deep laid back voice. "I'd say maybe an even sixteen would be reasonable."

"Sixteen...?" I breathe with slight confusion, frowning and look towards the other students. I pucker my lips a little and then direct my attention up towards the ceiling in consideration. Now that I'm looking up though, this gym has a really high ceiling... What is that, twenty meters or something? Sucks to be the guy that has to eventually go up there to change the lights when they finally burn out...

_I'm getting sidetracked again, stay on topic, Prairie,_ I think to myself._ He said sixteen students, didn't he? An _even_ sixteen? Why is he choosing such a specific number? ...Does he know something the rest of us don't?_

"Yeah. Eight boys and eight girls probably. Not that I have anything to base that thought on though, I'm just making a bit of an educated guess at this point," Rantaro blushes a little, holding up his hands in mild embarrassment.

I want to ask what he's basing that educated guess on specifically, but seeing his sheepishness and doubt almost immediately makes me scold myself for my skepticism in him. He's not Kokichi, he's _Rantaro. _The person that helped wrap my wounded arm and has been nice to me from the very beginning.

"O-or you could be right!" I chirp, making Rantaro smile just a little more when I catch myself talking again before I can think of what else to say. It's obvious I have no sort of reason for why he could be right- _painfully_ obvious- but I still fumble to say at least something that will raise his confidence a little. "I, uh- um... Well... It'd be cool if you actually guessed right..."

In the end, I'm a victim to his gaze and I stutter an apology, yanking my brunette locks over my face as it floods with heat. I feel Rantaro rub the top of my head gently in an attempt to calm me down. Although it feels nice, my body begins to slide down the wall like a noodle until I'm curled up on the floor and totally lightheaded.

"You shouldn't lay entirely on the floor like that, it's dirty," Rantaro says, half chuckling while I try to stop my head from spinning so much.

"I just need a moment, or I'm gonna faint..." I mumble weakly, before feeling Rantaro right me up himself so I'm sitting up properly. He brushes my hair out of my face until he can see the disaster that is my scarlet features, letting out an amused sigh of resignation and keeping an arm around my back to keep me from toppling over.

Once I'm finally released of the shackles of over stimulation from my embarrassment, I can sit up without Rantaro's help- completely avoiding looking at him since I'm so mortified he had to see me in such a pathetic state. I don't think I could manage eye contact after being so weird...!

More time passes in which Rantaro and I relax against the wall (mostly Rantaro, I'm still nervous sitting so close to him), watching the other teens chatting or relaxing along the walls around as well. The gym is actually a bit chilly, but with Rantaro sitting next to me, he's like a human heater. I gladly leech off of his body heat, glad I don't have to say anything awkward like _ask_ him to sit closer.

...

My arm throbs suddenly and I press down on the area of pain, wrinkling my nose at the sudden feeling. I can feel my muscle twitching under my fingers and under the wound- it's been doing that for a little bit, but now the twitches are hard enough to stretch my gash more...

It's at the moment I'm holding my arm that the doors to the gym are thrown open and a girl with long blue hair and glasses stumbles in, nervously looking around at all our faces. The force in which she throws the door open startles me despite the fact I'd come to expect that more people would be arriving, and I reflexively squeeze and pull on my left arm as a result.

I stiffen up as pain blossoms once again at my bicep- this time worse than the pain from my muscle twitches. Rantaro gives me a curious look at my flinch, but I just smile nervously and look away from him. Once his gaze is off of me, I let my eyes flick down to my arm, watching as the color of my blood slowly begins to seep from under the sleeve of my uniform.

_Oh no, _I think, biting my lip and clutching my arm in an attempt to staunch the blood flow with pressure._ I don't want to trouble Rantaro again, he's too nice...! What if he gets annoyed with me? Or worse, thinks I'm doing it on purpose to get his attention?! Yeah, it's better if I just stay quiet. I'll just pretend I don't see any-_

"Whoa! What happened to your arm, it's_ gushing!_ Who did this to you?! Was it a degenerate male?! Point your finger, sweetheart, I'll beat them up for you until they're unrecognizable!" The girl with those strange chain-link pigtails howls when she sees the mess of my arm, falling hard to her knees beside me. When Rantaro sits up at her words and moves to take my wrist so he can examine my bleeding arm, the girl's head slowly turns towards him in what resembles a weapon locking on to a target.

"I-It wasn't him, don't worry!" I squeak defensively, positioning myself so I'm in front of Rantaro where the girl won't be able to grab at him. "Rantaro's nice, I swear!"

The girl eyes Rantaro after my statement, the green haired teen obviously surprised by my little outburst to defend him. There's a dry look in the girl's eyes, like she could never believe my words, but after the two have a bit of a stare down (mostly one sided on Tenko's end), the girl eventually looks back to me and offers me a lovely smile.

"I'll stand down this time, but don't let your guard down, okay? Remember, all males are degenerates and can't be trusted! Be wary for the nice ones, they're the degenerates that you _really_ need to watch out for!" She exclaims before pointing at herself brightly. "The name's Tenko Chabashira! Feel free to scream if you ever need me!"

"Uh, yeah... O-Okay," I answer, realizing there's no way a girl like Tenko would _ever _change her mind about boys. Even if the boy happens to be sweet or kind hearted like Gonta or Rantaro. "I'm Prairie Marble and this is-"

"Oh! That's such a pretty name for a pretty girl like you!" Tenko very obviously interrupts me, making it clear she's not concerned about learning Rantaro's name whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Rantaro is working on using that old sleeve of his that was wrapped around my arm to soak up most of the blood that had gushed out, patting my arm from the top to the bottom. As I lift my head to look at him for his verdict on this girl, I can see he's wearing a strange but amused expression on his face. As if he thinks she's one of the more odd ones around.

I don't blame him. She _is_ kind of weird... Not terribly so at least.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then!" Tenko brightly comments, before casting a warning glare towards Rantaro on her way back to the others in the gym. I hear Rantaro muffle a slightly nervous laugh behind me, allowing my nerves to relax after Tenko's departure. Good to know he was able to get away unscathed without her going for his throat...!

"Prairie..."

I wince at his tone, turning to face him and shrinking back slightly as he lets out a sigh of disapproval that only serves to make me shrink back even more.

"If you're bleeding or in trouble, _please_ let me know. Don't worry about me, helping you doesn't bug me or anything. And even if it did, I'd rather you bug me than pass out from blood loss, alright? I'd be more annoyed if you put yourself in a position where you could hurt yourself, even accidentally," Rantaro chastises me. I make a small noise and nod in understanding, despite not planning to keep the promise since I still don't want to burden him.

When Rantaro doesn't look away, staring me down with this look of expectancy that tells me he's not fooled at all, I realize he wants me to say it out loud and frown a little.

"Fine...I'll let you know if I'm in trouble," I mumble reluctantly. Now that I've said it, it almost feels like I'm tied to my word. I don't like it, but it at least makes Rantaro smile. It's then that he doesn't hesitate to rip off his remaining sleeve abruptly out of nowhere, making me jump in surprise.

Looking over his outfit now, I can't help but feel my sour mood spoil with amusement when I giggle at the result of Rantaro's attire.

"Now it's just a vest," I laugh, making Rantaro look down and chuckle in agreement as he ties the ripped sleeve around my sliced bicep.

"Don't worry about that, fashion is the last thing I'm worrying about right now," Rantaro reassures me, causing me to snicker in amusement and immediately respond, "Yeah, but you could wear a garbage bag and still look good since you're so hans-"

Realizing what I'm about to say, I look straight down and shut my mouth- not even giving Rantaro a chance to see my face when I cover it up with all my hair I possibly can. Nope, nope, nope- I'm a disaster of a person! I shouldn't be allowed to socialize with others!

Thankfully, the doors are thrown open again and unlike the last girl that came running in with no little to no sound, the duo that race in come screaming at the top of their lungs in such a comical fashion that the majority of us are left speechless. I even drop my hair to sort of gape at them, watching as the magenta haired guy and this blonde haired girl with a startlingly low bust cut hunch over to catch their breath from all their running.

"Christ! What the hell was that thing?!" The guy shouts, before spinning around to look at the rest of us as we silently stare at them. "Why are you guys just sitting there?! Something just tried to kill us!"

...

"H-Hey! The fuck is with all those looks, didn't you hear him?! We almost got shish-kebabbed by this giant ass fuckin' machine! At least _say_ something!" The girl beside him barks, startling me even more with just how profane her language is. Someone needs to wash her tongue with soap...!

"Uh, maybe we're staring because it's totally old news? Being chased by mechas is _soo_ cliché and out of season now!" Kokichi doesn't hesitate to pipe up, arms folded casually behind his neck in a laid back fashion. "Hey, hey! Was it just the two of you running here, or did anyone happen to_ die_ on the way over?"

Most eyes drift over to Kokichi's grinning face this time, exasperation on the collective faces around him at the subject he's decided to entertain.

"Don't even joke about that!" Kiibo complains, despite that Kokichi's words have clearly shaken him- if going by his visibly shivering form. "Have you_ really_ no sense of tact?!"

"'Tact'? ...Hm, sorry! That word's not in my vocabulary! Sounds boring anyways... Oh! I have an idea!" Kokichi grins and turns to face the direction of Rantaro and I, a wicked glint in his eyes that makes my spine go straight as a result of his eyes locking with mine. "Heeey, Prairie Dog! Be a good girl and go out there to see if the coast is clear, yeah?"

"N-no way!" I object, shrinking back closer to Rantaro.

"Aw... Well, it was worth a shot~" Kokichi easily forfeits in his efforts, looking down at his nails and picking at them casually.

I feel Rantaro shift to put his arm around my shoulders again, immediately distracting me from Kokichi so I'm persuaded to peer up at him. 

_I'm a lot less cold with his arm is slung over me,_ I dare to notice as I look up at him and try to ignore how close we are. Unwilling to make my discomfort obvious, I force myself not to look away from Rantaro.

"Ignore him. I've got your back, don't worry," Rantaro reassures me. Just when I'm about to grab my hair and pull it over my face, I feel this fiery burning glare on us, prompting me to blink and look back at the crowd.

Kokichi is staring straight at me with an unnerving unreadable expression. If anything, he doesn't even seem concerned I've caught him looking at all, his expression remaining unreadable as our eyes meet again. However...

When I shift my gaze to the other end of the crowd, I'm mildly surprised to see Tenko glaring daggers at Rantaro- likely about the arm he has slung over my shoulders specifically. She doesn't seem to notice I've caught her glaring at him though, so I look down and half cover my face with my hair to hide my red cheeks.

"Oh, jeez..." I mutter under my breath, embarrassed by the attention from both individuals.

"Yeah, it seems we've both managed to attract a bit of negative attention, huh?" Rantaro laughs quietly beside me, appearing both embarrassed and amused by our unique conundrum.

Before I can say anything else, the doors to the gym fly open again, giving leeway for a blonde haired girl with white hair pins and a blue haired boy with a cap on to skid into the gym away from the mechas in the hall.

_ **"OH NO!"** _

The sound of metal scraping metal makes me look up and scramble out from under Rantaro's warm arm, jumping to my feet with him as we stare at the doorway to the gym with the other teenagers.

Everyone gapes at the machine that is now conveniently stuck halfway inside the gym and halfway outside into the hall, wriggling a little before it slouches in place and the voice from it's speaker lets out a nervous laugh.

_"Uh... Guys? We may have to start over..."_ The voice in the red accented mecha stuck in the doorway speaks up, while pieces of rubble from the warped doorway drops on the machine with metallic little 'tinks'.

_"Oh no, __Monotaro's__ been trapped!"_ This comes from a mecha in the hall that sounds like the same one that had chased Rantaro and I. Obviously, I can't see it, but the voice is definitely a familiar female sounding lilt.

_"__Haa__, somehow I know this has gotta' be __**Monodam's**__ fault!"_ Another mechanical voice shouts, audibly more rambunctious than the others.

_"Well, let's just reset then! We're already behind schedule as is, use the light thing, _ _Monodam_ _!"_

_"..."_

I blink, looking at Rantaro who doesn't look away from the mess at the gym doorway. I can't tell what he's thinking, but he's got this serious frown on his face, hand slipping down to hold mine despite his attention being elsewhere. What's going on?

_"What? What's the hold up?!"_

_"YOU! You _ _musta_ _ lost a few too many screws _ _gettin_ _' yourself in this mess, huh?! _ _ **You're ** _ _the one that has the flashlight, damn it!"_

_"Let's not get so rowdy, this isn't too big of a dent we can't fix. _ _Monotaro_ _, just get on with it."_

_"Oh! Oh, right! Okay, let's get to it then!"_

The red accented machine stuck in the doorway flips open a metal pane at the front, and from inside... A red and white dual colored bear leaps out, cape billowing behind him as he holds up his _"thing"_ his friends were talking about.

"Aand..." The bear moves to point the device at us in midair, my eyes quickly registering the item as a square shaped object resembling a flashlight. _**"Thanks for bearing with us~!"**_

There's a clicking sound and a flash hits my eyes, causing my world to go a piercing white that swallows me up.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 1.2 - Ctrl+Z!**_ ❀


	3. Take Number Two

❀ _**1.3 - Take Number Two**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I open my eyes, only to blink several times at the darkness on the other side of my eyelids. There's a disconnect from the fact that it looks exactly the sa-

Whatever I'm leaning on suddenly gives away, spilling light sharply enough against my retinas that I groan and close my as I come falling out of the locker.

_Wait, locker? _

A pair of arms catch me by the underside of my arms to keep me from getting familiar with the floor. Everything is spinning, and opening my eyes still hurts.

"Whoa, there..." The deep masculine voice huffs as he helps steady me, prompting me to eventually open my eyes enough to see who it is. As soon as the green locks come into view, I let out a breath of relief. It's just Rantaro...

"Oh, it's just you..." I smile up at him before glancing around and blinking the last of the blurriness out of my vision. It's the same classroom we first woke up in, and I frown at the sight. "Why are we back here? D-did they really shove us back in the lockers again...? I thought they were joking when they said they were going to start over..." I comment, shivering as I become aware of the chill in the room now that I'm out of the locker.

...

Confused by Rantaro's lack of input, I look up at him from where I'm half laying, only to find a peculiar expression on his face that I can't quite identify. I blink and cock my head slightly to the side with a concerned frown.

"...Rantaro? Are you okay? I-Is something wrong...?" I ask timidly, feeling my nerves spike up just the slightest when he doesn't make an attempt to answer. The moment I say his name though, I see his shoulders square slightly. I feel my cheeks start to turn red when he gives me a curious once over, causing my anxiety to sky rocket into oblivion right then and there. I crawl back just a little and jump to my feet, bumping my hip painfully into a desk in my attempt to increase the space between us. "Ow-!"

_He's acting just a little too weird for me right now...! What even happened? Did the people that brought us here do something to him?_

"...I'm sorry," Rantaro suddenly starts, laughing nervously and running his hand through the back of his hair. I relax only a little as I settle my gaze on him, waiting for him to explain what's going on. "You obviously know me somehow, but...I honestly can't remember seeing you before. My head is sort of jumbled up right now, and... Did you say we were shoved inside lockers before? As in this already happened?"

Playing with my hair and feeling rather anxious under his scrutinizing eye, I manage a quiet nod.

"...What's your name? Maybe it'll ring some bells," Rantaro suggests, smiling that familiar easygoing smile that first greeted me after he patched up my arm.

"Prairie Marble," I say, looking towards my arm and smiling when I see my bicep still patched up from before. Glancing up at him timidly, I find both his sleeves are still missing and hold up my arm as proof of his kindness. "Um... You helped me the first time. When I got hurt and sliced my arm coming out of the locker, you cleaned and patched up the gash."

Rantaro blinks in obvious surprise, looking down at his "vest". He'll surely believe me now when I say I know him then, right? After all, it's not like I could have ripped his sleeves off...

"Oh, I didn't even realize my sleeves were missing," he laughs, before I realize a majority of his earlier peculiarities have completely faded at this point, if not all of it. "Hey, do you mind giving me a bit of a rundown on what happened before?"

And so I tell him everything, even down to the people whose names I could remember from their introductions to me. When I tell him about the bear with the strange flashlight, I notice something akin to familiarity in his eyes- along with an edge of alarm that immediately makes me nervous.

"Hold on... Was this bear black and white? Like it's colors were split in half?" Rantaro inquires from the chair of the desk table I'm sitting on, prompting me to frown and shake my head.

"It was dual colored, but this one was red and white. It was even wearing a cape... And to be honest, I don't think there's only one of them..." I explain, noting the serious look on Rantaro's face as he processes my words and stares at me quietly.

"...How many of us were there in total? Do you remember?"

His shift in tone means business, but even though it's not like he's upset with me or anything, I can't help but feel like I've done something wrong under his piercing gaze. It feels like the look he gave me after I almost tried to play off stomping on Kokichi's foot...!

"S-seventeen of us altogether from what I counted. You yourself speculated that there would probably only be sixteen of us in total though..." I inform him, watching as he closes his eyes and rubs his forehead in thought.

"...Shit."

I squeak a little, making Rantaro snap out of his daze and open his eyes to look at me in surprise. I can't help but feel embarrassed as my face heats up, averting my gaze to stutter, "P-profane..."

...

And just like that, Rantaro is laughing, making my face burn even more before I realize I can't handle the feeling of humiliation. Knowing I have no true escape, unless I want to get chased down by one of those mechas out in the hall, I jump off the table of the desk Rantaro is sitting at and dive back into the locker I'd come out of, closing it shut and leaning back against the wall of the now cool metal to calm my stimulated nerves.

"Wait! I'm sorry, I promise I wasn't laughing at you," Rantaro catches his breath on the other side of the locker door, making me shake my head and press my hands against my cheeks in embarrassment. "Prairie?"

"Liar," I whimper, before gathering my dark hair over my face to hide my blushing features and block him out of view when he proceeds to open the locker up himself.

I feel him stare at me, waiting for me to give up and come out of the locker. Instead of being mature, I stay exactly where I am until I hear him sigh in amusement. The sigh makes me shrink back into the locker, but then Rantaro steps in with me a little, wiggling in until I feel him...hug me.

If my nerves weren't stimulated before, they sure are now.

"I promise I really am sorry. It was just really unexpected and reminded me of my little sister," Rantaro admits honestly, resting his chin on my head. It's a good thing he can't see my face, since it's practically on fire at this point. I half expect that resting my cheek on the locker wall would melt the metal.

_He probably doesn't mean for it to seem this way, but...he's sort of being attractive on accident._

I count to ten in my head and then force myself to look up so he gets the idea to move back. Since the door's open, it's not too dark in the locker that I can't make out Rantaro giving me a smile before taking my hands and stepping back out of the locker with me in tow.

"Ready to go then? I'm counting on you to lead the way since you know where to go and I don't," Rantaro says, releasing one of my hands but retaining his hold on the other. "We'll run on the count of three."

...

"One...two..."

I steel my muscles for the run, ready to lead Rantaro as best as I can. I do know where to go this time, so this shouldn't be much of a problem. We just have to outrun those machines out there in the halls.

"...Three!"

We open the door and make a beeline down the right side of the hall just as a mecha turns to face us from the far left of the same hallway, revving up an engine that makes my gut twist anxiously. This mecha has blue accents, unlike the green, pink, and red accented machines I'd seen before.

_"HAHAHA! Finally some FRESH MEAT! Better speed the HELL up, or I'm gonna turn you both into mushy red stains!"_ I hear the pilot shout from inside, leading Rantaro around a corner just as it starts to speed after us- much faster than the red machine had in the previous run.

Thankfully, Rantaro and I are both pretty fast, and eventually relief comes to me when I spot the double doors to the gym as we approach it.

"That's the gym...!" I pant as we near it, taking a glance back to see that the machine is getting dangerously close.

We burst through the gym doors and skid to a halt, hands still linked as we glance back and watch the doors close on the blue machine as it comes to a halt.

_"HA! Two down for me! Better hurry the HELL up, __Monosuke__, 'Cause I'm WINNING!"_ We hear the pilot shout, before the sound of the heavy machine starts heading down the hall away from the gym.

After we catch our breaths, we turn to look at the other four already present, one of them bouncing on his heels in obvious excitement while I search his face for any sign of him recalling who I am. I can't _possibly_ be the only one that remembers, right...?

"Wooow, the first girl! And I was starting to think this would just be full of boring boys," Kokichi blurts out, eyes sparkling as he bounces over to us. "Hey, I'm-!"

"Kokichi Oma," I cut him off, noting the flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Which tells me you don't remember what happened before either..."

"Remember...? What exactly do you speak of?" Korekiyo inquires as he joins the three of us along with Gonta and Kiibo at his sides. "Do you perhaps know what's going on here?"

"Well..." Rantaro thankfully takes over explaining things at this point, much to my relief, leaving me to play with my uniform's tie until I realize someone is staring at me. Looking up, I'm not surprised to see Kokichi observing me quietly, not even averting his gaze when I clearly notice his stare.

Just when I'm about to ask him if he needs anything (like a life), I notice him shuffling one of his feet a little and decide to use it as a topic.

"What's wrong with your foot?" I ask, staring down at it and watching the violet eyed boy shuffle it again slightly. Don't tell me it's from...

"It's sore. I might have banged it against the locker before I woke up or something," Kokichi huffs, looking down at it in annoyance as he wiggles the tip of his shoe against the floor.

A sputter of a laugh makes it past my lips before I can stop it, causing me to pull my hair over my face to keep him from seeing the massive smirk forming across my features. I turn away quickly when I notice him look up at me, although I'm sure I've already given away enough to make me look suspicious. Not like I could help it though, he doesn't remember I stomped on his foot...! That's hilarious!

Seems like he's even keener than I'd previously assumed though, because he begins to stare even more at me. When I finally quell my grin in exchange for timid confusion so I can look back at him, he's got a studious leer trained on me. There's no _way_ he'll figure it out, right...? He's not THAT smart, just mischievous.

"S-Sorry for laughing..." I quickly say since I know that's what's garnered his attention in the first place. Despite this though, Kokichi makes no move to tear his gaze away from me. Eventually, I can feel myself begin to squirm uncomfortably at the piercing stare. What's wrong with him? Is he really that upset that I laughed over his foot? "Fine, look. I don't like you and it made me laugh... You were a creep when we met last time, so e-excuse me for finding your suffering entertaining! I'm only sorry I didn't do it myself!"

_There! That should get him off my back, right? I'm only lying about the last part, the rest is totally true... Whatever, it's not like he'll ever figure it out._

...

Kokichi suddenly smiles at me and folds his arms behind his neck in a laid back manner, dropping that terrible stare to finally continue treating me like a human being rather than a specimen under a microscope. At first, I think he's done with me, but of course that's just too much to ask for.

"I think you're cute," he simply states much to my horror. I glare only slightly at him, knowing exactly what to watch out for from last time despite my cheeks growing warm.

_Relax, relax... If he irritates you, just walk away. Just like Rantaro said- walk away. Don't waste precious energy on the violet gremlin..._

"Buuut, then again, I_ am_ a liar... And everyone knows it's usually the cute ones that are terrible rotten souls on the inside~!" Kokichi snickers, before stepping a little closer when I don't immediately react. I don't want a repeat of last time where he managed to get the right response out of me by chasing after me when I retreated, so I force myself to stand there and grit my teeth to the discomfort of his proximity.

I definitely want to say something snippy to him, but I'm definitely not triggered enough to be brave at the moment. Not like when I stomped on his foot before- my fire was at peak heat that time.

Kokichi hums thoughtfully... And then grins wider.

"Good news! I don't see a rotten soul inside you whatsoever," Kokichi brightly informs me much to my surprise. _What?_ He's _complimenting _me then? Where the heck is that coming from? This is worse than when he was outright insulting me! I mean- "In fact, I don't see anything in there at all~! I guess that makes you a soulless airhead."

I already know everyone else is preoccupied with Rantaro, so I hardly even hesitate to stomp my foot down hard on Kokichi's good foot, jumping back and quickly scurrying behind Rantaro for protection when I hear Kokichi's familiar shout and curse.

_"Damn it!_ I knew it!_ You're_ the reason my other foot hurts! You stomped on it the last time we met, didn't you! Come 'ere, I'm gonna-!"

"Kokichi! Gonta no can allow you hurt small one!" Gonta explains, stepping in the violet eyed teen's path so he can't make his way over to Rantaro and I. Kokichi grits his teeth, but eventually seems to calm his temper in a snap- smiling up at Gonta and then looking around him at me.

"Just so you know? This isn't over. I'll get you back, don't worry," Kokichi remarks with a wicked grin, making me shiver just slightly before turning my back and blowing out a quiet breath of relief and satisfaction. Seems like I managed to get away with it without immediate retaliation from Kokichi again...

And that's when I hear Rantaro clear his throat from behind me, prompting my back to straighten up like an arrow. Oh right. Rantaro can see right through me too.

Although I don't really want to face the music, I turn and look up at him guiltily. He raises a single eyebrow at me and I turn bright red in shame, falling apart under his chiding stare.

"...I'm sorry...!" I weakly squeak, before his stare relaxes into a hopeless smile.

"Prairie, from what I gather, I'm almost certain we already had a talk like this before, even if I have happened to forget it. So... What did I tell you?" Rantaro inquires knowingly, crossing his arms.

"...Walk away...and don't stomp on people's toes..." I mumble sheepishly, causing the nearby Korekiyo to cackle in amusement.

"Oh? So she did stomp on Kokichi's foot? It's very big of you to admit where you've gone wrong, miss...?" Korekiyo trails off for me to supply a name.

Relieved that Rantaro is no longer giving me that chastising look, I face Korekiyo with a timid smile.

"Prairie Marble," I answer him, reeling Rantaro gently muss the top of my head warmly. I practically glow at the attention, until I notice Kokichi staring at me again. As soon as our eyes meet, he rolls his obviously. I just turn my gaze back to Korekiyo, preferring not to entertain Kokichi since I know Rantaro would prefer if I ignored his instigations anyways.

"Prairie..." Korekiyo tests the name, before his eyes twinkle. He's probably smiling under his mask, from what I can tell. "That's a rather unique name. I suppose I have no need to give you mine, yes? You probably already know it."

I giggle a little, smiling at the fact. "Yep! You're Korekiyo Shinguji," I answer, just as I turn towards Gonta and Kiibo. "And you two are Gonta Gokuhara and Kiibo."

"Indeed! Thank you for remembering!" Kiibo comments, lifting his face just slightly for me to see the smile he mostly has kept hidden under his jacket collar. I wonder if he's a shy guy too? He doesn't really sound like a shy person... He'd be more like me if that was the case, right?

"Um, makes Gonta happy too, but... Why only Small Prairie remember? Why we forget?" Gonta asks, prompting us to all share mixed looks with one another. I couldn't tell them why either, since it makes about as much sense to me as it does to them.

"Hey, this might be more obvious than we think. I mean... What separates the rest of us from Prairie?" Kiibo queries, prompting Kokichi to finally stroll on back to us, standing to my left much to my mild discomfort.

"Iono. That she's the only one with a set of badonkas?" Kokichi shamelessly blurts out to my horror, prompting me to quickly hide behind Rantaro again with a whine of shame.

"Don't be vulgar, have some respect. Must you _honestly_ pick on a girl in such a way?" Korekiyo quickly comes to my defense while Rantaro rubs the back of my neck to relax me.

"What, that was right though, wasn't it? She's a girl and the rest of us are boys! So maybe that flashlight device you guys mentioned from before doesn't work as well on girls as it does on boys!" Kokichi brushes off the masked teen's words, as if he hadn't been chastised at all. "So in that case, all we would need to do is confirm it! Let's just ask the next girl that comes in!"

"Uh... Prairie, _will _more girls be appearing in that case...?" Kiibo inquires, making me nod in affirmation after stepping out from behind Rantaro. "How many of us are there in total, if you don't mind me asking?"

"There's seventeen of us. Eight boys and nine girls from what I counted before," I answer, eyeing Rantaro's uneasy shift as he lets out a sigh. I wonder what he knows? He acted funny when I mentioned this before too...

"Guys. I think I have an idea of why we're here," Rantaro says after a moment of contemplative silence. My heart skips a beat at the confirmation of my previous musings. So he does know something... "Have any of you ever heard of two individuals called Monokuma or Junko Enoshima?"

Most of us shake our heads no, which Rantaro seems to expect.

"I figured... I don't really know why I'd be the only one to know this, since it seems the one able to retain their memories so far is Prairie and_ not _me, but... Monokuma is a black and white dual toned robot bear mascot for a game conjured up by a girl named Junko. She's also known as the Ultimate Despair," Rantaro explains, prompting a few confused expressions on the faces of the other four boys.

"What's that got to do with anything though?" Kiibo asks, looking just a little nervous as Rantaro continues his explanation.

"Prairie told me we encountered a robot bear bearing a somewhat similar appearance to that of Monokuma. If we're going by the fact that this robot is here and the fact that seventeen of us are gathered in one place.. That might mean we're here to play that game Junko created."

I blink and look at the other boys for some kind of reaction, but it seems they're just as puzzled as I am. A game? We were shoved in lockers and chased by giant mechs for some type of..._game? _Whatever game this is supposed to be, I'm not having any fun.

_Maybe the fun isn't for us. Maybe it's for someone else spectating... _I think, before shaking the thought off. Who would be watching us anyways? Who would _want_ to watch us running for our lives? That's terrible, no way it's possible!

"Oh! Well what kind of game is it? I'll bet I can totally win and-!" Kokichi starts, eyes sparkling energetically with interest until Rantaro cuts him off.

"It's a killing game," Rantaro finishes gravely, causing my stomach to roll.

_...I don't think anyone would watch a killing game. That's just...sick... Is that what's really going on here?_

...

"Oh." Kokichi has stopped talking entirely, clearly absorbing the news as well as the rest of us do. My stomach is knotting in all these uncomfortable ways, and I can't think of anything to say, let alone even bring myself to open my mouth. I'm pretty sure if I did, I'd only end up losing my lunch.

_When was the last time we've eaten anyways? I don't feel hungry... _I think curiously, before getting myself on track despite that I really don't want to think about this whole fiasco probably being related to a "killing game".

"Surely you can't be serious... A killing game? For what purpose exactly would anyone want seventeen strangers to participate in a killing game of any sort?" Korekiyo asks, fixing his mask on his face.

"Entertainment. Do you guys know what your Ultimates are? I'm the Ultimate Adventurer from what I can recall," Rantaro states, watching as the other boys seem to contemplate before shaking their heads. Rantaro is an Ultimate? Huh... I guess it's not too surprising.

"I didn't think I was an ultimate anything, to be honest," Kiibo states, scratching a cheek under his coat collar.

"Gonta just Gonta too," Gonta agrees. "Why Ultimate so important?"

"Well, they usually gather only Ultimates for these sort of games. If we're gathered here for a killing game for certain, then it's because we're exceptional in some way or have a certain exceptional talent. I was thinking maybe one of us might have a talent we can counter Monokuma with...if this _is_ a killing game we're being thrown into," Rantaro adds, before looking down at me. "Prairie, do you remember yours?"

I glance up at him and focus on thinking back. Ultimates? I totally forgot they were a thing to begin with, considering the situation that's been going on, but... Yes, I remember I have an Ultimate. It's...

...

No, it's not coming to me right now.

"I _know_ I have an Ultimate, but I can't remember what it is. It's on the tip of my tongue..." I tell them, biting my lip as I try to drag the memory out from under the mess of confusion in my head. Why are my own memories so jumbled up anyhow?

"I'll bet you're the Ultimate Annoyance~!" Kokichi decides to remark, before Kiibo defensively lashes back for me with, "No, I'm one hundred percent certain _that_ title is all yours, Kokichi."

Kokichi's expression drops into vivid melancholy, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Th-that's so..._mean!_ It's like none of you even care my toes got assaulted! ...I'm only talking back because she hurt _me _first...!"

Just like that, crocodile tears erupt from Kokichi, along with the most comical sob I've ever heard a boy his age make. I'm sure I only find it slightly amusing since I've learned my lesson from his fake tears the last time he used them against me...

"WAAAHHH! All of you _HATE_ ME! THAT'S NOT FAIR!" He sobs dramatically, causing my expression to deadpan with Korekiyo's and Rantaro's.

"G-Gonta no hate you! No cry, Kokichi, okay?" Gonta stammers, obviously falling for the act and even gaping in slight surprise when Kokichi suddenly stops and grins- all tears dry as if they were never there to begin with.

"Thanks, Gonta! I feel all better now knowing you've got my back!" Kokichi shoots me a look as he stands next to Gonta, sticking his tongue out. "Ha. My partner could eat your partner for breakfast."

"Huh?" Gonta asks, scratching his cheek in curious confusion.

"Just ignore him, Gonta," Rantaro comments, before running a hand through his hair. It's when he does this that an unfortunate thought pops up in my head. I don't want to ask, but...

"Rantaro, how...does the killing game work? Is there a way we can maybe just all not kill each other and go home?" I ask timidly, not liking the topic but having processed it enough to finally speak up on it.

"Uh, well, we're all trapped here. That much probably isn't obvious yet, but if this is a killing game, then we're guaranteed to have no way out. The only way we're permitted to go home is if we kill a fellow student and get through a class trial without being caught as the murderer," Rantaro explains, causing a dry chuckle lacking amusement from Korekiyo.

"So we need to get away with murder... Interesting. And if we do, our captors send us home? That's much too simple for the grand scheme of things," Korekiyo huffs behind his mask, before earning a nod of agreement from Rantaro.

"Yeah, that's the simple answer. Thing is, the only one that goes home if they aren't caught is the murderer. All the innocents die in that case, which ends the killing game in a less than favorable way. If the killer _is_ caught, they get executed...and then we repeat the process of murdering for freedom. The game ends when a murderer gets away, or when there are two innocents left."

"G-Good god!" Kiibo gasps, obviously horrified by the explanation Rantaro has gone and dropped on us. "Are you absolutely sure this is a killing game ground? Is there even the slightest possibility you could be wrong?"

Rantaro bites his lip and allows his gaze to drop down to me thoughtfully, which I return with a curious look back up at him.

"...Maybe. The only strange things are that the bear Prairie saw was partly red instead of black and the issue that there are seventeen of us rather than the usual sixteen. I really hope I'm wrong and overthinking it all, but I'm not about to lower my guard until I know for sure," Rantaro answers with a frown as he rests his hands on his hips.

Gonta runs a hand through his hair, laughing nervously. "Gonta really hope no killing game happens. Gonta...want to make friends. Not _kill_ friends."

_Yeah, me too, __Gonta__,_ I agree.

"Well, either way, this sure won't be boring~! Ooh, I'm sort of excited now! It's a good thing you and Prairie Dog know some of the inner workings of all this, or we'd be going in blind otherwise!" Kokichi chirps innocently, making my eyes narrow on him. Why "Prairie Dog"? I _hate_ that nickname...!

I can feel Rantaro watching me, so I simply look the other way so I don't do anything that'll earn me another scolding. Stomping on feet isn't mature.

It's that moment that I look away that things suddenly take a turn for the worse.

"I can't believe it!"

All of us jump from where we're standing, turning around to see the dual toned red and white bear I'd spoken of before standing just a few feet behind Rantaro and I in the middle of the gym. Recalling my earlier description, I hear Kiibo and Gonta shout in panic at it's appearance.

"B-Bear!" Kiibo cries out, pointing at it as if the rest of us somehow can't see it or something.

Ignoring Kiibo, the bear repeats itself with extra emphasis. "I _can't_ believe it!"

"Should Gonta smash?! Gonta can smash!" Gonta announces, preparing himself in defensive fighting position where he's right in the middle between the rest of us and the bear.

"B-Believe what?" I ask timidly as Rantaro steps closer to my side. The bear frowns, eyeing me in obvious disdain.

"I can't _believe_ your boyfriend spoiled _everything!"_ The robotic bear answers me, pointing at Rantaro aggressively enough that it sort of makes me nervous. They aren't gonna hurt him, are they? For extra precaution, I grab on to Rantaro's arm to make sure I can pull him away if anything goes sour.

"Aw, why is _Run__turdo_ her boyfriend?" Kokichi complains, much too casual for it to be an honest complaint. "At this rate, Prairie Dog will be like a harem anime protagonist! _Nee-hee-hee!"_

_Is he even on the same _ ** _planet_ ** _ as us?! Why is he still embarrassing me in a moment like this- can't he read the mood?!_

"Ah, and speaking of! _You,_ little missy!" The bear is now stabbing his paw in my direction, obviously even more annoyed now. "What the heck is wrong with you?! Why didn't you forget like you did the first time?! You're already a thorn in our side! I knew we should have stuck to only sixteen, adding you was a mistake!"

_A mistake? So I wasn't originally meant to be a part of this, but for some reason now I am? ...And does that mean they don't know why their memory erasing flashlight isn't working on me either?_

"Wooow, thanks for confirming that for us! Prairie Dog, I hope you're making a mental note of this so you can tell us next time," Kokichi comments, coming up beside me on my other side to give me a grin.

"Huh? What do you...?" I start to ask, before realizing what he means when I look to see the red bear pull out a familiar flashlight. "A-again?!"

"Duh! We can't do anything now that everything has been spoiled for our contestants! Now forget _properly_ this time!" The red bear snaps, aiming it at us. "And no- as a fact of the matter, you won't be telling them _anything_ next time!"

"...Don't you mean 'matter of fact'?" Kokichi asks innocently, causing the red bear to let out a shout of disdain before it clicks something on the flashlight.

I only have time to gasp before the flash blinds me and turns my world a piercing white for the second time.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 1.3 - Take Number Two_** ❀


	4. Third Time's a Charm

❀ _**1.4 - Third Time's a Charm**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

This time my eyes snap open seemingly on command with little effort on my part, making me fumble to open the locker door I know is somewhere around me after finding myself in here two other times.

My door swings open and I stumble out, yelping when I feel a sudden gash in my left arm I didn't feel the last time since Rantaro had helped me out of the locker.

Glancing at where Rantaro's tied sleeve is on my bicep, I make a face when I realize I've not only managed to rip the carefully tied fabric, but I'd gone and sliced my arm in the same place _again,_ making a sort of "X"-like shape that begins to seep blood all over.

_Oh no... _I think in disapproval, attempting to shift the torn sleeve around where it might cover it better. Since I can't tie it around my arm properly anymore due to the tear, there's unfortunately no pressure to stop the blood flow either._ I guess I'm just gonna bleed out then, huh?_

Just as I swallow thickly and pull off one of my sneakers, the second locker beside mine flies open and-

"Oof...!" Rantaro spills out and onto the floor in a heap, making me yelp in surprise. Thankfully, I'm not in front of his locker this time, so he didn't fall on me this round either.

Rantaro clutches his head and pushes up onto his hands and knees, blinking his eyes until they accustom to the light. Although I'm half relieved to see him, the other half of my conscience knows what's to greet me when he finally looks my way, mild suspicion in his eyes until he notices my left arm's bloody state. "Oh, are you okay? That looks pretty bad... What happened?"

_...I guess I probably should keep my mouth shut about the "before". That bear is already upset with Rantaro and I- maybe it's best we don't push things until later..._

"I...I sliced it falling out of the locker," I answer, unable to keep the melancholy out of my voice when I speak. Since seeing that suspicion in his eyes stings my heart, I avert my gaze and roll my right sock off my thigh and calves to get on with fixing my arm.

He frowns when I put aside his old sleeve that had been wrapped around my arm, glancing down at his "vest" before looking back at me in confusion. I keep from making eye contact, pretending to be focused on trying to wrap the sock properly around my arm. Thankfully, he doesn't ask about it.

"...Do you need help with that?" He asks when I struggle to tie it around my arm like he'd done already twice before, evidently prompting me to eventually give up and nod quietly in shy embarrassment. I offer him my arm, watching his guard slightly lower. "Alright, let's see about cleaning it off first, or it could get infected even if it's wrapped properly."

_Oh... I didn't know that part, but that must be why he cleaned it before too,_ I think, standing up with him and grabbing my shoe from behind to pull it on my bare foot.

"Oh," I respond, turning red in embarrassment and quickly hiding my face when I notice him smiling at my reaction.

_Oh no, he's doing it again...! Being all attractive on accident...!_

I use my good arm to fluff my hair up over my red face, hiding my shame from him. "D-Don't look at me like that...! I don't know anything about survival- it's not my fault...!"

My weak whine prompts Rantaro to laugh as a result.

"Alright, let's see if we can find a water source- that should help," Rantaro says as he stops laughing, making me nod and follow him to the door cautiously as he opens it up and looks out to check the halls.

Thankfully, there are no mechas around when he does, so leads me to one of the two bathrooms where I find myself seated at a counter once again. Rantaro cleans off my arm with a few paper towels before wrapping my sock around the wound and tying it off. After a second, he wrinkles his nose and gestures to my other sock.

"I might need your other sock since this one is kinda thin on it's own," he admits, making me murmur a confirmation and straighten up. Just as I'm about to do it myself, Rantaro reaches down and easily pops off my sneaker, making my cheeks turn red when he slips his cold fingers between the hem of my sock and thigh. I can't help but squeak and giggle involuntarily at the tickle it causes, causing Rantaro to smile a little. "Sorry..."

Once the sock is off, he takes my arm and wraps it tightly around my bicep where the other sock is already tied, layering it over before finishing the job and giving me a satisfied smile once I'm completely patched.

"There we go. Oh, by the way, I'm Rantaro Amami. And you?" He asks pleasantly, his earlier suspicions clearly having completely faded away in the time we've been in each other's presence.

_I guess he just can't help seeing me as a shy girl that reminds him of his little sister..._ I think with a mildly embarrassed smile.

"I'm Prairie Marble," I introduce myself for the third time, watching as he reaches over and helps lift me off of the counter. Due to my light weight, he grins and and then lifts me up really high like a kid, prompting a silly laugh out of me as he sets me down on my feet properly. When I look back up at Rantaro, he's got this honest smile on his face that eases most of my nerves.

"We should probably leave," Rantaro suggests, smile dropping slightly as his eyes scan the bathroom. He takes hold of one of my hands and leads me towards the door, stepping out to check the hall before pulling me out with him.

_Hmm... No __mechas__, _I think, looking down either end of the hall. _Did they decide not to chase us this time? That's strange..._

Rantaro thankfully leads us to the right of the hall, visibly taking in the massive overgrowth of vegetation in what should have been well kept school grounds. I _still _have no answer to that or even an answer as to where we are, but...

_"Are you absolutely sure this is a killing game ground?"_

_"I can't believe your boyfriend spoiled everything!"_

The bears exclamation from before is all the proof I need to know Rantaro had hit the nail on the head. They must not be very smart to have confirmed it like that...

_But now he doesn't remember anything..._ I think, looking at the back of his curly green hair with a somber frown. I wish I could tell him, but it's best I keep silent since talking could put us in danger.

Rantaro and I apprehensively turn a corner to take a right and-

The sound of a familiar revving engine to the left makes Rantaro and I spin around for a moment, until we see the mecha that appears to have been silently waiting for us to appear. My heart jumps up to my throat, but soon Rantaro and I turn to run down the long hall hand-in-hand towards the gym doors that is in view.

_"Get back here! I'm gonna turn you into a pretty little pair of bloodstains!"_ I hear the voice from the red and white bear blaring out of the mecha, voice considerably mechanical as it comes through the machine's loudspeakers.

We slam into the gym doors when we reach them, turning to quickly look back as the mecha skids to a halt behind the doorway.

_"__Whoopsie__! Don't want a repeat of that __**last**__ time!" _The red bear chirps on the other side, much to my uneasiness. _"Hey, __**girlie! **__Do me a favor and keep your mouth shut this time, _**_or else!"_**

_Shoot! _I think, quickly blowing out a breath of anxiety as I look towards Rantaro. As expected, he's already looking at me, confusion over his features as I look away from him. I can't say anything... _I don't like lying to him, but there's just no point telling him the truth anyways. He's probably just going to forget again...! What else am I supposed to do? Hit him in the head and hope everything just comes flooding back?_

"...Prairie-" Rantaro begins, making me timidly shrink back from him as I continue to avoid his gaze. Does he mistrust me now? Will I see suspicion in his eyes again when I look at him?

"Wooow, the first girl! And I was starting to think this would just be full of boring boys," I hear Kokichi blurt out with an almost dejavu feeling as Rantaro and I turn, watching the violet haired boy's eyes sparkling as he bounces over to us. "Hey, I'm Kokichi Oma! The coolest one here! You can go ahead and skip the rest of that lots' dull introductions, don't worry. You're not missing anything."

Kokichi surprises me by grabbing my hands and swinging them side to side with playful ease and a bright grin, making me almost question if he's the same evil gremlin I'd met the other two times.

"Who are you?" He inquires, violet eyes glimmering with interest.

I swallow before gently pulling my hands out of his, quickly covering my face with my hair when my cheeks start to turn red.

"I-I'm Prairie Marble," I nervously answer, half leaning away from him since his behavior is just a bit too abnormal from the behavior I've already seen from him. I give him a timid smile after I quell my blush, causing Kokichi to grin before turning to Rantaro with an equally bright smile.

"And you, playboy?" Kokichi blurts out shamelessly.

_Ah. There he is, _I think, visibly deadpanning at his words behind his back. What an appalling remark to someone as nice as Rantaro...! Why would he go and assume Rantaro would be a womanizer, anyways? Is it just because of his good looks?

"...Rantaro Amami," Rantaro answers dryly, stepping closer to me when the three other guys in the gym approach us. Is it because he's being protective again? Or to ensure he can have a moment to ask me about what that stupid bear said?

"What a nuisance you are... Please just ignore him, he seems to enjoy getting on other people's nerves. My name is Korekiyo Shinguji. A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Korekiyo speaks up, causing a heavy sigh from Kokichi as he throws an arm over my shoulders- much too close for comfort.

"See? Wha'd I tell you. _Boring!"_ Kokichi rolls his eyes, but makes no move to remove his arm as I squirm under the pressure of his overwhelming presence. I should say something...! I should shove it off! Slap it off! Punch him!

...Instead, Rantaro reaches over and removes Kokichi's arm himself, much to Kokichi's apparent surprise and my relief as I relocate to Rantaro's other side away from the violet gremlin.

"Kokichi maybe rude, but Gonta sure he harmless!" Gonta speaks up, smiling at Rantaro and I. "Me Gonta Gokuhara! Very nice meet you both!"

Kiibo jumps in after, hair and face still concealed by his coat and hat. I wonder what he's hiding under there... "And I'm Kiibo! I have no last name, just Kiibo."

"It's nice to meet you all," Rantaro picks up the greeting while I shy away from their attention. "So...any ideas why we're here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but...didn't that mecha chasing you two say something odd?" Kiibo points out much to my quiet dismay. "Something about your friend keeping her mouth shut 'this time'?"

Everyone's attention falls on me and I quickly avert my gaze to the floor as if there's something marvelous about it. Should I lie? Or just...don't say anything?

"Prairie, do you know what they meant?" Kiibo asks, voice gentle despite his suspicions.

_I guess I could just... No. No, I can't. No hints._

"...Maybe," I answer instead, causing surprise to appear on the faces of the boys around me.

_Wait till I get to the part where I tell them I can't say anything about it... _I think with a sad look.

_"__Daamn__! _I knew she wouldn't be boring like you idiots!" I wince a little at Kokichi's words. Of _course_ he has something to say about it... "So what are we here for? Don't be shy, we're all ears!"

...

I grimace and peek a glance up at Rantaro, only to shrink back when I see it in his eyes.

_Suspicion._

"No, there's no point. You're all just going to forget again anyways," I mumble, pushing past Kiibo and Gonta as politely as I can despite feeling awful about it. "Excuse me. I want to be alone. Don't bother coming over and asking me anything else either, 'cause I won't say anything."

"W-Wait!" I hear Rantaro try to stop me from somewhere behind, but I ignore it and speed walk until I reach an isolated corner in the gym, taking a seat and reclining my back against the cold wall all by myself.

Although most of the boys glance my way every now and then, thankfully none of them attempt to come over to where I am, instead chattering among themselves. Not even Kokichi seems interested enough to pester me, much to my relief. He's the one I was the most worried about bugging me. Whatever they're talking about must have to do with me, since they keep looking my way though... Probably about the "forgetting" thing I'd let slip out.

_The one friend I made and he doesn't trust me anymore just because of a comment that stupid bear decided to make... Why am I the only one that remembers? Why can't I just forget too? Remembering is just causing me unnecessary stress._

After a little while of whining and complaining in my mind, the three girls from before burst into the gym, Tenko Chabashira leading and gasping for air as she comes to a stop.

_...Oh no, she's probably gonna come over here when she realizes I'm not a boy...!_ I think, grimacing and turning away so my back is to them. I guess I'll have to just pray she doesn't.

I trace my finger along a velvety strip at the hem of my skirt uniform, frowning in thought. Now that I think about it, this uniform isn't at all familiar to me... Where did I get it? What school do I even go to? Where is the school? ...Everything before the locker is fuzzy. I can only remember...

Well, undisputable since my last attempts at recollecting my thoughts, my name is definitely Prairie Marble. Two, I am seventeen years old, but I've always been treated younger because of how I look, causing me to develop a child-like demure innocence that doesn't match my age.

...I open my eyes in surprise, not even realizing I'd closed them.

_Okay, so I at least have some saving grace in my individuality in that I can think critically in a logical manner. Could that be linked to my Ultimate talent somehow?_

What would that be though? ...The Ultimate Analyst? The Ultimate Observer? ...The Ultimate _Detective?_

_Nah. Those are dumb and _ _cliché_ _... It's definitely something else, those ones aren't clicking with me at all._

The sound of the gym doors being thrown open barely catches my attention this time- I'm far too consumed by my musings to pay attention to any of that. Instead, I extend my legs out straight so they touch the wall, leaning back to lay down and stare up at the ceiling where I can see all the overgrown vegetation entering to overtake the wall. While playing with the vines using the points of my shoes, I continue thinking.

_So this is going to lead to a killing game... Rantaro deduced it, but the one who went and confirmed it by his actions was the red bear._

...

_I'm probably going to be one of the first murders. I can't kill anyone...but I'm pretty sure someone can kill me. I'm small and an easy target- at least that's what I assume looking at myself. Me and that red haired girl look super easy to pick off._

The doors slam open again. I ignore it.

_Wouldn't it really suck...if Rantaro ended up murdering me? Not even realizing how much I look up to him and how nice I think he is? ...I wish he could remember our other two meetings. He liked me then, but now-_

"Hey."

A face suddenly appears above mine, blocking my view of the ceiling so I flinch and squeak in surprise. Rantaro watches in mild amusement as I quickly sit up and turn to rest my back on the wall again, a slight smile playing at his lips. When I don't say anything and don't smile back, he clears his throat.

"Can I sit with you?" He asks carefully, examining my face for signs of my mood.

My eyes flick past him to the four other boys I've met with two other times, Gonta, Korekiyo, and Kiibo quickly looking away from us and confirming my suspicions that they must have all agreed to send Rantaro after me. Rather than look away like they do, Kokichi gives me a bright grin and waves his arm very obviously, up until Kiibo smacks his shoulder and turns his chuckling form around to look away too.

When I look back up at Rantaro to see him still waiting patiently for my answer, I feel my cheeks turn red at the attention and cover my jaw with my hair, mumbling in response.

"D-Do what you want," I huff, knowing full well my attitude is curt and unwarranted. It's not Rantaro's fault he can't remember...but I'm bitter about it anyways. It's not fair.

Rather than take offense, he smiles more and takes a seat next to me. Why does he smile so much? It's annoying me.

_It's only annoying you because you're upset. If you weren't so angry, that smile would melt your heart like chocolate fondue,_ a rebellious thought makes itself known in my head much to my irritation. Shut up, brain.

"...So. I'm guessing my memory loss of whatever happened before is why you looked so upset when I fell out of the locker this time, right? It's because I forgot you?" Rantaro surprisingly cuts to the chase to my surprise, making me look up at him beside me where he's decided to trace the lower hem of the velvet strip on my skirt like I'd been doing before.

I'm almost enchanted by his easy going demeanor to disclosing a confirmation before I train my tongue and look away from him quietly. I can't tell him, no matter what. I just need to keep reminding myself so I don't say anything.

"...I don't know what you're talking about," I decide to go with, feeling very guilty for lying to him but biting down on the bullet regardless.

Rantaro glances my way from the corner of my eye, but I keep myself from looking his way.

"I guess it's just a feeling I'm getting, whether you confirm it or not. After all, I thought I was seeing things, but you looked somewhat relieved to see me when I fell out of the locker. It makes sense if we already met and had gotten along back then. I think the thing that completely confirms that I forgot you though... That has to be the fact you had one of my sweater sleeves already tied around your arm. Like I had cleaned and treated your arm already for the first cut you'd gotten on it. Isn't that right, Prairie?" Rantaro explains, much to my aggravation.

_He's a pretty critical thinker himself,_ I muse to myself, before standing up and taking a step back to face him, well aware of the other four boys eyeing us as Rantaro jumps to his feet too.

"What are you hoping to gain out of telling me this? I already told you, I don't know what you're talking about," I respond sharply, stutter completely gone due to my temper taking precedence. "If you keep asking me, I'll-"

"You'll do what? ...Prairie, you're not seriously considering fighting me, are you?" Rantaro gapes slightly at me in shock, looking just a bit put off at the idea. After eyeing me for a moment though, he frowns a little. "...Something tells me you wouldn't do that."

_Egging me on, huh? _I think, feeling my cheeks turn red as I narrow my eyes. I think this is when Rantaro realizes how dead serious I am, causing his own eyes to narrow.

"Fine. Go ahead, Prairie. Hit me. It won't change anything I've said, because I know I'm right about everything," Rantaro accepts, much to my discomfort. He's only saying that because he thinks I won't!

Well then...!

I'm sure everyone watching doesn't actually expect me to do it either.

My hand balls up into a fist and with a speed and force even_ I _don't expect from myself, my fist connects with Rantaro's face as hard as I can possibly muster. 

As soon as I've gone with proving him wrong, I step back once his head whips to the side from the force, watching him cautiously. He staggers a little before finding his footing, reaching up and rubbing his jaw in thought as a red mark forms from where I'd hit him.

...

_Oh my god, did I really just go and _**_punch Rantaro? _**I think in mild horror as I absorb what's just happened with guilt growing in my stomach. _I seriously just punched Rantaro. Right in the face. Oh my god._

"...That's one hell of a swing you have," he actually surprises me by laughing, dropping his hand and pushing some hair out of his eyes to look at me and...smile. Why is he smiling at me after what I just did? It's...it's annoying... "You feel better?"

...

I grab my hair and cover my face in horror when I feel tears of guilt spring to the corners of my eyes. The one person I've bonded with the most in this terrible place and I went and _punched_ him, even after all the kindness he's shown me since our first meeting- and yet he's worried about how_ I_ feel...?

"What is _wrong _with you...?" I grumble weakly from under all my hair, before he steps forward and pulls me into a warm hug. "I just punched you in the face, you're supposed to be mad and never speak to me again..."

"Mm, sometimes things don't go the way we plan or expect it to, now does it?" Rantaro says, before I finally let out a heavy breath and hug him back.

"...I'm sorry I punched you," I apologize in a whimper against his sweater, feeling my face turn redder as I try to will the tears in my eyes from falling and ruining his clothes. I've already ruined them enough, as far as I'm concerned.

"That's okay. I forgive you," he doesn't hesitate to answer, before I eventually deem myself well enough to lift my head.

"...By the way, you are right. Korekiyo, Gonta, Kiibo, Kokichi, you, and I met two other separate times for the first time already. Being the only one that remembers puts it into perspective... I just wasn't supposed to say because-" I start, looking up at him so our eyes meet.

Rantaro almost looks relieved by my admission, as if he were expecting me to keep denying it. Before he can say anything else however-

"Again?! You must _really _have a death wish, little missy!" The red bear snaps loudly, seeming to have spontaneously appeared next to Rantaro and I. He's so loud that the other people that hadn't been watching us before now have their eyes directed our way. _"You need to __**mouth shut."**_

...What?

"Silly Monotaro!" Another bear appears much to my surprise, this one half pink and half white with a little white flower at their left ear and a bra of coconuts with a flower design over each cup. It sounds like the voice of the first pink accented mecha Rantaro and I encountered the first time we'd woken up. "It's 'you need to shut your mouth!' And that you do, you little ugly bastard!"

Just when I think it can't possibly get any worse than two bears, although I'd speculated at least four already, two more pop up, one a half green bear that looks visibly more robotic than plush like the other three. The bear that appears alongside him is one that is half blue with a literal tuft of chest hair and a guitar- looking so ridiculous I almost have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

"Guess who's fault it's gotta be! I'll give ya one hint- he's _ugly,_ he's _green,_ and he's the biggest fuckin'_ eyesore_ I've ever seen!" The blue one shouts, much to the green bear's obvious discomfort.

"...Luigi?" the red bear, Monotaro, answers with a paw to his chin as he looks up in thought.

"WRONG FRANCHISE! I'm talkin' about-!" The blue bear starts shouting, before a fifth bear appears, fixing a set of round black glasses over his half yellow toned face and playing with an abacus.

"Oh, Please. Forget Monodam, the only one whose fault it is happens to be lil' Miss Prepubescent!" The yellow bear snaps, silencing the blue bear into messing with his guitar heatedly. "Now back to the issue, how are we gonna fix this one? The memory erasing obviously doesn't work on her anymore, these last two resets prove it. Should we proceed with just killing her now?"

_Killing me?! __Th__-They're really gonna do it?!_ I think, shrinking back. I feel Rantaro tug me behind his body, glaring at the bears as they bicker among each other.

"Heehee, oh, don't be like that, lover boy! We'll just kill her sooner if you interfere, and it'll be _all _your fault!" The pink bear chirps brightly, looking towards the yellow bear. "Monosuke, chase the other stragglers here, will you? You too, Monokid, I wanna get it over with quickly! Oh, you know I _hate _gore, but when it's _excessive, _unnecessary, blood-squirting gore, I'm all good!"

"Sure, we're off!" Monosuke agrees, before quickly bounding away somewhere, followed by the blue bear who lets out a "whoop" of excitement and strums his guitar excessively on the way out.

_Gore...?!_ I think, just as Monotaro jumps up and down, glaring my way.

"You talk too much! I tell you to shuddup and you fold the second pretty boy flutters his eyelashes at you! Now you get to face the consequences!" Monotaro snaps, growing more and more visibly agitated. "I won't let you spoil any more than you already have!"

"Hey, how dare you speak to an adorable sweet angel like her in such a nasty way!" Tenko snaps, suddenly appearing beside Rantaro with her fists up. "I've been in my fair share of fights, I can promise you that!"

"Gonta too! Gonta will be meat shield for Small Prairie!" Gonta pops up on Rantaro's other side, just before four other people burst into the gym lead by that magenta haired guy from last time. Some of them are screaming and obviously confused, but there's hardly time to catch them up on anything at the moment since the bears have the spotlight.

"That's everyone! Which means...!" Monophanie pauses, just as two of the mechas drop in beside Rantaro, Gonta, Tenko and I, landing with loud crashes that startle everyone in the gym. _"It's _**_punishment time! _**_Let's give it everything we've got!"_

I only blink for a moment, but as soon as I do, Gonta and Tenko are snatched up and removed from their places beside Rantaro, the two audibly complaining and struggling in objection while Rantaro and I back up into the corner- with Rantaro keeping himself rooted in front of me.

_"We suggest ya move, or we'll just kill you bastards now!" _I hear Monokid howl from within the blue accented mecha that's holding Tenko in a vice grip, the girl kicking her legs and trying to get a footing that will push her out of it's hold.

"You at _least_ have a fighting chance playing the game we have in mind! But, ah, just remember you're not necessary, you know? So technically we can off you guys whenever we want...probably. In that case-! _You either play our game, __**or we'll go ahead and kill everyone in this gym!"**_ Monotaro chirps, much to everyone's horror.

"What?! What the hell's goin' on and what are you talking about? Did you _toys_ lock us in here?!" The magenta haired guy snaps, approaching the bears that are all surrounded by the other students. It's obvious everyone is wary though, considering the two mechs standing among the teddy bear brigade in their ranks.

_"You don't have to worry your little head about that, it's up to pretty boy and his ugly dwarf back there if all you bastards die right now!"_ Monosuke casually comments from inside his mecha, while Gonta slams his only free arm in a fist down on the arm of the mecha that's got an iron grip on him. For as strong as he looks, it's clear the machines have the upper hand on this one since it hardly shudders at the impact of his fist.

_They're gonna kill everyone if I don't play their stupid punishment game?!_

"Aww, I don't think they believe us! Is it because we really look like toys? We're _not_ toys!" Monotaro barks dejectedly.

_"How about we do _**_this_**_ then?!"_ Monosuke suddenly pipes up again, before Gonta and Tenko let out loud gasps, followed by the sound of weak croaking as they begin to go pale in the grips of Monosuke's and Monokid's mechanical grips.

_They're gonna kill them, _ ** _do something!_ **

"STOP! OKAY! I'll do it!" I blurt out, roughly escaping Rantaro when he makes an attempt to stop me from stepping forward. "Put them down, I'll play your game!"

And so they do.

The mechas drop Tenko and Gonta unceremoniously onto the floor before the blue and yellow bear bound out from their mechas with those half sinister grins stuck to their faces, both cackling in malicious amusement.

_"__Yeaaaaahh__!_ LET'S TURN THIS BITCH INSIDE OUT!" Monokid screams in glee, violently ripping into his guitar so hard the cheap cardboard object's strings snap and then turning to slam it on the floor. There's hardly a loud noise since it's made of mostly cardboard, prompting him to look up with a sheen of sweat and add, "PRETEND IT MADE A LOUD NOISE!"

"H-how gory!" Monophanie squeals, hiding her face in her paws in a similar fashion as I do when I fluff my hair over my face. Is that supposed to be her mocking me...?

"Prairie, we can figure out a way out of this, you don't need to play any sort of game of theirs..." Rantaro murmurs quietly by my ear as he steps closer, but I just push him away.

"There _is_ no other way so long as they have those mechas, Rantaro. What are we supposed to do, beat them into submission with a stick? We don't even have _that,"_ I stress to him quietly, begging him to understand with my eyes. "Let me do this. Please."

There's no stutter from me this time either, and after a second of staring down at me quietly with obvious objection and concern, Rantaro eventually sighs and steps back reluctantly. I'm sure deep down, he knows we have no other choice too.

"What game am I playing?" I ask as confidently as I can, though I can hear a slight tremor in my voice as I turn to look at the five cackling bears around us as they bounce eagerly in excitement.

"We're gonna play... _Kagome__, __Kagome__!"_ Monotaro announces, before herding me away from Rantaro by approaching me with the other four bears so I can only walk towards the center of the gym. The other teens move aside so we're given room, leaving me in the very middle where I'm surrounded by the five multi colored toy bots.

There's varying expressions on the faces of the teenagers around me, ranging from confusion and fear, to pity and worry.

When my eyes find Kokichi's though, he's sporting a completely unreadable face, not even shifting expressions when our eyes meet.

_What a creep,_ I decide, despite knowing full well I wouldn't want even a jerk like _him_ to be killed just because I refused to play a game that I have the slightest chance of surviving.

"Stand still~!" Monophanie giggles from behind, surprising me by jumping on my back. I squeak in surprise, but just before I can do anything else, a checkered black and white blindfold is tied over my eyes, plunging me in pure darkness. "That should be sufficient! She definitely can't see with it on!"

Monophanie jumps off of me, allowing me to stand up straight in case this game of theirs gets, uh,_ violent._ I want to at least be able to run if I have to...

"Spin around three times! Chop, chop, ya bastard!" Monokid orders, closer than I'm comfortable with and making me flinch before following his orders.

"Now...us kubbies are going to spin around you and sing. By the time our song ends, you as the 'Oni' have to guess which bear is standing directly behind you!" Monotaro states, sounding seemingly professional now. "If you get it right, we move on! If you're wrong, we bisect you and watch your ugly guts spill across the floor!"

I swallow thickly, hands clammy and cold as I process just how low my chances at winning are. A guessing game? This isn't what I had in mind at all... When they said I had a fighting chance of survival, I should have known there was a catch.

_Better than __Tenko__ and __Gonta__ getting crushed to death,_ I think, feeling the tremble in my hands halt as I make peace with that thought. Right, I'd rather it be me that gets the punishment... I'm the one that disobeyed them in the first place anyways. I should have taken their warnings more seriously.

"H-How cruel! Why are you doing this?! What did she do to-?" A feminine voice I don't recognize shouts angrily, only to be quickly cut off by Monophanie's sweet voice.

"Now, now, simmer down! I can assure you she's getting _exactly_ what she deserves!" Monophanie purrs in delight. If it weren't for her supporting this madness, I'd be pressed to think she was a good robot. Of course, that's definitely not true though... Even if she does happen to look cute.

"What she 'deserves'? I doubt she could have done anything to deserve a punishment like this." This statement comes from a different girl, one with a far more serious tone of voice.

"Sure she did! She opened her big fat mouth and disclosed information you idiots would have never realized if it wasn't for her! And then she went and did it _again, _despite our warnings! If anyone _else_ is at fault, you're welcome to yell at the pretty boy she told it to!" Monosuke says from another direction.

_That's right, keep talking... That way I know who's next to who._

"Oh? But how would we or even Rantaro know if Prairie Dog was lying or not? Maybe it's _your_ guys' fault for basically confirming it," I hear Kokichi slyly accuse, obviously amused by his tone. He has a nice voice...not that I'll ever say that to his face. I'd never live it down.

"N-no, _you!"_ Monotaro snaps, causing me to smile. At least Kokichi is getting on their nerves too. Better them than me! "Hey, quit smiling, ankle biter! You're still in the hotbox!"

"You mean 'hot seat', Monotaro! A hotbox is something else...!" Monophanie quickly corrects her red companion.

_"Nee-hee-hee!"_ I hear Kokichi laugh, amused either because of Monotaro's weak defense or my reaction to him annoying the toy bots.

"Time to get STARTED, _YEAH!_ Oh, if anyone's feelin' heroic or something and we catch you trying to give her hints, we'll just go ahead and kill her immediately! So DON'T TRY BEING SNEAKY, _GOT IT?!_ And by the way, I'm looking at _you, _pretty boy!" Monokid exclaims, making me wrinkle my nose. What jerks, talking to Rantaro like that...

"Ready, little bastard?" Monophanie inquires, prompting me to take a deep breath. Once I've released most of the tension in my body, I nod. "Okie dokie~! Then-"

"Hold on. At least make sure she knows which of you is which. How is it supposed to be fair if she doesn't even know who each of you are?" This is obviously from Korekiyo.

"Ah. Good point. Well, I'm Monosuke, the yellow one."

"I'm the red one, Monotaro!"

"Blue's for Monokid, ya BASTARD! Vomit green is for Monodam, but no one wants to hear his dumb ass talk!"

"..."

"And last but not least, I'm the pretty pink one! Monophanie! And don't forget I'll _always_ be cuter than you!"

I roll my eyes under the blindfold. She's concerned about that?

"Okay then," I simply answer, before feeling a swift and painful impact on my shin that makes me stagger.

"That's just 'cause I don't like you! You're not cute at all!" Monophanie chirps. "Let's go, time to play!"

_Time to listen carefully is more like it, _I think, concentrating when they start to sing around me.

_"_ _Ka_ _-go-me, _ _Ka_ _-go-me~ _ _Ka_ _-go no _ _naka_ _ no to-_ _ri_ _wa_ _~"_

_"_ _Itsu_ _itsu_ _, dey-a-_ _ru_ _~ Yo-a-_ _ke_ _ no _ _baan_ _ ni~"_

_"_ _Tsu_ _-_ _ru_ _ to _ _ka_ _-me ga _ _stubetta_ _~"_

_"_ _Ushiro_ _ no shou-men _ _daare_ _~?"_

Their voices spin around me before it comes to a stop, and then a silence extends across the gym, leaving me to figure it out on my own.

_I have a one in five chance of guessing the right bear that's behind me... But how can I be sure they didn't switch places after they introduced themselves? _

Stop distracting yourself. You don't even-

"Monosuke," I blurt out, almost wanting to punch _myself_ in the face this time. I didn't even think about it, I was just nervous and picked the first name that came to mind...! I'm going to die right now, aren't I?

"Y-You...!" Monosuke growls from behind me much to my surprise. "You may have gotten it right this time, but don't get cocky! That was only round one! You've still got _nine rounds left!"_

"WHAT? Are you kidding me?! That's not fair!" Tenko doesn't hesitate to snarl from where she is somewhere to my left. "How _dare_ you change the rules spontaneously on her!"

"Well, you're the ones that are under _our_ mercy, so..." Monophanie reminds the fiery spirited girl, prompting a furious growl from Tenko.

"We can do _WHATEVER_ we damn well please! Time for round _two!_ You won't be so lucky two times in a row, sweet cheeks!" Monokid laughs.

And then they start to sing the song again, their voices spinning around me until they fall silent along with everyone in the gym.

...

_I want to think critically about who could possibly be behind me, but... Why do I just want to blurt out _ _Monosuke_ _ again?_

...

"Monosuke," I can't help but answer.

"J-Jeez...!" I hear one of the students speak up.

"Nyeeeh...! This kind of suspense isn't good for my heart...!"

_"__Nyahahaha__!_ What luck is with that girl! Very impressive!"

_"A-Again!"_ Monosuke barks, audibly agitated.

The song is repeated and I listen carefully, even though I know I'll just lose track of them again this round. When they stop, I don't even try to train my mouth this time.

"Monophanie," I answer off the bat, followed by growls of annoyance from the bears.

"Third round!" Monophanie speaks before anybody else can, continuing the song while I stand there blindfolded, quietly contemplating how on _Earth_ I'd gotten three rounds correct on what is seemingly random thoughtless guesses.

As soon as the bears stop singing, I blurt out, "Monodam."

Fourth round, "Monosuke."

Fifth round, "Monokid."

Sixth round, "Monotaro."

"What the hell are you, a _psychic?!_ Get one wrong already! This is getting ridiculous!" Monotaro exclaims with barely contained annoyance.

At this point, I feel noticeably light headed and sleepy. Like standing here doing this is somehow hard work. Despite this, I remain persistent.

Seventh round, "Monophanie."

Eighth round, "Monodam."

Ninth round, "Monokid."

"Okie dokie~! Final round, are you ready? It would be just _awful_ to lose at the end when you're so close to winning!" Monophanie chirps brightly, standing somewhere to my left. I swallow thickly, apprehension at the forefront of my mind in response to her words. Are they planning to cheat this round?

_"_ _Ka_ _-go-me, _ _Ka_ _-go-me~ _ _Ka_ _-go no _ _naka_ _ no to-_ _ri_ _wa_ _~"_

_"_ _Itsu_ _itsu_ _, dey-a-_ _ru_ _~ Yo-a-_ _ke_ _ no _ _baan_ _ ni~"_

_"_ _Tsu_ _-_ _ru_ _ to _ _ka_ _-me ga _ _stubetta_ _~"_

_"_ _Ushiro_ _ no shou-men _ _daare_ _~?"_

"WAH!" I hear some of the students shout in surprise, before there's movement and shuffling around. After a second, everything settles down, save for some students gasping lowly for a reason unbeknownst to me.

_..._

_Monokuma_ _._

What? No, that can't be right. There's only five of them playing. It's one of those five toys.

_Monokuma__. __Monokuma__. __Monokuma__,_ my brain insists.

"...Monokuma," I answer, crossing my fingers nervously.

...

"...Puhuhuhuhu!" The laugh that comes from behind me sends chills up my spine despite the fact that it sounds like a cheerful cartoon-like voice. "How unexpected! What _intuition_ you have! Feel free to remove your blindfold, Miss Marble!"

I'm just about to reach up and untie it when I feel someone already pulling at the tight knot, easily undoing Monophanie's work until I'm blinded by the brightness of the gym and press my fingers over my eyes to recuperate. By the time I can see again, I find Rantaro to be the one to have untied my blindfold. Gonta, Korekiyo, Kiibo, and Kokichi surround me as well with curious and relieved expressions across their faces...except for Kokichi, who looks more curious and _amused_ in his case.

_"Now..."_ Monokuma's voice makes me turn around, a swimming pain in my head like a headache pounding against the walls of my head. The second I see the much larger robotic bear, a dual tone of black and white, Rantaro's previous statement from our last meeting floats to my mind.

_The killing game mascot... _I think, feeling Rantaro rest his hands on my shoulders and draw me back so I'm within his protective range.

"I think your polite compliance is warranting of us allowing you to divulge that info you have with everyone else this round! It won't change anything, but you know... You can. Think of it as a prize for winning ten rounds of _Kagome__, __Kagome__~!"_ Monokuma gleefully explains before a long tongue that doesn't match his appearance _at all_ comes lolling out of his mouth, pants of pleasure escaping him. "Although, I really would have enjoyed your death this early! How sweet of you to risk your life for these _strangers_ around you! You certainly don't_ owe_ them anything!"

I choose not to answer, and thankfully Monokuma lets it slide past.

"...So how did you do it? That wasn't luck. You know it, and I know it. Am I right in guessing you have a splitting headache right now? You can tell me, I won't kiss and tell~!" Monokuma giggles, before Rantaro pulls me behind him, likely to make a point to Monokuma that he won't be getting any answers out of me. "Fine, be that way. He can't protect you forever though, Marble, remember that."

With that thinly veiled threat that doesn't go past me, Monokuma turns to direct his attention to the five colored bears behind him.

"Hey, didn't I give you orders on how to deal with these idiots? Start over and do it _right_ this time!" Monokuma barks irritably, raising a flashlight that immediately reminds me of his words moments before.

_"It won't change anything!"_

I make a sound of discontent as I put two and two together in my head. There _is_ no prize winning the game, I just got to live. My permission to share the information is just a warning that they'll go and start over if I spoil things too early.

"Not again...!" I groan with a grimace.

The other teenagers in the gym look towards me curiously, save for Rantaro who appears to look like he's just realized something.

Too bad that Monokuma switches on the flashlight right at that moment.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 1.4 - Third Time's a Charm**_ ❀


	5. Final Take

❀ _**1.5 - Final Take**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I open my eyes, shrouded by inky blackness all around me.

_Ah__. Back here again, _I think to myself, reaching out to open the locker door due to familiarity with the routine at this point. Fourth time's the charm...?

I stagger slightly as I exit, but manage to avoid slicing my arm a third time by stepping out closer towards the right side of the locker. My head is still pounding from after the _Kagome__, __Kagome_ game, but there's no way for me to tell how long it's been since then.

_"...So how'd you do it? That wasn't luck. You know it, and I know it."_

Monokuma's words ring in my head as I look around at the desks ahead of me, stabilizing myself on one of the tables. What was that supposed to mean? I thought it was just scary good luck. Was Monokuma implying I have some sort of psychic ability? That's all science fiction junk...

I pout a little and turn to look for Rantaro, eyes landing on his locker. I'm immediately startled when I see his locker already opened- devoid of my green haired companion I'd come to look forward to seeing at this point.

_...This time he didn't check my locker to see if anyone was also in there._

Without him to greet me, I feel a stab akin to betrayal and pain that makes zero sense since I'm still fully aware his memory loss is not his own fault. Yet despite this...I end up turning back towards my locker and climbing in again, shutting the locker door behind me gently. The robot bears will probably get mad at me for staying in my locker, but I can't go out there. Not again.

Especially not when I'm likely still the only one that still has my memories of the last resets.

I slide down the dark locker until I'm sitting with my arms around my pulled up knees, waiting for the universe to swallow me up and take me away. It's dark, but warm from my body heat now.

_If I go out there, I'll be meeting everyone for the fourth time. They won't recognize me again and Rantaro will be suspicious of me all over again._

...

_No. I think I'll just stay here. They can go ahead and drag me out later if they want, I'm sick and tired of this. I don't want any part of it... I want to go home!_

Where exactly is home? I still can't remember that...

And _who's_ at home? Do I even have two parents? A single parent? ...Am I an orphan?

What life do I want to return to? I don't remember it.

I close my eyes and think hard until I remember something. It's not much, but it's something, and _that_ I'm grateful enough for.

_"I want to go all over the world!"_ Is a familiar statement I remember making in excitement to someone._ "I want to see everything and learn more! And I want to spend everything with-"_

With who? Who did I say this to? These are definitely my words, but the person I said it to is a blob of black squares in my mind- their identity shrouded by my memory loss.

_How was I able to lose my memories once, but not the other times?_

My hand drags up to my neck, where I finger the thick velvet choker around my collar that I'd almost forgotten I'd been wearing. I unclasp the metal closure at the back and take it off, running my fingers over it curiously since I can't actually see it in the dark.

That's right, didn't I first wake up with a foil attached to my necklace that contained a small square of mint chocolate? I knew it was weird at the time, but I still went and ate it... Maybe it had something that counteracts whatever the flashlights do when erasing their memories, but does that mean I anticipated what would happen? If so, why didn't I just eat it before the first brainwashing if I had it?

_Maybe someone working for this "Danganronpa" group gave it to me in secret? But that still rides on whether the little mint chocolate really _ ** _does_ ** _ have something to do with why I'm retaining my memories now._

...Furthermore, why would they want to wipe our memories if he's going to make us kill one another? That part makes very little sense...unless we all know each other? Maybe that's something _I've_ forgotten too.

_Why would they think we would kill one another though? Everyone in the gym, even some I haven't met before, came to my defense when they were heckling me during the _ _Kagome_ _, _ _Kagome_ _ game... Would one of us really kill someone? Even to escape this place?_

_...I guess so. We wouldn't all be here if we weren't capable of... _ _ **Ugh! ** _ _No way that can be true! I'd rather just sit here and die in this locker alone than kill someone! Especially one of those teenagers out there...! They're just normal people! What right do I have to take another _ _human's_ _ life away?!_

I bury my face in my arms, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I want to go home to a home I can't remember. Anywhere is better than _here,_ that much I'm sure of...

...

_I don't think I've ever felt anything like this before. What is this heavy feeling? ...I don't like it. I want it to go away. It hurts._

The silence overlaps my train of thought, derailing it into a quiet that eventually calms me down. I can smell the plant life from outside the locker, giving a fresh scent to the classroom despite it's decrepit state.

More moments pass. What time is it anyways? I haven't been able to tell at all since my first _"awakening"._ How long have I been hiding in this locker?

...How long have we all been trapped here in general?

I press a hand against my belly. Other than that weird mint chocolate square, I haven't eaten anything, yet I'm still not hungry. I am, however, still suffering from that headache from before, which is thankfully decreasing in intensity now.

_Staying in here and hiding won't do anything but piss the bears off._

I don't want to go out there.

_This is cowardice._

I don't care.

_Do you really want to go out like this? Curled up fetal position in a locker? Or do you want to at least have a dignified death out there with the rest of them?_

I don't want to die. I don't want to have to watch _anyone else_ die.

I'm trying to ignore my mind as it urges me to get up and walk out to join the others, but I stubbornly stay rooted to the locker as if it's my only safe haven.

_Maybe if they kill me in here, I won't have to see death coming. It can just happen and I can disappear. It's a lot better than having to watch oncoming death._

The silence keeps up as my mind trails off again...

...And that's when something slams into the locker door, cutting into it and spilling light as I shriek and curl up even lower onto the floor. I look up to see what appears to be one of the mecha drills, sticking through the entire locker and piercing the back where I'd have been if I was still standing up.

My eyes wide, I watch as the drill pulls out from the locker, causing the door to fall off of it's hinges as a result and hit the floor with a clatter that makes me stand up and jump out quickly as I look to see one of the Mechas arms sticking through the classroom door to reach the locker. I almost thought they wouldn't be able to get me with the mecha since they didn't fit through even the double doors of the gym, but it appears I'm sadly mistaken...

_"HOW LONG ARE YA PLANNING ON SULKING IN THERE?! We have a schedule to keep to, Ugly!"_ I hear Monokid snap, causing me to jump towards the classroom doorway where I can see part of the Mecha as it pulls back it's drill and steps out of the way for me to exit. _"Trust me, I'll kill you in there if you don't get your ass moving out here! And I'll kill pretty boy too if you keep being difficult! THAT'S a promise!"_

I bite my lip. They have to include Rantaro in threats to get me to move now, huh? Well...I guess that just confirms the sad truth. We're at the mercy of this Team Danganronpa that kidnapped us.

Whoever they are...

I slump my shoulders but walk towards the doorway reluctantly, every step making my headache hurt more and more. Once I step out of the doorway though, nothing happens. Instead, Monokid seems to chaperone me as I walk to the gym, no longer speaking as we make our way to the destination. Even though everything appears calm, the silence is enough to unnerve me.

_This is really weird. I don't like it._

As we reach the double doors (which seem to be slightly still warped from the time Monotaro had gotten stuck into it), I'm stopped when Monokid's mecha suddenly wraps it's hand around my entire top half suddenly, making me yelp until the breath in my lungs is pushed out- enough that I can just barely breathe from the pressure.

I feel air whisk past me and then the feeling of suddenly stopping, paired with the sound of gasps and shouts of horror likely due to the mecha dropping into the gym out of nowhere with me in tow. There must be an opening high above the gym that allows the mechas to land inside since they don't fit through the doorway...

_"Finally!_ Good job, Monokid, who knows how much longer we'd be waiting if we let her decide when to show up! Welcome back, Ugly! Didja miss us?" The sound of Monotaro's voice, not within a mecha, echoes through the gym and quiets down the other teens as I try to wriggle out of the mecha's grip uselessly. Knowing how imposing the mecha is and the fact that they don't know me this round, I don't expect anyone to help me. Heck, I wouldn't help myself if I was in their shoes.

_**"HAHAHA, **__'Cause we sure didn't miss _**_you!" _**Monokid barks, suddenly swinging the arm I'm wrapped in and tossing me forwards. As the hand unwraps from around me, I hit the ground in a roll, yelping when my back makes contact with a wall hard enough to knock the air out of me momentarily. As I sit up and clutch my aching ribs, the mecha suddenly jumps out of the gym towards the ceiling, four of the other bears surrounding me by the wall before Monokid suddenly reappears outside of his mecha.

"Ah! Attention all students! Pay no mind to this ugly short one here! She's flawed, damaged goods and not cute at all!" Monophanie announces to the teenagers looking on anxiously, turning and delivering a surprisingly painful kick at my shin just as I get back up on my feet that makes me yelp again. My knees buckle back down and after climbing back off all fours, I jump away from the bears a little. "And that's just because I _still_ don't like you! _Ugly!"_

_How can she say things like that and still sound charming and casual about it?! _I wonder, trying to ignore both my mild headache and the throbbing pain all over my body after being tossed as I get all my hair out of my face to look around.

"H-Hey, know-it-all! Didn't you say it would probably be only sixteen of us, you fuckin' moron?! Who the hell's that little chick they're torturing?!" The vulgar remark comes from that girl from last time with blonde hair and a low-cut top, her blue eyes narrowed on...

_Rantaro! _I think, before averting my gaze when I realize he seems to have caught something in my expression upon seeing him. The green haired male frowns slightly in thought when I take one last quick glance at him. _Okay, maybe don't look at him so much, he might get the wrong idea or he might come asking questions._

"Okie dokie~! Quiet down everyone! Shimmy down, shimmy down!" Monotaro cuts in before Rantaro or anyone else can respond to the vulgar blonde.

"Aww... No, no, no. It's _'simmer down'!"_ Monophanie corrects Monotaro, ignoring the students that audibly chatter among themselves at the sight of the bears. "But look! We aren't in the Exisals this time, so we're definitely doing it right just like Daddy said!"

"E-Exisals?" Another blonde girl, the one with white hair pins and pale pink lilac colored irises inquires, looking apprehensive. "Wh-What _are_ you guys anyways? Teddy bears that can move...?"

"Yes, Exisals! Or... the_ 'Ultimate Mechanical Killing Machines'!"_ Monosuke chimes in, before registering the second half of her question and turning red with irritation. "Hey, we aren't teddy bears! _We're...!"_

In a theatrical fashion, all five bears take to posing dramatically in front of everyone, still surrounding me by the wall to the point that I just decide to lean back against it since it's obvious I'm not going anywhere.

_"The __Monokubs__!" _All five bears announce, although Monodamn's voice _barely_ matches the volume of his siblings, quite nearly drowned out by his most boisterous sibling, Monokid. In fact, I'm actually not entirely sure I heard his voice at all, considering he's never spoken prior anyways...

"...'Monokubs'..." A deep male voice, coming from the very short teenage male- even shorter than myself- repeats as if the name is somehow familiar.

"And they're teddy bears that can move..." This is the voice of the serious girl that defended me before, a girl with red eyes and twin pigtails. It almost sounds as if _she_ finds them familiar too... But they never mentioned it before in the other resets? Why would they recognize them _now?_

On my end, I don't recognize anything like them at all. I've never seen any other moving teddy bears in my life, nor have I even heard the name "Monokubs" outside of this place. Not that I can remember much of my life though...

"Wait, you guys are the _Monokubs__?!"_ The much more tame mouthed blonde blurts out, eyes jumping to the nearest bear to her- which just so happens to be Monodam.

"..."

"Yeeaah, Monodam's been bullied too much and he's shut off his heart from the rest of the world as a result. Right, Monodam?" Monotaro chirps, only to be met with more silence from the green bear. Sweat pellets form on Monotaro's head in horror. "N-Not even for me...?!"

"...I guess there's no doubt about it then." Rantaro's voice makes me automatically look towards him, until I'm reminded _not_ to when I find his gaze already on me. I look away, chastising myself for forgetting. "But what is your plan? Who's behind all of this? And why this ridiculous copycat routine-?"

"Aw, shut the HELL up! Your reactions are way too predictable! So BO-RING!" Monokid cuts Rantaro off straight away, strumming a new cardboard guitar obnoxiously.

"Wait... Now that you mention it, Monokid... These guys _do_ look pretty normal and boring, don't they?" Monotaro turns to look at me as well, rubbing his ear with a soft paw. "Heck, even ugly duckling here is boring looking- and so far she's the only one that's actually been entertaining to play with!"

"Tch! More like the only one that's served to be a pain in our neck! We had to start over several times because she kept messing everything up for us! _What?!_ Don't fancy your _boyfriends_ being our playthings?!" Monosuke snippily comments, adjusting his glasses as he laughs.

I frown out of sheer irritation, not even feeling embarrassment at the last part of his comment. "It was _your_ guys' fault the first and third time you reset everything, not mine," I bluntly respond.

...

"N-no, _you!"_ Monotaro blurts out, obviously seeing my point.

"Hmm...Monotaro, you've used that defense twice already and they're both in the wrong context!" Monophanie jumps in, seemingly embarrassed by the red bear.

"Okay, never mind Ugly! Have the lot of them remembered yet? Their first memory, that is," Monosuke asks, facing the other Monokubs. "They're not _acting_ like they remember."

"W-Well, we wiped their memories in the beginning, and that time we were able to even wipe Ugly's memories..." Monotaro responds much to my irritation.

_So what, now I'm going to be known among them as "Ugly" forever?_ I think to myself, wrinkling my nose in distaste.

"Hey! Answer_ my_ question! You guys are _for real_ the Monokubs?" The pink lilac eyed blonde from before demands, interrupting the bears.

"HEY, WHO'RE _YOU_ GUYS?!" Monokid demands right back, completely catching the girl off guard by his verbal retaliation and loud volume of voice

"What?" The blonde asks in confusion, visibly taken aback.

"Who are we...? What kind of a question is that? Surely you are the ones that brought us here, aren't you?" Another girl, this one pale with short olive hair that covers her left eye, asks in equal confusion. "If that's the case, you _should_ know us."

"What we mean is, do any of you have some sort of, say...an Ultimate Talent?" Monosuke jumps in, even turning to look back at me as he ignores the olive haired girl's comment.

I choose not to respond, despite knowing I have one I can't remember. Either way, I'm not about to comply with anything else these bears want from me. Monosuke scoffs at my lack of a response, but says nothing else to me.

"'Ultimate Talent'? No, I don't have one. Well...I do have a hobby that I'm pretty devoted to, but it's nothing like an Ultimate Talent," the lilac eyed girl responds, almost disappointed to admit it.

"Ah, me neither. I don't have anything of that sort," a boy beside her comments, wearing a cap that conceals part of his face.

"Me three, I don't have any Ultimate Talent," the magenta haired guy that had come in late the last reset answers in agreement.

_So then...the only two Ultimates are Rantaro and I? How...does that make any sense? Why just us? Why not the others?_

"JUST as I figured! You guys haven't gotten your first _damn_ memory yet!" Monokid exclaims.

"Hmm. Wasn't Monophanie in charge of that?" Monosuke asks thoughtfully, prompting the bears to look at Monophanie who is now audibly snoring despite the situation.

_Ugh...these theatrics of theirs are killing me,_ I think, before noticing Tenko at the far left discreetly urging me her way. I glance at the bears quickly as they continue their chatter, conveniently distracted by the blonde haired girl with the while hairpins who seems to notice what Tenko is trying to do.

I inch cautiously towards Tenko in hopes I don't catch the attention of any of the bears.

"The problem isn't who we are. If anything, _you lot _are the big issue here! You all forgot your Ultimate Talents and turned into no-good, boring, high schoolers!" Monosuke complains, totally unaware as I get further away from them and closer to Tenko inch by inch.

"Forgot our talents?" The blonde asks, puzzled by the bear's words.

"Yeah! It's all because of that dumb Ultimate Hunt group. Because of them, you all forgot your memories and became different people," Monotaro elaborates, before swinging around with Monosuke and the other bears to face Tenko and I- Just as our hands are about to grab hold of one another. "Hey! We have_ Ugly_ separated because she misbehaves and ruins things! Unless you'd like to have your insides squeezed out like toothpaste, _back off!"_

Tenko makes a disgusted squee of horror but doesn't pull away, prompting me to end up backing off for her own safety with a slight exhale of annoyance.

"Alright then!" The bears swing around again to face the rest of the teenagers. "First, we have to make you guys remember your _true selves!"_ Monotaro exclaims, quickly followed by Monophanie adding, "We'll_ unseal _your talents!"

"I don't really get this, but...what do you mean by, 'unseal our talents'?" Kokichi speaks up, looking surprisingly lost for being a jerk that enjoys playing with people's emotions at the worst of times...unless he's faking it to fish for more answers with his appearance?

"You guys have too many questions!" Monotaro responds to Kokichi.

"Yeah! Far too many questions!" Monophanie echoes, much to Kokichi's obvious annoyance.

"Wait, when did Monophanie wake...? Ah, nevermind, let's just get this over with. We have no use for _regular, boring, nobodies_ like you!" Monosuke explains, looking just a bit sinister.

"We're going to take out ALL of that BLANDNESS from you idiots!" Monokid shouts, visibly energized as he throws up several outfits into the air. I blink for only a moment before all five bears turn into practical tornadoes, watching each bear "tackle" a teenager one at a time- until I too am made a victim.

It's so fast that no one probably saw anything during the change, but by the time Monodam jumps off of me to go fit another student into different clothes, I'm left in a comfortable body suit of coral orange and black, covering most of my body save for my shoulders and a small portion of my ribs on either side of my waist. I've got on this thick maroon belt with some sturdy clips and a pair of interesting shoes that close with velcro rather than laces like my original sneakers. At least I won't have to worry about my skirt flipping up anymore, but there's a portion just under my armpits that's showing off a bit more of my side boob than I'm comfortable with...

Soon enough, everyone else in the gym is dressed in a unique stylish way of their own, making the bears huddle back around me to keep the other students away.

"Perfect! Now you guys all look like Ultimates! Super-duper!" Monophanie cheers, casting me a glance that I can already tell is about to be another insult. "Except for you. You just look cheap."

_Ugh!_ I think, crossing my arms over my exposed sides as red floods my cheeks. Sadly, I don't have enough arms to both cover my sides _and_ my face.

"You bears are terrible!" A girl suddenly speaks up, one with long wavy blue hair and glasses. "Why are you singling that girl out like that? You say it's because she misbehaved, but she hasn't done a single thing yet!"

"Nothin' that you IDIOTS remember! Believe me, you ain't missing out on much! Just gross goo-goo eyes from her and her green haired pretty boy!" Monokid snaps back, making the girl and most eyes automatically turn towards Rantaro much to my humiliation.

_Oh no...now I really hope they use a flashlight again, I don't think I can live with having to explain things to Rantaro like this...!_ I think as I avoid Rantaro's gaze again.

"Anyways! Now that you all look the part again, it's high time for your memories to be restored!" Monosuke states, making sure no one else can say anything about Rantaro or I.

"HELL YEAH! GET FUCKIN' HYPED FOR THOSE MEMORIES! And then we'll all be in the domain of the _Killing Game!"_ Monokid howls gleefully, strumming his guitar much to the visible discomfort of Monodam again.

"K-Kill...ing game...?" The blonde with the lilac pink irises echoes nervously with visible fear, only for her words to go ignored.

"And here we have it! One _'flashback light'!_ Once this light helps you remember your talents, this amazing story will _finally_ begin for real!" Monotaro explains, pulling out a familiar flashlight- although this one is notably different in that it's round and not square like the previous flashlights they'd been using.

"Wh-What is that?" The blue haired girl asks, turning pale as unease flashes in her eyes.

"There's no point in tellin' ya!" Monosuke laughs in response, turning to cast me a sharp glare. "You know the deal, _right_ Ugly? When you wake up again, you keep your mouth shut, or you can kiss _all_ of your boyfriends from the beginning _goodbye!"_

I grit my teeth and nod reluctantly, making Monosuke grin wider and turn back towards the other students once more.

_**"So long~! Bear well~!"**_ All five Monokubs sing in unison, just as they click the flashlight on.

_Here we go again,_ I think as whiteness engulfs my vision for the fourth time.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"...Hey. You awake yet?"

...

"Can you hear me?"

...

I front and reach up to touch my head, feeling the world slowly spin around me.

_Huh? Who's talking to me?_

I open my eyes slightly, only for a blur to appear in my vision. Everything is black and white at first, but eventually the blur seems to collect colors and sharpen into focus. My...head hurts. Wasn't it hurting before too?

_...Wait, what happened before?_

"Don't worry, your vision should be fine in a few moments. You're going to be okay," the voice says again, just as my eyes finally focus on his features hovered over me, hair dangling around his handsome face. Like an idiot, I don't quite put two-and-two together when I see his green hair and fail to get a grasp on the situation I should have well been familiarized with already.

"God...?" I weakly question with a mumble, watching the guy's expression shift into surprise before he laughs in embarrassment and turns slightly red at the cheeks, appearing very uncomfortable by my comment.

"Uh, no. Sorry," he tries to regain his composure, features becoming serious again. "Although I do think it's time for you to get up. I have a couple of questions and you're the only person around for me to ask."

He stares down at me, waiting for his words to sink in as I stare back with half-lidded eyes in a daze.

...

And then, everything suddenly rushes back into my head, prompting my eyes to shut. Everything _and then_ some.

_My name is Prairie Marble- no, that's wrong- _ ** _wrong._ **

_My name is Prairie Marvel- Yes, that's right!_

_I am seventeen years old- True, also right!_

_I'm..._

With a yelp of pain, I sit up and grab my head, pressing down hard on my temples at the overwhelming burning sensation that blossoms inside my skull, giving me such terrible hot flashes that I almost feel dizzy and nauseous as a result.

I think I hear the green haired guy say something and then-

_No._

_These are all wrong. I'll discard them._

...

In moments the pain finally subsides and I open my eyes, which are wet. Was I crying?

"Are you okay? Hey, talk to me so I know you're alright," a familiar voice speaks again, making me lift my head to look up and find...

His eyes widen when I turn to him as if he's spotted something on my face, but I'm too busy focusing on the fact that I almost completely forgot who he was. I'd looked him in the eye moments before and hadn't realized who I was talking to.

_Does that mean that different round flashlight nearly did it? It nearly erased my memories like the very first time? Thank goodness I still remember then!_

"Rantaro," I blurt out on impulse automatically, even though I already know he won't recognize me and that it's safer for me to keep my mouth shut.

I try not to let his suspicious stare get to me this time, taking it full swing and waiting for another response out of him. What I don't exactly count is for him to stare back at me silently, _also_ waiting for a response out of me. I wait a moment to see if I'm lucky and he does remember, but the longer the silence stretches, the more it becomes apparent that he doesn't.

"...So much for hoping you'd maybe remember this time..." I mumble under my breath sourly, letting my hopes dissipate as he stares me down. I shrink back from him before feeling something trickle down my nose slightly, making me frown and reach up in confusion.

My nose is bleeding.

I slap one of my hands over it and stand up, rushing towards the exit without waiting up for him. At this, he seems to finally snap out of his stupor.

"H-Hey, wait!" He calls, but I'm already out the door and in the hall making a beeline for the girls' bathroom and throwing myself inside before he can come out and stop me. Once the door shuts, I let out a heavy breath of relief.

_Idiot, why did you open your mouth again? _I think, slapping a hand against my forehead.

Rather than focus on Rantaro though, I go to one of the bathroom sinks and splash water over my face, cleaning the mess of tears and blood before grabbing some of the handy paper towels to dry my face and tilt my head back to stop the blood from dripping from my nose.

Once I get it to stop leaking, I lean over the bathroom counter and sigh to myself. If I leave the bathroom, will Rantaro still be out there? I'm sure he wants answers to what I said before... Yeah, he probably will be out there. What's the point of telling him if there's a chance I'm right about my assumptions in that they'll keep erasing everyone's memories whenever I talk? Do I really want to go through all of that again?

...Is there another way out of the bathroom?

I inspect the bathroom, the stalls, and eventually give up when I find no other outlet other than the main bathroom entrance.

"Are you ready to come back out, or should I just keep waiting here?" I hear Rantaro's voice on the other side of the door, causing me to wince a little before I take a deep breath and walk on over to the door. If he's not going to leave, I'm just gonna have to face him head on...

I turn the handle to see Rantaro with his arms crossed casually over his chest, back facing me until he turns his head when he hears the door open. It isn't until then that I realize how different his "Ultimate Outfit" is to what he'd been wearing before the Monokubs changed us.

Rantaro is wearing a loose fitted blue and navy blue striped shirt, with wide sleeves that hang just past his elbows and light brown cargo pants that tie at his ankles. When he fully turns to face me, I can see an interesting metal key chain attachment to the front of his right shoulder and a design of a ship's helm at the bottom right side of his shirt, hugging his side so it only shows a quarter of the wheel. Unlike how he was in the beginning, he has a surprising amount of piercings along the wing of his right ear, and small metal studs in both earlobes, matching the metal rings and bracelets decorating his wrist.

He looks even better than before, but...doesn't he find what he's wearing strange? Last time he recognized his own uniform and that his sleeves were missing, so wouldn't he be wondering where's his uniform? He wasn't like me, where I didn't recognize my uniform at all...

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Rantaro snaps me out of my stupor, startling me slightly.

I fumble a little, searching for the right words to answer his demand until I realize this is just way too much for me. I walked out without even having an explanation ready, how dumb of me! He's looking at me like I egged his house or something!

After unintelligible garbling, I turn to run back into the bathroom in hopes of escape. Seeing me opening the door, Rantaro's arm snaps out and slams it shut before it can open more than a crack, scaring a sharp yelp out of me. My scared yelp must have caught him off guard, because he doesn't have a chance to stop me as I slip past him and barrel straight down the hall at top speed. I plan to take a turn left at the end of the hall rather than the usual right towards the direction of the gym, hearing his footsteps further behind me that causes a rise in my panic.

_I'm sorry, Rantaro, please just go away for a little while so I can think!_ I complain apologetically, turning the corner only to pass by the familiar face of Tenko and meeting her gaze. A guilty idea forms in my mind as I point behind me once I'm sure I have her attention.

"Help! There's a _degenerate male_ chasing me!" I blurt out in the words she normally uses, zooming past her and watching as her eyes seem to harden and flash with understanding.

"Keep going, I'll handle him, sweetheart!" She calls back as I run, making me glance over my shoulder in time to see her grab Rantaro's arm as he passes and almost effortlessly flips him over her much shorter shoulder. I turn another corner and run down the hall until I spot a door, jumping into the room and closing the door quickly and quietly behind me.

_Oh god. Oh god, I really screwed up this time. If there isn't another flashlight reset happening in our near future, I'm pretty sure I've just given Rantaro every reason to hate me this time._

With a pitiful whine of shame, I slide down against the door until I'm curled up on the floor. Now I _really_ won't have any support in this nightmare of a place...

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 1.5 - Final Take**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)
> 
>   



	6. I Know Nothing

❀ _**1.6 - I Know Nothing**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Uh...excuse me? Are you okay?"

"Aw, why'd you say anything? I wanted to see if she'd notice us at all!"

I open my eyes and look up, only to find two visible figures in the room standing in front of where I'm curled up. One of them looks concerned but the other is obviously amused by my groveling, and I can't help but stare long and hard when I realize it's Kokichi Oma and Kiibo.

Kokichi looks much sharper than he had in the plain black button up uniform he'd been wearing beforehand, now sporting a white outfit akin to almost a straight jacket with a familiar checkered black and white bandanna around his neck. Once I get over the fact that he's wearing the same bandanna I'd used for the _Kagome__, __Kagome_ game, my attention focuses on Kiibo next with barely concealed disbelief.

Kiibo is no longer wearing that huge trench coat or hat he sported to conceal his body, and now I know _why_ he was wearing it in the first place. From what I can see, Kiibo is wearing an almost completely metallic ensemble that appears to _look_ like a high collared uniform similar to what Kokichi wore before. Except...I don't see any skin under the metal armor at all. It's only his face that has a skin-like material, and even then it looks a bit different than what I would call "skin".

"I _knooow__~! _I got him for twenty-nine ninety-nine at a Circuit City liquidation sale!" Kokichi seems to sense my disbelief, making a joke out of it instead with sparkling eyes of excitement.

"Keep your robophobic comments to yourself, I'd _never_ be sold at such a cheap price! With all my components taken into consideration, my value would at _least_ be that of_ fifty-nine_ ninety-nine!" Kiibo retorts vehemently with a scowl, completely overlooking how "being sold" is pretty insulting in itself.

"So, who are you, short stack?" Kokichi ignores Kiibo to converse with me off the bat, feigning a calm disposition by folding his arms back behind his neck. "Any idea why we're all here?"

"Do you need to be so disrespectful towards everyone? Were you raised by neanderthals, or do you _really_ have no sense of tact?" Kiibo asks, facing Kokichi in further annoyance.

_Huh. I've been through this so many times, they're actually starting to repeat topics..._

Kokichi turns to meet his gaze, looking not at all bothered by Kiibo's aggravated state. "Tact? What a strange word... Never heard it before in my life!"

"Well, allow me to educate you then! 'Tact' is a noun according to my diction database for the English language that means..."

Since they're distracted, I easily extract myself from them and inch towards one of the lockers by the door, sneaking in and closing the door quietly to hide like the pathetic wimp I am. Rantaro _definitely_ won't find me here, and if I'm lucky those two boys will think I left and ran off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. _No._ I didn't ask for a lecture, _Merriam-Webster._ Right, short sta- What the-? Hey, where'd she sneak off to?" Kokichi complains with audible disappointment, prompting me to cover my face with my hair and fall as silent and still as possible. I can only cross my fingers and pray they don't-

"Uh, not sure if it's relevant, but I never closed the locker I came out of," Kiibo points out much to my dismay, making my spine tingle as I wait for them to evidently open the locker door.

The handle pulls back to flood the locker with light as I stand there with my hair over my face, still making a desperate attempt at hiding before peeking up at the two standing outside with curious looks. After a second, Kokichi turns to Kiibo with a smile.

"Ah! I get it! Kii-boy, your uncanny valley face is what must be scaring the crap outta her!" Kokichi accuses, much to Kiibo's immediate offense.

"That's _robophobic__!_ I've recorded that and I'll see you in court for discrimination after we get out of here!" Kiibo retorts, although he seems to look a bit more uncertain when he turns back my way- as if there's some small part of him that might believe Kokichi a little. "Um, that's not true, right? Do I scare you? I promise the Hollywood movies have it all wrong, I'm a good robot!"

_I can't let him think he scares me, __Kokichi__ is a jerk!_ I think, moving my hair just slightly out of the way so I can talk.

"I-I'm not scared of you, Kiibo. I'm hiding from someone else..." I comment, before reaching out for the handle and gently peeling Kokichi's lax fingers from around it shyly. "So..."

Once I have Kokichi's hand off of the locker handle and push it back towards him, I pull the locker door shut again and fall silent.

...

"Hey, you know you suck at hide and seek, right?" Kokichi comments, making my eyes narrow as I hold the locker door shut when I feel him attempt to pull it open. "Come on. Out of the locker, short stack, let a master show you how it's _really_ done!"

"You're such a prick, Kokichi, buzz off!" I retort in a huff, holding fast and keeping it pulled shut as we fight over it.

"Jeez, how would you know that about me? We just met...!" He barks, before suddenly letting go and allowing the locker door to slam shut.

"Wh-What is it? Are you done terrorizing her? Don't you dare think I'll let you do anything else, you've scared her half to death at this point!" Kiibo snaps irritably, before I hear Kokichi sigh dramatically.

"Nah, I've just gotten bored of trying to pry her out. I could use some food right about now, I'm getting hungry! Not that someone like you would understand that, right? Only real people get hungry!" Kokichi laughs, causing Kiibo to groan.

"You are _insufferable,"_ Kiibo huffs, before I hear another door open from outside, causing everyone to fall silent as another person enters the room. I can practically feel my heart ready to jump out of my rib cage.

"Hey, weird question. Have either of you two seen-" I hear the voice of Rantaro cut through the silence momentarily in that nice deep pitch of his until Kokichi cuts him off to say, "Yeah, she's hiding from you in this locker! Right, short stack?"

Kokichi lays two loud reps against the door, making me yelp in surprise before slapping my hands over my mouth and feeling my face turn red in embarrassment.

"The _worst_ hide and seek player, I'm tellin' ya!" Kokichi laughs. "I was trying to reason with her, but-"

_"You_ were scaring her even more than she already was! Because you have _no_ tact, robophobe!" Kiibo cuts him off.

"Ah-_hah!_ I knew some horrible male degenerate was terrorizing the cute little flower I saw run by! Step aside, purple boy, or face my wrath!" I hear Tenko's voice snap, right before I hear gentle knocking at the locker door.

"Hey." It's Rantaro speaking this time, and my stomach knots nervously in response. I made Tenko flip him on his backside, why doesn't he sound angrier with me? This is like the punch from before again, isn't it...? He's weird... "We just want to talk, I promise."

"Y-yeah! And hey, I'll protect you from this short degenerate here, okay? Pinkie promise!" Tenko urges as well, voice coaxing as I lean back in the locker and think over my options.

I can go out...but I can't tell them anything. At least nothing that will spoil what the stupid Monokubs want to announce. Kokichi might be harder to persuade into leaving me be, but he's just gonna have to deal with it.

"I'm not worried about_ him,_ that leech is the least of my worries," I mutter, before I hear Kokichi's gasp of mock offense. It's obviously a lie, but I'm half shocked he could hear me with how low I was saying it.

"I'm not a _leech!_ You know me better than that, Mousey-mousey!" Kokichi cries out, sounding so genuinely hurt that I feel a terrible tug of guilt at my heartstrings. Logically, I know he's lying right through his teeth, especially with this new nickname he's slapped onto me, but I still can't help but feel bad. Obviously he's just trying to emotionally manipulate me, so I grit my teeth and try to ignore the feeling of guilt.

"Degenerate..." I hear Tenko growl.

"You know her?" Rantaro asks Kokichi, prompting Kiibo to quickly respond with, "No, _he doesn't!_ Do yourself a favor and ignore this one, he has a tendency to lie indiscriminately!"

_"Pfft! _Sure I know her, Kii-boy~! How else did she know my name when I didn't tell it to her, after all? She called me Kokichi, _riiight__?_ Well...that's my name! So it's obvious Mousey and I know each other! _Nee-hee-hee!_ She's so funny, hiding in there like it'll benefit her or something!" Kokichi points out, much to my dismay. I slap a hand against my face, holding in a groan of annoyance at myself.

I said his name? When?! ...Was I really so distracted I let it slip out on accident? ...Either way, being in here, there's no way I _can't_ answer Rantaro's questions. I have nowhere else to run, after all.

"Listen." My body flinches slightly at Rantaro's voice. "You can take all the time you need to answer my questions. I didn't mean to make you feel pressured before, that was a mistake on my part and I'm sorry for that," Rantaro explains, making my heart skip a beat. He doesn't hate me? He's _still_ acting as if it's not totally my own fault when it_ is?_ "...Please come out."

I hear the sound of him push off from in front of the door and silence fills the dark locker, leaving me alone to make a decision. I blink curiously and evidently give in to Rantaro's coaxing, taking the handle and pushing the locker open so I can step back out. It literally takes every particle in my body to keep me from bolting away the moment I see everyone around the locker, prompting me to quietly pray for a kind god to swallow me whole into the Earth.

"Why do you look so scared out of your mind? Do you need a teddy bear to hug?" Kokichi mockingly asks with a sweet plastic smile, nearly causing me to turn right around and march back into my hiding place...until I replay his words in my head for a moment and turn to narrow my eyes on him curiously. Kokichi seems totally composed as I search his eyes and expression for any sign of him maybe remembering something.

...No. Nothing. He wasn't implying anything with those words.

_Then again, even if he did know what I was talking about it wouldn't verify whether he remembered anything. He obviously could have seen the _ _Monokubs_ _ earlier than usual this round._

"Nee-hee~! Enjoying the view?" Kokichi laughs as his smile becomes wider with amusement, making my cheeks flare up as I tear my gaze away from him to look at Rantaro and Tenko instead. They've both maneuvered around Kiibo and Kokichi to see me, Tenko herself giving me a patient smile when my eyes land on her.

"So...you know me and you know Kokichi here. You knew my name before I gave it to you too," Rantaro starts out with.

_...I can answer this one, it doesn't spoil anything to tell the truth on that._

I nod after a moment's hesitation.

"In that case, can I assume you know everyone stuck in this place with us? I saw a few other people walking around when I was looking for you."

"Ah, no!" I answer, before realizing I have to say a little more than that and fluffing my hair over my jaw in embarrassment as my cheeks turn red again. "I-I only know six of you... The other eleven I haven't spoken to."

"Alright. So do you know these two then?" Rantaro asks, gesturing towards Tenko and Kiibo.

"Yeah..." I say, dropping my hair from my face now that my blush has receded just a little more. "That's Tenko Chabashira and Kiibo..."

"What...?! You _do_ know us? Incomprehensible! My memory bank doesn't hold anything about me ever meeting you!" Kiibo objects in disbelief, obviously more out of discomfort than actual disagreement. Obviously, he must have some sense that there's no other way I could have learned his name.

"T-that's because you guys got your memories erased," I explain, looking at all of them as they think hard about my words. "...Four times."

_"What?!_ We lost our memories_ four different times?! _B-But..." Tenko stammers, looking completely baffled as she reaches up to grab at the green four star ribbon tied at the back of her head. "How long have we all even been in this place?"

At that, I cast her a sympathetic look. "I don't know that one... I haven't seen any working clocks in this place yet and every time our memories were erased, I just kept blacking out. It's like the memory erasing just didn't seem to affect me the same way it does with everyone else. F-For a while, Kokichi and Kiibo suspected that if could have been a gender thing, but I guess that was wrong," I recap what I can for them, biting my lip as look around. That information should suffice, right? I don't think I could tell them anything else, not without putting myself in danger by pissing the Monokubs off.

"So back to square one. Stuck with a wimpy unhelpful midget and no answers to our situation..." Kokichi laments, though it's clearly obvious this is one of his usual dishonest acts when he suddenly breaks into a big smile. "Oh wait, we never asked about that did we? Hey, how much do you remember anyways? Your whole _'I remember everything'_ spiel sounds a bit too good to be true if you ask me! Otherwise, tell us how we got here and who brought us here!"

"Uh, I never _said_ I knew everything... I just know what happened following our first awakening. The first time our memories got erased, it _did_ work on me. S-Subsequent ones didn't, but I couldn't tell you why," I respond timidly when Kokichi's gaze narrows on me. He's digging too much! I hate how nosy he is...!

At least I haven't had to lie about anything yet though, he's pretty keen with that. Nor has he asked anything I couldn't answer...yet.

"So you don't know anything then?" Kokichi finally asks, making me shake my head as my first lie and prompting a heavy sigh out of Kokichi. "Aw. Useless, just like I thought."

"Alright then, now that that's settled... Can you give us your name? You know us, but we unfortunately don't know you," Rantaro suggests to shut Kokichi up, crossing his arms but keeping the patient expression on his face.

"U-Um, I'm Prairie Marble... I'm an Ultimate, but I can't remember what my talent is..." I tell the group, playing with the zipper at my collar nervously when Rantaro's gaze on me makes me squirm a little until I face him to say what I've wanted to say for a while now. "S-Sorry for making Tenko flip you earlier...!"

I bow apologetically, watching Rantaro's lips quirk in a half amused smile when I do so.

"Wait, you're an Ultimate too? I'm the Ultimate Robot, also known as K1-B0! That's where my name 'Kiibo' comes from!" Kiibo states in surprise, pointing to himself with a small smile.

At this point, Kokichi jumps in as well- in fact _literally_ jumping up and down eagerly and making noises to gather everyone's attention. He obviously loves the spotlight.

"Ignore the glorified waffle iron, I'm much more interesting! I'm the Ultimate Supreme Leader, Kokichi Oma! I'm the sole leader of a biiig evil organization with over ten-thousand members under my beck and call! _...Nee-hee-hee~! _Probably, but I guess I could be lying! _Riight__,_ Prairie Dog? After all, you know me well enough, don'cha?"

I can't help but give Kokichi a dry look at the sound of that stupid nickname he's given me four times. Tenko is quick to push him out of my line of sight so she can get my attention, making me bite my lip to keep from smiling as she carelessly pushes Kokichi's stunned face aside by his cheek so he flails his arms to keep his balance.

I'm really starting to take a shine to Tenko now.

"Hey, ignore him, I'm the Ultimate Aikido Master! Listen, Prairie! I outclass _all_ these degenerate males!" Tenko cheerfully states, hands up in a fighting stance while Kokichi rubs his jaw and shoots the back of her head a sour look of disdain. I can't help but smile back at her, watching her face practically glow with the attention.

"Ah, I guess it's my turn, huh? I don't exactly remember my talent either, actually..." Rantaro awkwardly explains, letting out a short nervous laugh laced with uncertainty as he rubs the back of his head in embarrassment.

I can't help but feel surprised about this on the other hand. The other flashlight device the Monokubs used managed to even erase_ that_ this time?

I open my mouth before I think better and shut it instead, averting my gaze when Rantaro seems to notice my reaction. It's not my information to tell in front of the others... I can talk to him about it in private at a later time.

"How the heck do you even forget your own talent?! Don't any of you ever get antsy or feel weird when you don't practice it for a while?" Kokichi demands, looking almost offended if I didn't know any better.

"I sure do! If I don't practice even a little bit of Aikido, it drives me nuts!" Tenko agrees, not quite realizing yet that it's better to just ignore Kokichi.

"W-Well...whatever my talent is, um, I'm not quite feeling anything weird yet..." I answer them, looking back at Rantaro for his opinion and seeing him shrug in agreement with an embarrassed but easygoing smile.

"Uh, Prairie?" I look over towards Kiibo, who almost appears slightly uncomfortable. "Are...any of the other students perhaps Ultimates as well?"

I shrug, considering I'd never spoken to the others- save for Korekiyo and Gonta- to have gotten any information of the sort. Not to mention that it might not even stand to be _good_ information since Kokichi and Kiibo had stated to not have Ultimates back in the second rounds.

"I don't know. When I first met you and Kokichi, both of you were pretty sure you _weren't_ Ultimates. R-Rantaro was the only one who remembered his out of our group of six. Tenko I can't be sure of since she wasn't around at the time," I explain to Kiibo, hoping to have sate his curiosity enough that he won't ask anymore questions.

"Oh, but...who's Rantaro?" Kiibo asks, prompting Tenko and I to point Rantaro's way until the guy in question lets out a sheepish laugh.

"Whoops. I was so absorbed in the conversation I forgot to finish introducing myself... I'm sorry. My name is Rantaro Amami," he speaks up, relaxing a bit as Kiibo smiles his way.

"I see! Thank you for clearing that up. I would introduce myself, but Prairie has already done that for me," Kiibo states, casting me a similar smile that makes me blush slightly and pull my hair over my nose and mouth in embarrassment.

"Sooo, Prairie Dog! If only Rantaro knew his Ultimate before, did he happen to mention it to you? I'll bet you could clear it up for us!" Kokichi points out much to my irritation, prompting me to quickly shake my head "no" and look away with a shrug. When I flick my eyes back towards Kokichi, I'm met with that uncomfortable expressionless stare of his as if... I'm being studied. What's he doing? "...No, huh. Oh well, I should have known you'd be useless in _all_ aspects, I guess."

He turns one-hundred and eighty degrees on his heel and starts walking towards the door out of the room, surprising the lot of us. I can't help but frown a little, uncomfortable with how quickly he's dropped the subject considering how much he _loves_ to call people out on lies. Does that mean he believed me...? I got away with lying to him twice in one conversation?

"H-Hey! Where do you think you're going, degenerate?" Tenko sputters, causing Kokichi to wave a hand back at us without another glance.

"To find more interesting people than you lot. _Someone_ has to have more information than that little wimp!" Kokichi exclaims, causing Tenko's eyes to flash in warning. "Really, what is she? Seventeen, or seven?"

Before any of us can stop her, Tenko is a human bullet running after Kokichi, making the violet haired boy laugh as he runs away- looking more amused than he probably should for instigating the chase. If Tenko gets her hands on him, he's as good as chopped liver.

"Ah! I-I'm going after them to make sure Tenko doesn't do anything irrational. Please excuse me! And thank you both for your time!" Kiibo gives Rantaro and I a full on ninety degree respectful bow before he turns to run after the other two- footfalls heavy as the metal of his body clanks out of the room and down the hall with surprising speed. "P-Please don't hurt him, Tenko!"

Just like that, I find myself alone with Rantaro, causing an uncomfortable silence to settle between us. Curious, I peek up at him to see if he's in as much discomfort as I am, but quickly regret my actions when I find him staring at me with a studious frown I can't help but interpret as disapproval. I babble incoherently at this, feeling my face turn red as his expression shifts into surprise. Unable to handle his gaze, I gather my hair over my entire face.

"I-I'm _sorry...! _Please don't be upset with me, I just didn't want to tell them your Ultimate when it's not my information to share...!" I whimper meekly, causing Rantaro to laugh a little in surprise.

"No, that's okay. I'm not mad at all, don't worry. That's actually very thoughtful of you and I appreciate the caution," Rantaro reassures me, taking a step closer now that he seems to deem me calm enough that I won't bolt away. "But since we're alone now, do you mind telling me what it is?"

I brush my hair out of my face to look up at him, smiling a little. "You're the Ultimate Adventurer."

Rantaro nods in understanding and gives it a thought before smiling back at me in embarrassment. "For a moment there, I was worried it'd be something terrible. Like...I don't know. The Ultimate Murderous Fiend or something," he admits, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away with a nervous laugh.

I can't help but snicker at that, and Rantaro looks back at me in confusion until I show him my left shoulder, which I can now see has a curious black star tattooed just over the stitched up gash on my bicep (likely the work of the Monokubs after the last reset).

"I got hurt three times in the same place and you insisted on cleaning and dressing my injury the same three times. I hate to break it to you, but I think you're probably the furthest thing from the Ultimate Murderous Fiend I could think of," I explain simply, prompting a far more genuine smile to form on his face as his green eyes spark with something unidentifiable.

"Anyways...I suppose we ought to go look around for the others in that case, shouldn't we?" Rantaro inquires, though I can tell it's a rhetorical question since what else _can_ we do? "Want to tag along with me, Prairie?"

My heart lurches, nearly ready to jump straight into his hand when he holds it out for me to take. Just as I lift my hand to confirm and join him, someone red appears right between us, causing both Rantaro and I to jump back a step from each other in surprise as Monotaro clears his voice very obviously.

"A bear...?" Rantaro asks out loud, though Monotaro doesn't go to answer his confusion at all.

"Sorry, not sorry! But I'm going to be borrowing _Ugly_ for the remainder of all introductions! Besides, you two are together too much! You're like _magnets!" _Monotaro exclaims, visibly annoyed as he taps his foot and tosses a four pointed shuriken up and down expectantly.

"...Who?" Rantaro inquires, pointing at himself in confusion. Monotaro corrects him by throwing the pointed star my way, making me yelp when it nearly cuts my cheek as it hits the wall. Rantaro immediately moves to get to me at the noise I make, but Monotaro quickly throws a star his way- this time actually cutting _his_ cheek and making him step back and touch his face to inspect the damage.

"Keep your hands to yourself, this is a PG school with a strict policy against public displays of affection!" Monotaro spits at Rantaro, before turning to face me and kicking my foot impatiently so I can start walking in the opposite direction. "Now mosey on somewhere else, pretty boy! If you follow us, you can kiss Ugly goodbye!"

"I-I'll be fine, don't worry about me," I reassure Rantaro as I'm basically herded away, but I can tell my words fall on Deaf ears since Rantaro is left with an expression of obvious discomfort. When we're far enough, I look down at Monotaro and open my mouth to ask where we're going, but evidently close it in the end. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough...

"Good! The fact that you know when to shut up is a great quality!" Monotaro brightly chirps, continuing to lead me off. "We're going to greet the other students you've yet to meet, and re-meet your other two boyfriends from your time before. We're chaperoning you so you don't spoil anything yet, 'cause it would suck to have to reset everything _again."_

I cross my arms but stay quiet, thinking if I speak up when he's made it obviously clear he would prefer me not to speak, I'll just get reprimanded. Much to my surprise after quite a while, Monotaro eventually lets out a groan of disapproval.

"Don't just stay silent, _say_ something! You make me feel like I'm walking with a wall!" Monotaro suddenly complains, walking backwards so he can look at me and shake a fist in my direction.

"Eh? I thought you didn't want me to talk...!" I retort in confusion, brow furrowing as Monotaro turns away again when we reach one of the hallways, where we can see a blue haired girl quietly examining a dragon-like statue that looks _very_ out of place in this setting.

"Forget it! Go introduce yourself so we can move on to the next person!" Monotaro huffs, before pointing at me in warning. "No funny business either! They'll get their questions answered when us Monokubs decide! Not you, _Ugly!_ Go in, go out, and one of the other kubs will take you to the next Ultimate!"

Without so much as a chance to ask anything else, Monotaro suddenly bounds out of sight, leaving me to spin around a little before throwing my arms up in mild exasperation. Obviously I have no choice, do I? Well...at least the first one I'm meeting is a girl.

_Hm... Now that I think about it, she's one of the girls that was upset over the fact that the _ _Monokubs_ _ were picking on me specifically. That was very nice of her to speak up, but I'm glad the bears didn't try punishing her or the other two girls that had spoken up._

"Um... Hello? Can I ask who you might be?" I speak up timidly, already feeling my nerves trying to get the better of me.

"...Hmm..." The girl hums, still staring intently at the statue.

_...? Can she not hear me?_

"Hello?" I try again, even reaching out to poke her arm curiously in case she's maybe Deaf. She hums again, prompting me to frown slightly and puff my cheeks with realization. "Oh."

I stare down at her for a moment before shrugging and deciding to move on. If she's just gonna ignore me, then I guess there's no point in talking to her.

_She's obviously not as nice as I thought if she's ignoring me like this,_ I decide as I start striding away to spend my time on someone who isn't going to completely _waste_ it.

"Oh! Y-You're leaving?" I hear her speak up.

I almost stop and turn around, but in the end I just keep walking away and hum out loud the same way she had. Basically pretending I can't hear her like she'd done to me. If she was interested in speaking to me, she shouldn't have ignored me in the first place!

_Rantaro would probably tell me I'm above holding little grudges like these...but then again, Rantaro isn't here right now, is he? No. He's not. No thanks to the "teddy bear brigade"._

Thankfully, the girl doesn't try to catch up with me. I'm not sure I'd be able to hold out on my grudge if she confronted me head on, that would just be too much for me.

For now, I'm just going to have to find another Ultimate and introduce myself...

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 1.6 - I Know Nothing_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
>   



	7. Strikes

❀ _**1.7 - Strikes**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I reach a set of stairs and stop, looking around my current surroundings. Hmm... Didn't Monotaro say another Monokub would basically escort me to the next Ultimate? No one else has shown up yet...

"Aww, a lost puppy! Did you get separated from your master? Hey, if you let me slap a leash around your neck,_ I'll _be you new master!"

I yelp and spin around, taking a step back despite registering the snickering individual to be Kokichi Oma. My eyes narrow despite my discomfort. How did he manage to sneak up on me? I was just looking around a second ago!

"You're such a prick... What do you want?" I ask, trying to be at least _somewhat_ confident so he doesn't think he can steamroll over me. "I thought you were going to find more interesting people."

"...Ah! I see, I see," Kokichi exclaims, making me frown. He's not going to answer my question, is he? "You know what you remind me of now that I think about it? One of those teeny-tiny little teacup chihuahua dogs that bark and spit as ferociously as they can! It's actually adorable you think you can intimidate me, really~! And you know what else is just _adorable?"_

Kokichi grins and reaches over to pinch my cheek hard enough I'm sure it's gonna leave a red mark. It's not actually painful or anything...unless we're talking about my pride. Kokichi practically has my pride tied to a paddle by an elastic string...

_"You,_ Prairie Dog!" He laughs, until I aggressively yank my face from his torturous pinching fingers. He doesn't even seem the least bit uneasy when I give him a look of unadulterated disgust. _"Nee-hee-hee~!"_

"C-Can't you go bug someone else? I don't want to deal with you right now," I complain, rubbing my cheek and stepping back again. To my annoyance, he proceeds to take a step closer in response and I can't help but roll my eyes as I bitterly mutter, _"Every time...!"_

"So have you always been as bad of a liar as you are now, Prairie Dog? You know, you could have done better than what you did before... Or you could have just told the truth, I guess. Good little girls don't lie, right?" Kokichi comments, his grin becoming somewhat sinister at this point.

I swallow thickly, trying not to let him intimidate me too much.

"I-I'm seventeen, don't judge me by my looks. You're not exactly _Rambo_ or anything either, noodle arms," I shoot back as I take another step back and feel the rails to the stairs hit the small of my back.

"Aw, I could cry, that _really_ hurts my feelings... You're so mean! I just want to befriend you in my own little unique way, but you're treating me like I'm rabid! You really think I'm _that_ bad, don't you?" Kokichi asks as water collects at the corners of his eyes.

Had this been the first time, I'd probably have made the same mistake I did during our initial meeting.

"...You chased me around and made fun of me when we first met because you thought it was funny to play with my insecurities around boys," I deadpan, staring him straight in the eye without a stutter as I slowly grow more and more tired of his presence.

Typical to his nature, Kokichi snorts with laughter at the revelation and his tears immediately dissolve like magic. When he looks back up at me, he's grinning again and proudly places his hands on his hips.

"Ah, yeah, that sounds like me. Also, thanks for telling me you're insecure around boys! That's great information!" Kokichi says, grinning wider when I feel my face go pale with realization at the fact. I shouldn't have said anything at all...! _Stupid me! _"You ought to be more careful about the information you drop, Prairie Dog!"

"Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't be so _nosy._ E-Ever thought of that?" I retort, moving along the border of the rails towards the stairs since it's obvious by now that none of the Monokubs are about to jump in anytime soon.

_Psh__. They get in my business when I'm with someone normal like Rantaro, but when I'm actively being grilled for answers by __Kokichi__, they're nowhere to be found, huh?_ I think, flinching violently when Kokichi slaps a hand on the stair rail to block my way with his arm.

"Ooo, jumpy are we?" Kokichi chuckles. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you...probably."

"For the last time, what do you want?" I demand, voice suddenly much sharper than I intend it to be if only for my temper suddenly flaring to life. Kokichi stares me in the eye with a bit of a smirk at my sudden change in attitude, looking completely at ease.

"I want to know why we're all here. I know you of _all_ people should have that answer, so don't bother playing dumb about it like you did with the Ultimate Nobody and his talent back there," Kokichi says as he looks down and examines the nails of his free hand casually, leaning on the rail as if he has all the time in the world.

"U-Um..." I stutter, less because I'm nervous this time and more because I'm mentally searching for some sort of excuse. I look back and around in hopes that a colorful bear will appear to throw out the usual_ "spoiler warning"_ and drag me away, but no one appears.

_I can't tell him anything. What if the _ _Monokubs_ _ do what they did last time? What if I'm not as lucky as I was during the last punishment game?_

"Aw, bummer. No one around to save you, huh?" Kokichi observes when he notices my wandering eyes, even looking around with me in mock curiosity. "I'll leave you alone if you just tell me, Prairie Dog~"

"...You'll also be_ dead_ if I just tell you..." I comment bitterly under my breath.

"What was that?" Kokichi asks, leaning a bit closer with an expression of curiosity.

"I said I _can't _tell you! Last time I almost got gutted because I opened my mouth and said too much," I finally snap at him. "I'm not going through that again just so I can sate your curiosity."

"Aw, but who's gonna catch you telling me here? I don't see anybody around, do you?" Kokichi inquires cheekily with a shrug. "It's just you and me... Together... _Alone..."_

_...Why the heck does he have to say it like that? Is he some kind of pervert? I hope __Tenko__ flips him on his backside one day too,_ I think to myself, feeling my cheeks warm to a red color of shame as I grab my hair and pull it over my cheeks with an irritable frown his way.

He takes an agonizing step closer so we're less than a foot away from one another, causing me to press back against the border and rails that leads down to the stairwell so there's still space between us. What's he trying to pull now?

"After all..." He grins a nerve wracking dark smile, and that's when I feel something cold and thin press against my bare ribs at the exposed slit of my suit.

My heart gives one violent thud inside my rib cage at his next words.

**"I'd be happy to gut you myself if you don't say anything."**

_...A knife,_ I register in my mind, feeling my blood drain from my face. _The __Monokubs__ haven't even announced the killing game yet in this round and I'm already having my life threatened by another Ultimate. Will he do it?_

I keep my mouth shut this time, staring back at him as he himself stares back at me. The only thing keeping me quiet is morbid curiosity at this point, playing with the idea of what that blade pressing against my skin curiously can possibly do. Kokichi is prodding at my ribs with the sharp blade, the side of the knife, and the uncomfortably pointed tip, causing shivers of anxiety across my skin.

...

The longer I wait for it to happen, the more thinking about it scares me. No one would know he did it here. He could probably get away with it... Right now, nobody knows each other enough to keep tabs on "who was where" or "what is the motive".

_And then _ _Kokichi_ _ would "graduate" for killing without getting caught while the others die for not catching the correct murderer._

At least that's the worst case scenario...if Kokichi isn't bluffing.

"...Aw, I'm getting _bored!" _Kokichi suddenly groans after a moment, before surprising me by flicking what I see is a rather expensive looking switchblade with a pair of red and white dice charms at the end of it shut. 

I frown at the sight of the dice, feeling a strange pull in the back of my mind. Have I seen those somewhere before?

He takes a step back from me and turns away, looking down the hall and straightening up his arms and back until I hear an audible crack that makes him hum in satisfaction. "And I'm hungry. Where can I find grub in this place anyways?"

I don't answer that, and even if I knew where there was food, I _still_ wouldn't tell him where it was after what he just pulled. Rather, I scramble to the stairwell quickly and descend down the stairs, almost proud of the backbone it took me to resist saying anything to Kokichi until I hear him call down to me.

"Talk to you later, Prairie Dog! Let me know when you want that _leash_ I was talking about~!" I hear the prick call down cheerfully, only motivating me to speed up as I shout back up. "In your dreams, you _jerk! _I hate you and you're terrible!"

Midst the laughter I hear from him at the top of the stairs, I keep scurrying away until I'm at the bottom, opening the first door on the floor that I see and jumping in so I can close it behind me. With that, I blow out a sigh of relief and lean against the door. Stupid violet creep...

"Hey. You're not about to have an anxiety attack or anything, are you?"

The deep voice that greets me this time is deeper than Rantaro's, but being used to finding comfort in Rantaro's voice, I relax a smidgen and lift my head to see a much shorter teenage guy than even myself standing in the room, sitting atop a pool table and playing with what looks to be a chain attached to his left ankle in a cuff similar to what maybe a prisoner might wear. The fact that his outfit is a bit rebellious, what with his leather jacket, horned beanie, and blue and black striped pants doesn't help the matter either.

"N-No, I'm okay. I just had to get away from this annoying guy," I explain, causing the teen in the beanie to laugh a little. Somehow, I can't help but cock my head slightly to the side in confusion. What's so funny?

"I sincerely doubt you'll be able to run from him very far, considering our collective predicament," the guy answers my confusion, looking composed even after I purse my lips in understanding and avert my gaze. Right, we're all trapped here. Rantaro mentioned as much before... "Name's Ryoma Hoshi. I used to be the Ultimate Tennis Pro, but that's title I bore from another time altogether. After I went to jail, I moved on from tennis for the most part, but I won't get into that here."

_J-Jail?!_ I think, shrinking back a little but trying not to appear to nervous about the new information. I guess my observations were correct in the end, but...seriously? _Jail?_

"Sorry if that makes you nervous. You seem like a nice girl, but I'm a bad crowd to be hanging around if you're looking to make friends. Got a name?" He asks, completely brushing his own words off as he pulls away a small white paper stick or something of the sorts from his lips.

Still somewhat anxious, I manage to introduce myself with only a slight stutter. "I-I'm Prairie Marble, but...I can't remember my Ultimate..." I explain, mildly embarrassed by my meek tone of voice as I hear myself talk. It isn't until I hear the words from my mouth that prompts my nerves to dissolve and turn into worry. "Actually, I don't remember anything about myself at all."

Ryoma frowns and cocks his head to the side, as if trying to get a better look at me. After a moment, he sticks the paper stick back between his lips and hops off the billiards table to approach me, hands shoved in his pocket. Once he's close enough, he stops and gives me a studious once-over that's enough to tint my face pink until I can't help but cover my face in embarrassment.

"Prairie...Marble," Ryoma repeats thoughtfully, as if testing the name, pulling the stick from his lips again.

...

"Ah. Okay. I know who you are," he says after a moment, readjusting his beanie and smiling just a smidgen as I wait for my blush to recede enough to look him in the eye again. At this point, the idea of someone knowing who I am- even if they did come from prison- takes precedence over my nervousness.

"Really?" I ask somewhat hopeful.

"Yeah. You're 'Perfect Blitz', the Ultimate Rock Climber," Ryoma explains, much to my surprise. 

I'm a rock climber? No... I'm the _Ultimate _Rock Climber?! Someone as shy and small as _me?_ He's got to be joking or something, right? ...Then again, he doesn't look like the type to joke around in that way. 

"I've seen you featured in sports magazines alongside me. You climb the most impossible structures without suspensions, only using pouches of chalk dust. People around the world call you a walking legend practically... You really don't remember?"

I shake my head solemnly, but smile when I look back at him.

"It's good I at least know now though. Maybe I'll remember with time, right?" I say before feeling my anxiety return upon noting the way Ryoma stares at me critically, prompting me to squirm under his gaze a little bit. Heck, he's almost not even _blinking...!_ "W-What is it? Is there something wrong?"

"Mm... Not 'wrong', per say. Maybe it was just the magazines being over dramatic with their articles as usual, but I recall reading that you were a rather aggressive individual. Meeting you face to face, you're the total opposite," Ryoma states, prompting me to squirm at the thought.

"Aggressive...?" I feel my cheeks burn as I picture myself as aggressive, only to shiver uncomfortably. "I might get impatient and act irrational sometimes, but I fold too easily to others. I'm a walking doormat..."

"Heh. Better than being someone like me at least, believe me. I'm a lost cause after what I did with _my_ talent... I killed people. Killing- even bad guys- changes a person and it changes the people around them," Ryoma admits, prompting me to fold my arms and look away. The memory of why we're all here resurfaces in my mind, much to my disappointment.

"How is what I am any better? I'm the perfect victim. I'll probably be the first one that gets murdered in this nightmare of a place..." I sigh in disappointment.

"...What? Why would you be murdered here?" Ryoma suddenly asks, visibly confused by my statement as I quietly scold myself for saying too much.

"SHUT your _HELL HOLE!"_ The boisterous shout of Monokid makes me flinch as he suddenly appears in the room, snapping a guitar in half on his knee and throwing it on the ground hard...even though it's very obviously still a guitar made of cardboard. The pieces don't even make the slight slapping noise like they had the last time he'd done this in the gym, instead half bouncing with delicate thuds against the carpet.

...

"Just _pretend_ it made a loud sound!" Monokid growls, before facing me specifically. "And _you! _We told your ugly butt not to open your mouth! THAT'S STRIKE ONE! Three strikes and we pop your head off like the cork of a champagne bottle, little bastard! Now SCRAM! Get your ugly behind moving!"

I stare at Monokid for a moment, but decide not to bring up what happened with Kokichi in the end. Finding the door handle out of the room behind me, I give the still visibly confused Ryoma a pathetic wave and leave the game room as he offers me a wave back.

Monokid collects the pieces of his guitar before scurrying after me, causing me to raise an eyebrow as he follows me to the next door. As if sensing my gaze, Monokid answers, "Littering's against the rules!"

_Huh... That's a surprisingly subdued answer for being the most energetic of the pack. I'd think he'd be as much of a troublemaker as maybe _ _Kokichi_ _, except ten times more irritating and substantially less clever._

"Now! Get your ass in there and then get your ass OUT!" Monokid snaps, before disappearing like Monotaro had before. Letting my eyes flick around to see if anybody else is in the vicinity, I eventually just give up and enter the room. I'm sure Monokid would have led me to an Ultimate in the hall if there was one here.

As I walk into the room, the scent of old books hit my nose instantly- mixed with enough dust that I can't help but sneeze into the bend of my arm as a result. It appears I've entered a library...a dusty one at that. Why isn't this place

Stepping in further to examine the place, I eventually spot a girl with pigtails standing by a world globe. Seems like she noticed my arrival with my sneeze, and now looks from me to the globe and back cautiously. I immediately recognize her as one of the three girls that spoke up during the _Kagome__, __Kagome_ games the Monokubs put me through, but with that recognition, I can't help but notice how she seems less approachable than she had before.

_Well, the last girl I met ignored me completely. I don't exactly have high hopes for this girl. So far, only the people I've met from before and _ _Ryoma_ _ are the only pleasant people I've spoken to...minus _ _Kokichi_ _._

I walk over to the girl, who to her credit makes eye contact with me before looking off to the side. She doesn't seem like a shy person... Maybe she's just socially awkward. I should probably just be blunt about it, considering Monokid has made it clear that chit-chat should be a minimum.

Feeling a little rebellious by the Monokubs constant bullying, I start to speak.

"I have to introduce myself to all the other Ultimates or the Monokubs are going to apparently gut me and pop my head off," I say off the bat, watching as her eyes flick back towards mine with a rather dark frown.

"...Is that supposed to be a joke?" She asks with this apathetic tone to her voice, looking almost ready to punch me.

"No. They already tried to kill me before because-" I start, before something hard hits my shin, the same shin that's already been abused several times courtesy of the Monokubs. As a result, I don't even have to guess who's the culprit of this attack.

"That's _strike two! _One more and we dismember your ugly body and stuff you in an oven!" Monophanie chirps. "You're supposed to introduce yourself, let _them_ introduce themselves, and then leave! How is that difficult for you to understand, Ugly?"

After that cheerful delivery, Monophanie trots away on swift feet, a pink blur my eyes are unable to track since they've started to water. Not just from only the pain either.

The other girl quietly watches me as I straighten up and face her, unable to meet her red eyes.

"...I'm Prairie Marble. The Ultimate Rock Climber."

...

I don't know if it's because she takes pity in my situation, but she surprisingly responds. This time, all the hostility in her tone of voice has dissipated, returning to a tone of apathy that betrays none of her true emotions.

"Maki Harukawa. Ultimate Child Caregiver," she introduces herself as well before silence falls on the two of us.

_Well, introduction over,_ I think as I turn away to leave. I can feel her gaze follow me until I'm out of the library, allowing the door to slam shut behind me.

I manage to wipe one eye clear of tears by the time the green Monokub strolls into view. Instead of saying anything rude or mean, he actually waits until I clear my other eye, standing patiently at my side until I take a deep breath and nod to him that I'm ready to go.

With that, Monodam leads me off to the next Ultimate without another word.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 1.7 - Strikes**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)
> 
>   



	8. Strange Ultimates

❀ _**1.8 - Strange Ultimates**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Monodam ends up leading me back to the stairs, the two of us reaching the top with a sigh on my part. Thank _god _Kokichi isn't up here anymore... Then again, I doubt he's the type to wait for anybody- even if waiting means pissing somebody off.

As Monodam and I walk through the hallway, I can't help but wait for the other shoe to drop. This monokub is so far the most quiet of the lot. I don't even recall him speaking up _once..._

"U-Um...aren't you going to pick on me or chastise me too?" I'm unable to resist asking, despite knowing how stupid of a question it is.

Monodam looks at me, shrinks back from my questioning gaze, and ultimately says nothing as he looks back towards my next destination. Huh. I guess that's a no then...

We eventually come to a stop and Monodam turns to face me as I look at the doors before us. So the next Ultimate is in here, huh?

I look back towards the quiet monokub only to find him already gone, prompting a soft sigh out of me. He really _is _damaged goods like Monotaro said... Whatever. He's still a monokub and one of the bears keeping us trapped in here for a killing game.

I push open the doors and peer inside curiously, feeling my eyebrows raise slightly at the sight. It's a dining room- a _big _one at that. Obviously designed to fit many people by the looks of it.

_Actually...designed to fit sixteen people exactly, _I find myself thinking as I visualize the people I'd seen before in the gym and try to mentally fit them around the table. _No room for the seventeenth victim, huh?_

Just as a melancholic feeling starts to settle in my stomach however...

_"Prairie! _Are you okay? I'm sorry I left you with that green degenerate before, he didn't try anything against you, did he?!" Tenko inquires, bouncing eagerly on her heels from a spot across the room past the dining table and waving her arm so I see her. Any bad feelings attempting to boil to the surface fades away as I smile her way and approach her.

"N-No, Rantaro is nice! He didn't do anything, don't worry. Did you manage to get at least one hit on Kokichi though? I don't like him," I ask, only slightly resisting a smile at the thought of Tenko completely flipping Kokichi on his backside like a rag doll.

"Aren't you a gem!" Tenko laughs, before wrinkling her nose and sighing in disappointment. "He was pretty fast and managed to hide from me before I could... Next time he won't get away though, I promise! I'll pop his skinny bones like twigs to your heart's content!"

I grin wider and nod in satisfaction, only to hear an exaggerated sigh from behind her that exudes pure laziness. Confused, I look around her and blink in surprise when I see that red haired girl from the gym before- the one that would call things a pain in that really lazy slow voice.

"Nyeeh...that sounds like a pain. Why don't you just ignore him? It takes less effort, if you ask me," the red head comments, playing with her witch's hat like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

"...I guess you haven't met him yet. I suggest you treasure these moments while you have them. You'll miss it later when you finally encounter the violet menace. Oh, he also has a knife by the way so...be careful," I inform the girl, before approaching her after taking Tenko's hand to bring her with me. I think I hear Tenko squee quietly at the action, but I keep my gaze focused on the other girl. "By the way, I'm Prairie Marble. The Ultimate Rock Climber."

Tenko brightens at this, but there's something in her eyes that looks like she's trying to remember something. "Oh! You remembered your talent? Rock climbing sounds amazing, Prairie! Hm...the Ultimate Rock Climber..."

I give her a sheepish grin as she thinks, turning slightly red at the cheeks. "Uh, no, I didn't actually _remember _per say...but this other Ultimate, Ryoma Hoshi, told me he recognized me from a sports magazine he was also featured in. Apparently I'm supposedly some sort of famous rock climber known as 'Perfect Blitz'? I don't remember, so-" I'm cut off when Tenko gasps suddenly, looking me up and down with brand new eyes.

"Oh. My. _GOD! _OH MY GOD! How could I not have recognized you until now?! You're a walking legend! You're the queen of daredevils! You break records with your speed and stamina! You do all your climbing _freehand! _Which is both terrifying and cool all at the same time!" Tenko gushes uncontrollably, right before pulling me into a huge hug. "Aah~! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you face to face, you're so cool!"

_"_You'rePerfect Blitz? Now I _know _we're total opposites..." The red haired girl laughs a little and smiles lazily. "Although, I'll admit your bravery at climbing without suspension _is _pretty cool... You're the staple figure for inspiration around the world. If it wasn't for seeing you breaking records like you do, I'd never have found my calling in the world of magic..."

The girl holds out her hand. "I'm Himiko Yumeno. The Ultimate Mage- or as the public prefers to wrongly call me- The Ultimate Magician," she says as I shake her hand and return her smile, pulling out of Tenko's hug but not releasing her hand.

_The Ultimate Mage... Well, if that's what she wants to be called, _I think cheerfully, mood much brighter than it had been previously.

"That's pretty cool! All I do is climb...if you ask me, mine sounds sorta lackluster in comparison to Neo-Aikido or magic..." I say, feeling my cheeks turn a little red at the looks on the girls' faces.

"Man, you really _did _forget everything... We did already mention you're a walking legend, right?" Himiko asks, smiling even more. "I read you were way more of a bad girl though... I mean, you're dressed the part, but you don't seem like a bitch at all."

I squeak in horror at her language, feeling my cheeks burn enough that I have to cover my face with my hair. "S-So profane...!"

Tenko giggles, messing the top of my hair before quickly smoothing it out and fixing my hair bow. "You're so cute! Himiko is totally right! ...Wait, are you two the same height?"

Himiko and I trade curious glances before we stand back to back from one another, hands brushing as I remove my bow and she removes her hat. Tenko gives us critical looks and then claps her hands in satisfaction.

"A-_ha! _Himiko's taller, but only by an inch! How tall do you two measure anyways?" Tenko asks, completely taken by the two of us.

"I can't remember..." I sheepishly answer, closely followed by Himiko answering, "Well, you're probably four foot ten since I'm four foot eleven."

My eyes bug out slightly at this revelation.

_I'm _that _short...?! Well, at least I'm not __Ryoma's__ stature. Then again...maybe being short is a blessing? __Ryoma__ is pretty threatening to have been sent to jail for killing some bad guys. __Himiko__ is a cool magician and I'm apparently a rock climbing legend. I guess being short's not too bad..._

"Ah, I should probably keep going and meeting the other Ultimates. The monokubs have pretty much demanded I go around alone with them escorting. Nice talking to you two," I say, causing Tenko to pout and deflate a little.

"Aw, you really have to go? Well, I'll see you later then, Prairie! If you're in trouble, just scream for me and I'll come running no matter where I am!" Tenko proudly states, giving me one last wave as I nod and leave the dining hall.

"Took ya long enough! Let's get movin', I've got calculations I'm behind in that I need to get back to as soon as possible!" Monosuke exclaims as I meet him outside, turning to lead me off towards the next place.

"S-Sorry!" I instinctively apologize as I speed walk to try and keep up with his brisk pace. For being a very tiny stuffed robot bear, he can walk _really _fast...!

I don't see anyone on our way, making my eyes flick around to study the overgrown plants. It sort of gives this place a peaceful, albeit ominous atmosphere. I sidestep a large root in my path, frowning a little. That's a bit hazardous...what if someone trips and hurts themselves?

Remembering Kokichi and his knife, I stop dead in my tracks at an awful image that pops up in my mind.

_I don't like him, but I don't want him to hurt himself either! _I think just as Monosuke finally notices I'm not following and backtracks to where I'm looking at the large out-of-place root.

"You really want that _third _strike, huh?" He growls impatiently, to which I look at him to tell him my thoughts.

"Wouldn't it suck if someone accidentally killed themselves tripping on this before everything kicks into gear?" I comment, watching as Monosuke pauses in thought. He looks from the root to me and back until he snorts in mock amusement.

To my surprise, since I have no clue where he could have gotten it from, Monosuke tosses me what looks to be a jagged razor sharp survival knife at my feet- brand new at that.

"Fine! Deal with it yourself if you're so concerned about those strangers!" Monosuke huffs. Despite that, I take the knife and kneel down to the root.

It takes a bit of work to cut that part of the plant out of the ground, but I eventually get it done. Standing up with the root fragment and the blade, I toss the root into a nearby waste bin since littering isn't allowed and try to give Monosuke the knife back. At this, Monosuke instead tosses me something else I fumble to catch- before grabbing it properly and realizing it's a blade sheath for the knife he gave me.

"Keep it! Someone as ugly as you might need it for protection next time someone threatens you for information!" Monosuke laughs loudly, much to my irritation and disbelief.

"You were _watching?_ W-Why didn't you do anything then? Why didn't you try and stop him?!" I demand, feeling my temper rise as I clutch the knife and sheath harder in my grip when Monosuke gives me his back and hums in thought.

"We wanted to see if a little pressure would tempt you to drop spoilers! And it didn't!" Monosuke pauses for a beat, and then swings around to face me again with visible irritation. _"Instead, _your ugly dumbass decided to spoil when you _weren't _being grilled to! Nearly _twice!_ What is _wrong _with you?!"

Monosuke turns back around to lead, leaving me to figure out what to do with the knife he's burdened me with.

"So dumb...even worried the purple brat that threatened you might trip and stab himself with his dumb knife..." Monosuke calls me out on my actions, prompting my cheeks to burn a sheepish red shade as I catch up with him and sheath the blade.

I don't exactly want to keep the infernal thing, but Monosuke's made it clear he won't be taking it back anytime. It'd be a lot worse if I just left it lying around and someone else picked it up though, so I take the burden and stick it in a convenient strap at my hip where my belt can hold it. I can probably hide it later so no one else can use it if they get any ideas following the killing game announcement...

Monosuke stops us by a pair of double doors, pointing at them. "Now get in there and introduce yourself on the double, Ugly!" He orders, bounding away swiftly as I proceed to enter.

_A...a warehouse? Wait, I thought this place was supposed to be a school! Why is there a warehouse here?! And why is it so massive?!_

"HEY, MIDGET!"

I jump about a foot in the air in surprise, a yelp flying out of me as I turn to look at the aggressive speaker I assume is speaking to me. I mean, how many other short people are here right now anyways?

"Yeah, _you!" _A familiar blonde girl with a pink uniform that I recognize _still _has a low cut (crudely low) at the bust waves me over, making me approach only with slight apprehension. Why'd she feel the need to call me a "midget" anyhow?

Adjusting the goggles on her head, she points up at one of the higher shelves we're standing by, making me follow it up until my neck is craning up to see the entirety of the stock.

"Alright, Imma hoist your ass up so you can find me something up there, got it?! Specifically, they're these little paper patches the size of dimes with cute drawings on them! Find me that shit and you'll have the pleasure of telling the world you have the beautiful, girl genius- Miu Iruma the Ultimate Inventor's- love and praise!" The blonde announces with a wide grin, much to my disbelief.

"S-So much profanity..." I shiver in horror with a mutter before evidently sighing in confirmation and watching her eyes sparkle with glee. "Fine, I'll look for it for you, I guess."

_I mean, what else am I supposed to be doing anyways? Considering I've already been escorted by most of the _ _monokubs_ _, I'm probably gonna see _ _Monophanie_ _ next. Honestly, I'd much rather not... She's the worst out of all of them!_

Miu yips in excitement and then leans over to hoist me up, making me grab onto the shelf of the next level and easily hoist myself up. I'm small enough to crouch at the edge to look in, but I think what surprises me more than that is my muscle memory as I settle in that position.

Having told Tenko and Himiko I'm a rock climber made me feel awkward and fake, but as I climb higher on the shelf, my nerves settle a bit since it feels relatively easy and natural.

_If that's the case though, why do I still feel so weird when I tell people I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber? Some people even recognize me...so why does it feel wrong?_

"Damn! You're like a monkey girl! Who..." Miu starts, before I look back at her while searching the shelf I'm half clinging to. Just like that, as soon as her crystal blue eyes meet my similar blue orbs, she shrieks and grins this massive smile of glee. I almost lose my balance and grip at the piercing sound she makes, watching as she bounces up and down almost like Tenko had before when she'd learned who I was. From where I am, I can see her bouncing do some unholy things to her chest... "You're _Perfect Blitz! _The Ultimate Rock Climber! Oh my god! I have so many posters of you in my bedroom!"

_Oh god, _I think, feeling my cheeks turn red at the amount of praise she gives me. I don't even deserve it, this "Perfect Blitz" person doesn't sound anything like me at all...

"A-Anyways, what are these paper things that you want so badly? Stickers or something?" I ask, right as I give up on the shelf I'm searching through and move to climb to the next level.

_"No way! _They're much better than stickers! It's LSD! So I can take a trip to la-la land and forget about this mess we're all in~!" Miu announces, striking a very aroused and sexual pose at the thought when my head whips around to look at her.

"You're making me look for _drugs?!_" I shout in disbelief, so astounded that the force of my voice hitting the entirety of the warehouse amplifies it to a ridiculous volume. Miu immediately jerks back at the sound and shrinks into herself with a pitiful whine of shame and a chastised expression.

"I-I _deserve_ a peace of mind if those teddy bears are trapping me in here, don't I? Please don't be mad at me! I won't do them then! I'll drink soda and e-eat candy instead until I give myself a stomach ache!" Miu offers instead, half drooling at the thought. "Oh, now that I give it some thought...sweets _do _sound better!"

"Y-Yeah, don't do drugs Miu. Especially here. I don't think we'd be able to call paramedics if you were to happen to overdose- and above that, it's not healthy to use drugs to escape reality," I scold her pointedly, noticing a weak spot in her personality and stepping in to take care of her. Seeing someone as meek as myself is strangely comforting...even if she _is _brash and vulgar on the surface.

She nods and I jump straight off the high shelf to land on both feet beside her without a second thought, dusting myself off and then pausing to blink in surprise. I did that without even thinking about it... How did I know I could handle a jump from that height?

I shake the thought off and look at Miu again, receiving an eager-to-please smile from Miu as she steps closer.

"Anyways, I need to properly introduce myself or the monokubs will get upset. My actual name is Prairie Marble, and I'd prefer to be called that that Perfect Blitz. But yeah, I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber," I confirm to her, holding out a hand that Miu takes after recovering from my light scolding.

"Don't _I_ know that! I think you're the fucking coolest, second to myself of course! Hell, you even have a great set of tits too! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Miu laughs, making me turn bright red all the way to the tips of my ears as I glance down at my chest.

"Um... Thanks..." I answer sheepishly before giving her a wave and a timid smile. "I'll see you around, Miu. Please be careful."

"No problem, that's easy! Careful is my middle fuckin' name!" Miu crows, before wandering to another portion of the warehouse as I step back out into the hall and wave my hands at my face to cool myself down. There's not enough soap on this planet to wash my ears of all that profanity I just heard...!

_Huh...no _ _monokubs_ _ around waiting to chastise me for taking too long..._

I take a right and halt dead in my tracks when I see someone come into view at the end of the hall leading towards the dining hall.

_Rantaro! _I think, pivoting on my foot to walk in the opposite direction and counting it as a blessing that I noticed him before he noticed me. Just when I take a step away though-

"Hey, Prairie!"

I squeak loudly with obvious guilt, but stop walking as I turn to see him job the rest of the way towards me. He smiles once he straightens up, although this time it's one of mild embarrassment from what I can tell. What's _he _embarrassed for though? I'm the one that was obviously trying to run away from him again!

"Still running away from me, huh? I've actually been meaning to ask...did I do something before for you to be afraid of me? If so-" He starts much to my shock.

"Wha-? No! That's not it at all, you're wonderful!" I blurt out in my rush to reassure him, only realizing what I've said after I see his expression shift into one of true surprise. "N-No, wait! I didn't mean that! W-Well, not that you aren't wonderful, I'm just not good interacting with boys- especially when they're handsome!"

...

Rantaro's lips quirk in a bit of a smile and I feel heat flood my cheeks, prompting me to cover my entire face with my hair in utter embarrassment as I turn away from him. Feeling lightheaded, I crouch down and humbly pray for the Earth to swallow me whole...yet again.

"...I am so sorry..." I whimper. "You can walk away now if you want..."

At that, Rantaro actually laughs and makes my face heat up even more. Before I know it, he's crouching beside me much to my disbelief. He reaches over to remove my hands and push my hair out of my face, smiling when our eyes meet again. His expression looks totally composed and cheerful, but I'm pretty sure my own visage is a chaotic mess.

"Ah. There you are. So how are you doing so far? Do those bears still have you on their radar, or did they decide to leave you be for now?" He inquires, allowing my nerves to settle after my embarrassing display by changing the subject.

"Th-They're supposed to still be around but...I don't see them at the moment. They don't take this long unless they just don't want to show up. I've just been going around introducing myself to other Ultimates like they asked me to," I explain, grateful for the new topic.

"Hmm..." Rantaro smiles and then looks up behind me. At first I'm confused, but then the sound of the door being slammed open makes me jump up to my feet with a yelp, scurrying beside Rantaro instinctively and grabbing hold of his arm.

When I see it's just Miu exiting the warehouse, I relax a little and then jump away from Rantaro when I register I'm clinging to him unnecessarily.

"Huh? Oh! Just you, Prairie~! ...And you," Miu comments, cheerful when referring to me and bored when speaking to Rantaro. Looking up, Rantaro's left eye twitches ever so slightly, but in the end, he manages to keeps that Sunday smile on his face. His patience with people is incredible...!

Her eyes fall back on me again, only for her blue eyes to light up with recognition as she looks from my red face to Rantaro and back. Realizing what sort of ideas are formulating in her head, I hold up my hands and try to wave them off, but it doesn't seem like it clicks for her when her face breaks into a wide grin.

"Oh, so you're into _these _kinds of men, huh, Prairie?! Tall and pretty? Pfft, I would have thought you'd be more into the aggressive assholes or something!" Miu laughs, hands on her hips as she very obviously checks Rantaro up and down. "Hm... Yeah, good choice, he's probably packing some good inches down there."

Rantaro actually looks a little disturbed by her analysis, but doesn't waver in his stance before her at all.

With her observations settled, Miu walks past us and shoots me some sassy finger guns of support. "You get him, tiger! Don't forget to use your knockout titties, that's what gets those dumb shits droolin'!"

She departs with that unintentional social slaughter, and all that's left is the empty husk of the person I used to be, crackling and withering into dust in her wake.

My face is so warm that the next second after I blink, I find myself looking up at a spinning room- Rantaro's face hovering over my own curiously. He doesn't look too worried...but why is he looking at me like that?

"...You doing okay now? Can you hear me?" He asks, making me frown in confusion.

"What...? What do you mean? I hear you fine..." I say slowly, watching as the ceiling behind him starts to slow in its spinning. "...Am I on the floor?"

"Yeah... Prairie, you sort of fainted. I think what Miu was talking about was a bit too much for you," Rantaro laughs awkwardly, almost looking nervous as he smiles and rubs the back of his head. "We can just pretend she didn't say anything if you want. In fact, who's Miu?"

_...What _ _Miu_ _ said...?_

...!

"Ah!" I sit up quickly as the memory comes back to me, only to freeze when I miscalculate how close Rantaro is and nearly bump into his chest as a result. He moves in time though, his smile widening just slightly when he sees my cheeks start to turn red again. "R-Right, what's a Miu? Never heard of it either!"

Rantaro reaches over, surprising me when he brushes some hair stuck to my lips out of the way and tucks it behind my ear. He himself seems surprised by his own actions as well, but rather than maybe panic or faint like I probably would in his shoes, Rantaro just takes my hands and helps me back up onto my feet, keeping hold of one hand once we're up when I wobble a little.

"I'm okay," I insist in embarrassment, taking my hand out of his timidly if only to ensure an escape since it's becoming increasingly difficult to be around him without still thinking of Miu's words at the moment.

He seems to understand the base of my discomfort and offers me a smile nonetheless. "I guess I should let you keep going then, huh? I'd hate for the monokubs to get upset because I'm hogging you again."

I give him a smile and nod politely, taking a step past him with quiet relief at this way out he's handed me, whether intentional or not, on a silver platter.

"I'll see you later, Rantaro..." I answer him, trying not to sound _too _timid as he gives me a wave and then continues on his way. As he turns to leave, I look back at him one more time and manage to catch a strange eerie frown on his face, although his gaze isn't directed at me anymore.

_What's that expression for?_ I wonder in confusion, turning away again with a nervous nibble at my lower lip. It's almost as if he just got less optimistic once I was gone... _Maybe he has some sort of homesick feeling? ...Maybe I remind him too much of his sister and it somehow upsets him on some level, but doesn't want to hurt my feelings by letting me know?_

My thoughts only grow more chaotic until I reach the area I was last at, only to approach a doorway blocked by a metal grating. As I look between the bars, I'm startled by Monophanie appearing by my feet, looking rather sullen and upset as she hums sadly.

Normally, I wouldn't really care- especially after how cruel she's been to me thus far, but I cave in to my empathy anyways. "I-Is something wrong, Monophanie?"

Monophanie looks up at me and presses a little red button on a tiny black box she's holding, causing the shutter of the blocked off area to quickly open up. I jump back with a yelp, half irritated she hadn't said anything to warn me. What if that thing caught my hair?! My scalp could have been torn off or something!

"My brothers made _me _come to help your ugly but with the doorway here. Seeing your face again has totally ruined my day. You're not cute at all!" Monophanie complains before suddenly disappearing again.

..._I guess when it's just me, those are the times __Monophanie__ is supposed to be escorting me. She's presumably ditching._

"Ah, I was wondering when I would be allowed passage through this doorway."

_Hey! Isn't that...?_

I turn to see who's walked up behind me, already knowing who it is without needing to hear anymore of their voice.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 1.8- Strange Ultimates**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)
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>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)
> 
>   

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)


	9. Blasphemy

❀**_ 1.9 - Blasphemy _**❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I turn and have to hold back the little smile that wants to form on my face when I see Korekiyo Shinguji step to my side. Together, we enter the new area and he hums in thought at the sight.

"...I believe this is the entrance hall. And through that door ahead, we can leave this infernal building once and for all. Marvelous," Korekiyo cackles in the usual somewhat eerie way he always does. As he inspects the entrance hall, I'm given just enough time to have a good look at his outfit provided by the monokubs.

In a way, it's almost both elegant and historical looking at the same time, like a lot of care was put into the style. It's fitting for him, but I have to ask...

"A-Are you the Ultimate Historian?" I query curiously, making Korekiyo turn to face me with a bit of a twinkle in his eye. He seems amused by my guess... "I'm wrong, aren't I? Darn."

"You're only a little off the mark. I'm Korekiyo Shinguji, The Ultimate Anthropologist. The study of what makes people human basically, which I suppose involves some history knowledge. I'm far more centered around cultural anthropology, but I'm also well versed in both linguistic and biological anthropology, as well as archaeology. Not too many people are familiar with the term that is my Ultimate, but it really is an exquisite study," Korekiyo explains, fixing the bandages carefully wound around his left hand. "And you... You're awfully familiar. May I ask who you are?"

_He has such nice manners... I mean, he's still sort of creepy, but I like him. He's been nice to me since our previous meetings, regardless of how he might come off to be. It's not good to judge people based on the surface anyways._

"I'm Prairie Marble, the Ultimate Rock Climber. I...don't exactly remember anything about myself actually. Someone else told me I'm apparently-" I explain timidly with a sheepish smile before he cuts me off with a hum of sudden understanding.

"Oh, I see now. You're Perfect Blitz. It's wonderful to meet someone who's impacted so many people's lives," Korekiyo holds out a hand, which I shake without hesitation due to feeling comfortable around him. He cackles when he notices my lack of caution, keeping his warm hand wrapped around mine and pulling it closer to run a thumb over the brass knuckles on the back of my fingerless gloves thoughtfully. "Eager to make friends? You ought to be more cautious of the people around you. We _are _strangers to one another, after all... Well, besides you to us, as I'm sure you're aware."

I feel my cheeks turn slightly red at his words. Right- even if we _have _met for the first time several times, Korekiyo is still a stranger to me...

_So are Rantaro, __Kiibo__, __Tenko__, __Gonta__...and as he_ _made it obviously clear, __Kokichi__ too. Heck, I'm a stranger to _myself _at that._

"R-Right..." I answer simply with a timid stutter, turning to look at the door again and rubbing the stitched "X" shaped gash on my bicep nervously.

_"Well, we're trapped here."_

That's what Rantaro had said during our second meeting when he learned I'd seen Monotaro and fifteen other students grouped with us in the gym. So although these doors lead outdoors, we're probably still in a situation where we can't leave. An enclosed environment...trapped so we can play Monokuma's and Junko Enoshima's sick killing game.

_"You have to get away with murder."_

I frown and avert my gaze to my feet solemnly, eyeing my outfit as I do to distract myself from my thoughts. I hate what I'm wearing... I hope they provide us with something else- this outfit is too tacky for my taste.

_Y_ _ou're just saying that because Monophanie said you look cheap with it on... _

The reasonable side of my brain insists, until I look away from my outfit as well and to a spot on the floor where grass is growing out from between the cracks of some tiles. A single yellow pansy is growing there and nowhere else.

...Both Korekiyo and I have been standing there for a bit now, neither of us inching forwards to open the door. I can only guess what could be stopping him, but for me it's the fear of confirming with my own two eyes that Rantaro is right about us being stuck here.

"...Do you think freedom is on the other side of this door, Blitz?" Korekiyo inquires, adapting to calling me my other name quickly and making my stomach roll slightly. It's more out of discomfort than disgust that my stomach rolls though, so I simply ignore it. If anyone really wants to call me "Blitz", well...I guess they can.

"No. Actually, I'm one hundred percent sure freedom isn't past these doors," I state in response, letting my eyes flick back up to the massive doors. At my answer, Korekiyo cackles in amusement.

"I have a feeling I agree with you," he says, adjusting his mask and then taking a step forward. I follow suit, grabbing hold of one handle as he takes the second doors handle. "Shall we?"

I nod in response and we push open the doors.

I'm almost blinded by the sunlight as the bright light of day passes through my retinas, making me recoil momentarily with a hand to shield most of the light until I see...grass. It looks like an unfinished school campus outside, but there's a gentle breeze that caresses my skin and weaves around the locks of my curly hair, making me shiver just a tad bit.

Most eye-catching of all, however...

"Amazing... I wonder how they could have managed to build a cage of this size without attracting the attention of anybody. Perhaps we are being kept in a remote location of the sorts? One no one would notice something even as conspicuous as this?" Korekiyo observes, stepping out for only a moment before before he seems to hum to himself in thought and turns to return indoors. "I think I shall save exploring the outdoors for last. I still have yet to see what's downstairs. Until we meet again, Miss Blitz."

I nod to Korekiyo and watch him disappear into the school again, only stepping out down the steps from the main building once he's completely gone. He's right though, how in the world did they build a cage this size without anybody noticing? Why hasn't anyone come to help us?

...I discard those thoughts for the time being and step onto the cut grass past the steps. I can see the silhouette of buildings beyond the cage bars...but the entire thing engulfs the whole "school". Forget about climbing it out either, even if I _am _apparently the Ultimate Rock Climber. At a certain point, the craggy rock wall turns to sleek metal- far too slippery to climb. What would I even grip at that point?

_"Rise and Shine, Ursine!"_

I don't even look as all five of the monokubs appear around me in a circle. Of _course _they've decided to come and heckle me some more...

"Isn't this cage _amazing, _beautiful?" Monotaro comments, causing Monophanie to immediately cry out in horror.

"No! Don't call her that! She's really_ ugly! _If you call her beautiful, she'll start to have healthy self-esteem standards!" Monphanie warns her sibling, turning blue in disgust.

"HAHAHA! Screw that shit! Let's talk about this awesome wall first! Hey, _Ugly_, meet our HUGE ASS _WALL OF THE END!" _Monokid howls, prompting me to finally stop staring at the distant city beyond the cage and pivot in the blue bear's direction with a bemused expression.

"W-What?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Why such a weird name?"

"Heh! Normally, walls act as a border to divide two spaces, but this wall is _much _different. To put it in simpler terms..." Monosuke adjusts his glasses, sounding smug and proud of his little exposition. "This is all what remains of the world."

...

"'This is all what remains of this world'... A-Are you saying there's no more 'world' past this school? As in...we're here because there's nowhere else to go?" I inquire, squinting at the bears in honest confusion and mild fear at the idea of this quite possibly being true. "I...I don't follow."

"Huh?! Oh no, your ugly face has made me lose track of my train of thought!" Monosuke blurts out in a dramatic and mocking voice of exaggerated pain, followed by noises of disgust from the other three bears. Monodam just turns away and averts his gaze, face in a grimace as usual.

"So ugly, REAL DAMN UGLY!" Monokid agrees with Monosuke.

"Looking at her ugly face...! It's making me forget myself! So ugly!" Monotaro jumps in as well, much to my irritation as I clench my jaw under my closed lips and try not to let my rising temper get out of control. If I do something to the bears, I won't just be getting a ruler to the back of the wrist like I do from Rantaro, so to speak.

No, I'd most certainly be thrust into another punishment game or something to a similar degree.

"All you need to know is...there's no way out! Simple~! Give up, Ugly! Not even the Ultimate Rock Climber like you can climb it!" Monophanie elaborates daintily, making the other three bears snicker among one another. Monodam shuffles his feet in response to his siblings and steps away from them a bit.

"HELL YEAH! THE ULTIMATE _WALL!" _Monokid laughs.

"Anyways! Watch your step, Ugly! We don't want you becoming an ugly stain _this _early on!" Monotaro snickers, just before the bears all chorus, _"So Long! Bear Well!"_

Just like that, the four worst ones disappear, leaving Monodam to look my way just before he too bounds away to wherever his siblings have gone.

_...Aren't they forgetting something?_ I think, crossing my arms and tapping my foot as I step onto the cement path and patiently wait. A second later, Monotaro reappears, grumbling to himself in a chastised manner with less pep in his step than he had when he'd left moments before.

"Oh? Back so soon?" I ask innocently with a bit of a smirk since it's likely the only way for me to throw some vengeful salt their way without having to put myself on any chopping block for maybe kicking them or something. Monotaro lifts his head to look up at me, the fur of his robotic body actually puffing up slightly at my expression as I look down on him both figuratively and literally.

"N-No, _you!"_ He snaps, before turning to lead me to the next Ultimate. I just smile to myself in amusement. At least these stupid monokubs are a distraction from...well, the cage we're all trapped in.

_I can't let it suck all the hope out of me though... Granted, even if there was a way we all came in, we could all totally be sealed in here, but we'll find a way out for sure! I absolutely _refuse_ to play __Monokuma's__ killing game!_

What if there isn't anything to go back to out there? What if, as Monosuke said, this little cage is all that's left of the world?

_Doesn't matter. We can survive out there, we'll just learn to adapt if that's the case. Anywhere is better than the grounds of a killing game._

"There we are! Well, you know what to do, _Ugly!_ It's goodbye for real this time~!" Monotaro chirps, his farewell catching the attention of a person I can't see over or around the corner of tall uncut grass Monotaro had lead me through. Unlike the grass near the main building, this grass is unkempt and taller than even myself.

Monotaro bounds away just as I hear the Ultimate, who sounds like a guy, call out, "Who's there?! Come out and show yourself you _plushy teddy bear bastard!"_

I flinch and squeal loudly in surprise when a tall magenta haired guy suddenly pops up in my path from between the tall grass with something akin to a warrior's battle cry, fists raised with one prepped to take aim at my face. It isn't until he sees me that his fierce expression settles, causing him to pause and lower his fist while I stand there stiff as a board and pale faced on my tiptoes.

"Oh, I thought you were one of those monokubs! I could have sworn I heard one over here... Hey, you okay? Did I scare you that badly? I'm sorry about that!" The guy laughs in embarrassment, sheepishly pressing a palm to his forehead and wincing at my expression a little. "Really, _really _sorry...!"

_This is the same guy that came screaming into the gym that time with _ _Miu_ _... He's totally different now, what the heck happened? Before he gave off the impression of being a bit cowardly, but now he's more on the rash and aggressive side...? What's going on?_

I feel my nerves eventually calm down and let out a shaky breath, looking up at the guy with timid eyes. He smiles warmly, and right then and there I'm reminded I'm _terrible _at talking to boys... _Especially _good looking ones.

"Ah, um... You weren't wrong. One of the monokubs was here just a second ago..." I tell him, watching his eyebrows knit together in mild confusion. "T-They're making me go around to meet and introduce myself to every Ultimate here. And chaperoning me on top of that. I got into trouble a little earlier, so they don't want a repeat of it."

The guy suddenly laughs at my confession, a boisterous and jolly laugh that actually makes me take a step back. He's a bit too loud for me... "Sweet! Good to know someone else besides me is causing them trouble too! They threatened to boil me alive in oil after I broke off one of the signs here and tried to fight them!" The guy taps his chest with a big grin, right before slamming both of his fists together. "Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! Or better known as the Ultimate Astronaut!"

My eyes widen noticeably. He's an _astronaut?!_

"R-Really? But you're so _young!" _I gape in awe, causing the male to laugh and rub the tip of his nose with harmless pride as I look up at him.

"Speak for yourself, _Perfect Blitz!" _He exclaims, pointing his finger at me and making me turn red with wide eyes. Realizing my predicament, I yank my hair over my face in embarrassment and wait out for my blush to subside. "Yeah, that's right, I know who you are! You were already a world class climber by the time you were _nine. _THAT is young. Ah, by either way, I'm only an astronaut in training- and I got help getting to take the exam. What's amazing about _you _is that you climbed your way to the top using your own power! Seriously, I know girls are the ones most influenced by you, but growing up seeing your feats really helped me strive towards _my_ _own_ goals and dreams!"

If anything, my cheeks heat up even more under my hair. I feel a little lightheaded now too...!

"I-I'm sorry! I'm not used to this stuff yet...! Unlike everyone else here, um, I don't remember anything about myself at all... I'm just hearing it all second-hand. I don't _feel _like an inspiration... I don't even feel like I'm Perfect Blitz at all," I squeak timidly, hearing Kaito hum in understanding.

"But you know your name at least, right? Your real one?' He inquires, making me nod and drop my hair as my face somewhat cools down. "And your talent?"

"Prairie Marble, Ultimate Rock Climber," I answer to prove it, causing a smile to form on Kaito's face. He really is an energetic sort of guy, isn't he? That's nice. Optimism is good in a place like this.

"Good! So, Prairie, about this whole cage thing...how do you feel about it?" He asks, looking up so I follow his gaze to the sky where I can still make out the silhouette of buildings standing just barely visible in the distance past the metal bars and border.

..._I can't put my finger on it, but..._

"There's something weird about the sky," I blurt out, making Kaito frown and eye it as well. "I don't know what it is, but I'll try and get a closer look later. I can at least climb it _half-way, _right?"

"...So you're going to keep looking for a way out then, right? Even if those bears say it's no use?" Kaito inquires curiously, though I don't turn away from looking up at the sky.

"..._Especially _because those bears say it's no use," I hear myself answer.

A minute later Kaito whistles and lets out a laugh that snaps me out of my daze, the guy visibly amused as our eyes meet and I bring my hands up to my chest nervously.

"Yeah. You're _definitely _Perfect Blitz. A pure blooded stubborn rebel- even if you _are _surprisingly shy and cute!" Kaito points out grinning much to my shock. My cheeks burn redder and I cover my face again, only making him laugh even more. "Get used to the praise, I don't doubt I'm the only one that will be throwing them your way later on!"

_Better than always hearing the __monokubs__ call me "Ugly"..._ I think, bravely uncovering my face despite it still being somewhat warm.

"It was great to meet you, b-but I should keep going. The bears get upset when I take too long with a person..." I explain, earning a nod of understanding from Kaito who thumps a fist against his chest again and grins.

"If you ever need anything, just call for me, Prairie!" Kaito says brightly, tousling my hair at the top before striding past me and giving me a friendly wink I smile back at.

_"At this rate, Prairie Dog will be like a harem anime protagonist! Nee-hee-hee!"_

I feel my face become unbearably hot at the memory of Kokichi's words from a previous reset. Why did he have to go and say something so embarrassing? Why did _I _have to go and _remember _something as embarrassing as that?!

_Just forget about it and get moving!_

It isn't until I snap out of my thoughts that I realize Monodam is standing in front of me and waiting patiently.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait...!" I apologize on impulse, if only because Monodam is the more preferable of the five bears.

Monodam says nothing but only starts walking when it appears I'm ready to go, leading me in the opposite direction Kaito had went off towards. What an impassive bear...who is somehow more considerate than the others. Or is this maybe just a ruse so I'll eventually end up naively trusting him? Could this docile personality be a trap waiting to be sprung on me?

...Better to steer clear of being attached to any of the bears. Even one as passive as Monodam.

We walk until we reach an open area, one with an archway coated with vines and small pink flowers. While I'm admiring them however...

"THE-LARGE-ULTIMATE-IS-NEARBY."

My eyes widen and I turn to look at Monodam in surprise at the sound of his robotic voice, but he's already gone by the time I'm facing the space he was occupying while escorting me.

_..."The large ultimate"...?_

_..._And then I see him come into view as I step out past the arch, where he appears to be eyeing some tree very closely, turning leaves over in search of something presumably small. My face breaks into an automatic smile when I see him.

It's Gonta! The sweet mountain sized man!

"Hello!" I speak up, voice taking a more cheerful tone as I approach the more or less unsuspecting Gonta, half climbing the side of the arch so I'm just a bit taller than I usually am. He straightens up and turns, looking honestly surprised when he finds me upon looking lower than his line of sight. As soon as he gives me a once over, he turns his head almost as if looking for someone else standing behind him. Who's he looking for? "May I introduce myself?"

"T-To Gonta?" He asks, pointing a finger to himself in honest confusion as he meets my gaze again. I smile and nod in confirmation, surprised to see a grateful smile of undiluted joy appear on his face. "Oh! Gonta thought no one would talk to Gonta... Since Gonta so big and scary. B-But Gonta must be good gentleman if small one like you want to talk! Thank you!"

He looks absolutely elated, so I nod and jump off of the arch to step closer with a hand out.

"I'm Prairie Marble, the Ultimate Rock Climber!" I introduce myself, given another pleasant surprise that makes me hide my face a little behind a wad of gathered hair when Gonta gets down on one knee and actually leaves a small peck on the back of my fingerless climbing glove.

"Very nice meet you, small Prairie! Gonta's name is Gonta Gokuhara! Gonta is Ultimate Entomologist, but one true goal is to become gentleman!" Gonta also introduces himself, playing with the cuffs of his sleeves thoughtfully as he smiles down at me.

"Entomologist... Is that bugs?" I inquire, watching Gonta's eyes light up. Phew, glad I got one right this time...! Furthermore, I'm sort of glad he doesn't recognize me like the others have so far.

"Yes!" Gonta confirm in a loud and excited yell, before training his mouth with an embarrassed smile and red tinted cheeks. "Sorry, Gonta just so happy... But small Prairie right! Entomologist is study of bugs!"

Gonta's face falls after a moment and he glances over his shoulder at the part of the arch where he was studying the leaves attached to it.

"But...Gonta no can find bugs anywhere. No bugs in flower, no bugs on tree. Gonta no see animals either. Gonta think it weird," Gonta states bluntly, frowning and scratching his cheek gently with a finger thoughtfully.

I furrow my brows and look at the flowers and leaves on the archway as well, squinting as I examine them. Maybe there's some really small ones Gonta is having trouble seeing? He _does _wear glasses... That or maybe the bugs camouflage well?

...No. I don't even hear the buzzing of bees or flies. I don't hear any birds around either.

"That _is _weird. How's that even possible? Bugs are practically everywhere, they should still be here since we can still see past the cage," I comment, hearing Gonta's breath hitch suddenly as soon as I finish speaking. I turn to look at him, cocking my head slightly to the side curiously in question. Did I say something wrong to him?

"S-Small Prairie...! You like bugs?!" Gonta looks fired up, but since I know he's such a teddy bear already, I just smile and watch as passion fills his eyes behind his glasses. "You have favorite bug? Tell Gonta, please! Gonta no meet girls who like bugs- Gonta thought all girls hate bugs!"

I laugh at that and give it some thought, looking up and tapping my chin with a finger. Thinking about them...I don't think I like them to Gonta's level, but I don't feel squeamish about them either. If I have to pick a bug I like the most...

"I like Centipedes. I don't know a lot about them, but I like that they look like walking accordions," I finally decide, watching Gonta practically vibrate with glee. "I'd like to see one sometime if I can, I've never seen one in person. Just the house centipedes, but those aren't the kinds I'm talking about."

"Small Prairie really _do _like bugs! Gonta happy to teach you all about centipedes if you like! Gonta once bitten by tropical centipede- big painful- but Gonta still here! Gonta bitten and stung by many, hurts less now!" Gonta cheers in an upbeat manner, propping both hands on his hips proudly at the admission.

_Ouch! But at least he's happy, I guess. I don't think I could handle even one bite from a venomous centipede- I'm too tiny. With _ _Gonta_ _ and his big body though, I don't doubt that _ _Gonta_ _ can just power through and endure all those venomous stings and bites from studying bugs._

"I'd love to hear more later! T-Truth is, I'm actually trying to meet everyone here at the moment, so learning about them will have to wait...but I'm looking forward to it. I hope more people come talk to you, Gonta. You're very nice, a real gentleman as far as I can tell~" I compliment him, watching his cheeks redden as he rubs the back of his neck in modest embarrassment.

"G-Gonta very happy to hear! Gonta can't wait to hang out later, please take care, small Prairie," Gonta says, waving as I smile and give him a farewell wave on the walk down the path to find a monokub that will lead me to the next Ultimate.

_Aw, well, I guess since we weren't all chased into the gymnasium this time, people are less willing to approach even someone like _ _Gonta_ _. No fair, he's one of the sweetest ones here!_

"At least I don't have to drag you around this time!"

I sigh, glancing down to find Monosuke by my feet. The bear's presence is already ruining my good mood as we head down the path together.

"You _don't _have to talk, you know?" I snip at him, causing a flash of pain in my good shin as he gives it a swift kick that nearly makes me trip and eat dirt.

"And _you _don't have to _backsass_ me, Ugly!" Monosuke huffs, stopping by a large pair of red double doors surrounded by vines. "Now, remember this moment... I could _easily_ use that as a third strike and kill you right here with an Exisal. _Capishe__? _Be grateful I'm not! Next time, I won't be so sympathetic!"

Monosuke disappears into some tall grass, leaving me beside the red doors as I rub my newly assaulted shin. They _really _love doing that, don't they? Maybe I should make shin guards out of whatever I can find in the warehouse...

It's while I'm looking around that I raise an eyebrow when I notice a strange stone ninja carving a ways away from where I'm standing, the statue even donning a mask and everything.

_First that weird dragon statue by that girl that Ignored me, now this? Why are there so many out of place things around anyways? It's strange, even for decorative purposes! It's like they were just slapped in at the last minute...but then again, I see even some buildings are still under construction, so maybe they're planning on doing something with them._

_..._

Wait. Why build _anything _in the first place...if we're going to be killing each other for Monokuma's game anyways? That doesn't make any sense.

_...I'll think about that later on, _I decide, turning to open the red doors where I'm sure I'll find another Ultimate lurking.

I definitely don't expect what I find on the other side of those doors, since the rest of the place has been in shambles as far as I can tell. What instead greets me is a large fountain in a plateau of tidy and well groomed grass surrounding it. There are pillars and several roses and hedges of pink flowers, the back of the room holding a gorgeous wall of falling water.

_This is a romantic scene, _I think as I blink owlishly at the sight, just before quickly dispelling my thoughts. Romance? Yeah, right. If you call _"manslaughter"_ romantic...or you like your roses as red as the sprayed blood of your victims...

"Hello, hello!" A voice calls, just as a girl comes around from a blind spot past the fountain with a bright and bouncy smile that immediately catches me off guard enough that I flinch in surprise. I mean, I know I shouldn't be surprised since Monosuke led me here because of an Ultimate in the first place, but knowing didn't lessen the surprise of the girl jumping out from seemingly nowhere. "My name's Angie Yonaga! I'm the Ultimate Artist~! Happy to meet you!"

Her white pigtails bob as she hops on over towards me, pink cheeks as vibrant as her smile. She might even be more optimistic than Kaito with a smile like that...!

_"__Nyahahaa__! _You are Perfect Blitz, Atua tells me so with his divine power! The Ultimate Rock Climber! What a wonder to meet you in person!" She keeps going, cirling me inquisitively despite her bubbly sociable smile. It's actually sort of off putting now... Is it really necessary for her to go around me like a vulture...?

"Um...yes. I-It's nice to meet you too-" I start, only to get immediately cut off by her asking, "How does it feel knowing you'll be punished for blasphemy once you pass into the afterlife?""

..._What?_

"Blasphemy? What do you-" I repeat in confusion. What's she talking about?

"People around the world practically worship you like a god! They see you can do no wrong, no? And you _let_ them think this way! Why else would you give yourself the name 'Perfect Blitz'? Although, if I pricked your finger, you would surely bleed! Indeed you are a blasphemer, Nyahahaa! No amount of blood sacrifice to Atua will save you from burning in hell, Prairie Marble~!"

She says all of this with such a positive and bright tone of voice it all practically blindsides me. I'm a blasphemer because I'm a celebrity...? Just because people supposedly look up to me?

_"Any_ways! Bye-onara~!" She cheerily chirps, leaning from one side to the other in an endearing manner before bounding away to the fountain again and abruptly ending the conversation. I barely got a word in. I didn't even introduce myself properly or explain my situation...

..._Well, I can't force her to talk to me. Nor should I have to waste my time on her if she's gonna judge me without getting to know me past "Perfect Blitz"... That's fine. This doesn't bother me. She's not required to like me._

Except that the rejection _does _bother me. In ways that make me hate this other identity I apparently have more than I had when I realized some of them were looking at me and seeing somebody else entirely.

I turn and march to the red doors, impulsively shoving them open without a thought and-

_"WAH!"_

"EEK!" I squeak with a jump, startled by the cry on the other side when I nearly run into a body made entirely of metal. When I see who it is, I relax and let the doors shut behind me, sighing in relief. "Oh, i-it's just you, Kiibo... You scared me. Are you okay?"

"P-Prairie! You shouldn't open doors so violently with such force...! You almost hit me!" Kiibo exclaims, looking rather miffed. I feel my hands fly up to cover my mouth, heart clenching with shame at the call out as a result of my lack of emotional control. Is this the..."aggressive attitude" Ryoma said he expected more out of me? Is this a part of Perfect Blitz I can't remember lingering as a shadow that jumps out when I lose my temper?

_"You don't seem like a bitch at all," _Himiko's words float to the forefront of my mind.

_...But maybe I am one after all. Maybe that's why Angie says I'm going to hell._

I face Kiibo and bow deeply as far as I can, heart still skipping irregularly with shame. "Y-You're right. I'm sorry, that really was irresponsible of me, Kiibo. I won't do it again, I promise," I apologize, letting my hair cover my face as I bow to hide the fact that I can feel water trying to form at the corners of my eyes. I bitterly try to hide it, however, straining to keep the tears from appearing.

"Oh, um-! You don't have to bow, I forgive you! I-I know it wasn't aimed at me for being a robot!" Kiibo suddenly stammers, while I peek up from my deep bow at him. "But I have to ask...are you upset about something? Humans tend to react more irrational during times of stress. Perhaps I might be able to help you with that!"

_"__Nyahahahaa__~! _Blasphemers like Perfect Blitz are spoiled and used to acting without consequence, so they freely lash out regularly with little thought! That's what Atua tells me!" I hear Angie's voice explain from the other side of the door. At that, I can't help but turn and give the pair of doors an slightly incredulous look that somewhat distracts me from my tears enough to think straight. She's listening in on us...?!

Kiibo frowns at Angie's statement, but I straighten up and offer him a forced smile.

"I-I'll be okay, Kiibo. Don't worry. If I still feel upset later, I'll let you know," I decline as politely as possible, almost aching to get away from both the door Angie is undoubtedly listening through and Kiibo himself.

"Uh...alright, Prairie. You promise?" He asks, prompting me to smile a bit more realistically at the determined look in his blue eyes and nod in response. He smiles at that, and rubs the top of my head warmly to muss up my hair. Jeez, a lot of people do that to me... "Good! I'll talk to you later then, Prairie."

"Talk to you later," I respond without giving away the relief his dismissal gives me, walking down the left side of the path to double back to the area I'd met Kaito at. Just when I think I'll finally have some room to breathe for a second, I hear an obnoxious whoop that makes my stomach turn.

I'm just asking for a _minute to myself._

"Hey-ya, UGLY BLASPHEMER!" Monokid howls, much to my innate dismay. So he heard, huh? "How's your shins doing? HA!"

I don't answer him. I have zero fire in me to defend myself after nearly throwing a door in poor Kiibo's face.

_Maybe this was he goal of the monokubs. Have a couple of people build up my self esteem a good enough amount by taking me to all the people that like me first, so the ones that hate me can rip me apart in the end like this._

_...I don't think I like Perfect Blitz either._

"He-LLO! UGLY! We're _here. _Get a good look-see! This will be your new damn home from now on! THERE"S EVEN SHOWERS SO YOU CAN PEE!" Monokid shouts, making me look up to find the two of us in this large circular hall with many doors along each side on two different levels- seventeen in total.

"'Home'...?" I repeat tentatively, somewhat shocked by how dull and dry my voice sounds when I speak now. "You guys actually have rooms for us even though we're gonna be...?"

Monokid cackles as if I've just made a stupid joke or something. "HA! Plotting a good murder doesn't happen in one _day! _GET REAL, UGLY! These luxurious living quarters will spice up your murder life more than an English pop girl group in platforms going on a hiatus!"

Before I can ask what in the world he's talking about regarding this English girl group, he's already vanished out of the doors and out of the building like a sneaky fox.

..._I wonder which one's mine. I could use a nap and alone time._

The door to the building suddenly opens, and I hold back a sigh. Maybe Angie's god _is _making me suffer for being a blasphemer.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 1.9 - Blasphemy_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)


	10. Trickster

❀ _**1.10 - Trickster**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Oh, hello. I don't believe I've met you yet," a soothing feminine voice speaks up, their footsteps just as gentle as they approach me.

If I'm right about the monokubs saving the people that hate Perfect Blitz for last... I trail off that thought and turn around, surprised to find a girl in a very pretty maid-like attire walking up from behind me. She has an elegant style of short hair in a bob, it's color a pale olive green unlike Rantaro's more vibrant green hair.

"...Ah, I recognize you. You're Perfect Blitz, the Ultimate Rock Climber," she comments after a moment. Of course I hardly need to introduce myself... Just like Korekiyo said, everyone is a stranger- except for me apparently since everyone and their mother knows who I am. Save for myself, of course.

_No they don't, _I snap to myself in my head. _They know Perfect Blitz. I'm not Perfect Blitz, I can't be. I'm nothing like her._

This logic is obviously just my own denial, since there's much more proof in favor of me being Perfect Blitz than there is proof of me _not_ being her. I don't like it, but unfortunately it's the reality of the situation.

"I am Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. It's wonderful to meet you, despite the circumstances. If there is ever something you need, please do not hesitate to ask me. I'm here to assist anyone who might require it," the girl explains gracefully, prompting me to bite my lip as I look away with mild guilt.

"...There is something," I timidly speak up, hating how small my voice sounds.

"Yes? How may I assist you?" She asks with a smile, one that actually somewhat coaxes me into comfort.

"Um... If it's possible, can you pretend I'm someone entirely new to you? I don't remember who I used to be, so...hearing about Perfect Blitz from everyone has been somewhat stressing me out. J-Just in advance...!" I manage, watching as Kirumi blinks in surprise before smiling pleasantly at me and making a soft nod.

"Alright then, Prairie. If that is what you want, then I will gladly oblige to meet your request," she agrees in understanding, before turning to look at the rooms with me. "This place we're trapped in is rather odd, isn't it? It really makes no sense in my mind..."

I let out a hum of agreement, eyeing the doors before I finally notice the eight-bit designed icons above each one. Curious, I climb the stairs where I see one particular pink stained icon, set snug between what appears to be Kokichi's room and Kiibo's room. As I examine the pink icon, I realize it's actually my own room- considering the stupid orange oversized bow on the icon that I mirror wearing. The only thing about it though is that someone's drawn pink 'X's over my eyes and a long messy streak of pink straight across where my icon's neck is.

"How horrible... I can clean that for you so you don't have to see it again, Prairie. Do you perhaps know who might have done this?" Kirumi inquires, prompting me to sigh and nod.

"Y-Yeah. The monokubs all have an acute hatred for me. They've been heckling me from the start because I caused some trouble early on..." I admit, without getting into too many details. After all, saying too much will upset those bears. "I appreciate that you're willing to clean it, but I'd rather you not waste your time doing that. The bears will probably just vandalize it again straight after..."

Kirumi gives the little icon above my door a sympathetic look.

"Are you certain? It can't be pleasant for you to have to see that every time you pass this area...especially the connotations a place such as this proposes for our situation." Kirumi's words make me blink at her, but she just looks around at my puzzled expression. "They would not have built rooms for all of us if they hadn't planned to keep us here long."

_Hmm... So she noticed then,_ I think as I look around, right before hearing Kirumi sigh and facing her again.

"Very well though, Prairie. Because you've stated it very clearly, I will not clean your icon plaque," Kirumi says with finality, though it looks as if she really, _really_ wants to clean it still.

I nod to Kirumi and decidedly reach out to grab hold of my supposed rooms door knob. When I try to turn it however, it stops and holds fast. Seems like it needs a key to be opened, which I don't have. Presumably, they'll give it to us later I guess...

"It's locked. I guess we aren't allowed inside of them just yet," I say thoughtfully while Kirumi steps away to walk towards her own room door. Once she reaches it she tries the knob as well, but the click it makes proves it to be locked as well.

"This might mean we are supposed to go somewhere else first...that, or similar to the other building, the rooms here are not quite finished just yet," Kirumi observes as I walk down the stairs towards the first floor. Whatever the reason, there's no point in being here if there's nothing that will help us get out of this place.

"I guess...um, I think I'm gonna look around somewhere else for now, so I'll see you later, Kirumi," I say, earning a nod from the tall girl when she looks back at me from beside her bedroom door.

"Very well. Until later, Prairie," Kirumi says with an elegant smile, allowing me to disappear outside of the building to go somewhere else.

_How many Ultimates have I met and how many more do I still need to meet?_ I wonder, stepping out into the light and looking around the courtyard of the pitiful excuse of a "school". Have I already been everywhere? Did I happen to just accidentally pass a few of the last Ultimates I needed to meet? _Now_ what am I supposed to do?

I wander aimlessly, before reaching the corner bend of one of the larger patches of tall, uncut grass and pausing to eye it dryly. This grass really is ridiculously tall... I wouldn't be surprised if someone decided to hide in there and-

_"BOO!"_

I nearly shriek, but in my efforts to lurch backwards from the most annoying human to ever grace the planet Earth, I trip over my own foot and fall spectacularly on my behind with a pathetic mousey squeak of shock instead. Once the surprise wears off, I'm left glaring at the boy laughing with his head peeking through the tall grass.

"Nee-hee~! I was wondering who would end up being the victim to my little scare. I really got you, huh? But really, this grass is _soo_ tall! I actually think I could really get stuck in here!" He giggles, grinning like he didn't give me a heart attack just now.

As a result of his dismissal regarding my feelings in the matter, I keep my glare trained on him- neither moving to get up from where I've fallen, nor willing to verbally engage him.

What's the phrase? "Don't feed the trolls"?

...

"...Fine. I'm _actually_ stuck in here. For real, I mean. Of course, I don't expect you'd help me if I were to ask you, right? Hnnn...now I regret being such an ass to you. I guess I'll just wait here for a kind, selfless soul to rescue me. Though I doubt anyone will since I've pretty much gotten on just about everyone's nerves already...damn," Kokichi laments melodramatically with a sigh while I stare at him with a deadpan.

Is he trying to guilt trip me into helping him or something? I mean...I think he's terrible and annoying, _especially _after that knife stunt he pulled on me earlier by the stairs to the lower floor, but I'd still help if he'd ask me like a normal person!

Kokichi plays with a blade of grass right under his nose, trying to blow it out of the way from tickling his nostrils until I sit up on my knees and reach out to pluck the particular sliver of grass out.

"Oh, thank you. Anyways, as I was saying..." He continues, ignoring the flat look on my face. "I'll just starve and die here, I guess...and all those homeless people that visit my evil organizations' HQ will just have to find a new place to get meals since I was the only one holding up the breadline for them...along with the ending of my specially funded 'Save-the-Whales' team I was sending out on ships to scout whale poachers and stop them. Not to mention without me, the teachers I sent to third world countries to educate children will have to be brought back home since I won't be around to keep the program up and running. Or that thing about endangered-"

"Kokichi, you are by far the _biggest_ drama queen I've ever seen. If you'd just _ask_ me, I would have helped you anyways!" I groan to shut him up, standing up completely on my two feet and watching as his head whips my way. Stars light up in his eyes and he gives me a big smile of glee that's almost too bright... Why does it have to be me helping the jerk? "D-Don't look at me like that. You disgust me. _Vermin_. After this, you _better_ be nicer to me!"

"I will! I absolutely will, I _promise!_ Help me, Prairie, you're my only hope!" He wiggles eagerly in the grass, making me sigh in resignation.

I step one foot into the mess of thick grass so I can lean in and find a part of him I can grab on to. Where the heck even are his arms?

"You're the _bestest_ most _awesome_ ultimate here!" Kokichi chirps as I give up looking for his arms. Maybe I can find his torso easier...

"Jeez, how in the world did you even manage to get in this mess?" I ask as I reach in for his torso...and find it way angled back. I grimace but force myself to lean in closer, enough that I have to turn my face a little over his shoulder so we don't bump noses. I can feel him study me with that stupid cheery grin of his, causing my cheeks to stain a gradual shade of pink as I feel around the grass to find his torso. It's there, but there's all this thick grass in the way...!

"I wanted to scare the socks off of someone, but I ended up getting trapped in the process! Ah... Being a professional prankster is no easy feat, Mousey-mouse," Kokichi explains as I weave my fingers around the grass so I can actually grab him and pull him out of this mess. _"Nee-hee-hee~!"_

He falls silent for a moment as I continue my search...and then surprises me by blowing gently at the back of my ear and neck. At first, it's so light that I almost brush it off to be on accident. After all, it might be a sigh of boredom of something...

But then he does it again, this time slightly harder of a blow, and I feel my face light on fire as a result. Kokichi cackles noticeably when I shiver upon the third one and resist the urge to move away, willing myself not curl up into myself defensively as a way to escape the torture.

"S-Stop that," I demand, causing the violet haired young man to answer, "Stop what?"

He does it again and I whimper, unable to focus on trying to get him out since I can't stop thinking about his stupid blowing on my neck.

_"That!_ Stop blowing on my neck!" I complain, only to hear my whine get louder when he repeats the detestable action.

"Nee-hee~! You sound like a theremin!" He comments half laughing.

"Ugh, I hate you!" I shoot back at him.

"Really? You do~? How sweet! Why are you still trying to help me then?" He coos, blowing on my neck again as I struggle to focus on moving the grass- getting my fingers tangled several times in the process.

"'Cause when you say no one else would probably help, trust me,_ I believe you,"_ I grumble, before using my head to push his aside when he blows on my neck again. He just chuckles and does it again, making me nudge his head again with mine. _"__Kokichi__!"_

"Uh...what are you two doing?"

With a rush of shameful guilt that makes no sense since of _course_ I wasn't doing anything weird to Kokichi myself, I yank my hands out of the grass and jump back to see who's just walked in on our predicament. My face is an unbearable bright red, and I immediately cover it up with my hair and rub my tortured neck to try and erase the feeling of Kokichi's blowing.

"I wasn't doing anything!" I yelp, just as Kokichi combats my words easily with, "She tried to take advantage of me!"

It takes me a moment after registering the familiar blonde girl and the shy boy with the cap that's walked in on us before I realize what Kokichi's blurted out. My hands drop to reveal my offended expression of betrayal as I turn towards the violet devil.

"H-Hey, I was _helping_ you! I could have just walked off and left you..." I trail off when Kokichi shrugs right out of the grass, casually brushing his clothes free of grass and dirt and eyeing his state of dress critically to make sure he isn't missing anything. I repeat myself, though it's more of an echo than a conscious repetition. "...you..."

Kokichi looks up at me finally, wearing a small innocent smile as our eyes meet.

"...You...are_ despicable..."_ I finish bitterly, spinning around on my heel with a furious huff and marching away without a second glance back.

_Liar, liar, LIAR!_ I think furiously. How is it that Kokichi so easily summons this hell fire of rage from inside me? It's actually incredible now that I think about it... Incredible, but annoying. I still hate it!

"Hey, wait up!"

Since the voice that calls out to me isn't that of a demon spawn so evil that hell itself spat him right out, I stop and look back to wait for them to catch up. Slowing to a stop behind me is the blonde and her shy looking friend- flanked by stupid _Oma__._ I can feel that my face is still somewhat red from the social humiliation, but I manage not to cover my face with my hair this time.

"A-Aren't you-?" The blonde girl with the white hair clips- now bearing white music notes after the bears had dressed her up before the last reset- asks breathlessly. She straightens up and eyes me up and down with a smile of awe as she asks, but she's quickly cut off before she can finish.

"The _worst_ ultimate here? Wow, how'd you guess that so quickly?! That's right!" Kokichi cheerfully states, eyes sparkling with glee as he turns my way. "Hey, Prairie Dog, don't be so rude! Introduce yourself!"

I narrow my eyes on him but let my gaze drift back to the other two instead so I don't tempt myself with trying to obliterate his toes again. Rantaro would be disappointed if I did that again, and I was at least lucky enough that he doesn't remember my transgressions from the last two resets.

"No, that's not what I was going to say," the girl huffs in Kokichi's direction, making him snicker to himself with a sly look. "But if you're calling her that...then that means I'm right. You really _are_ her then! You're Perf-!"

"I'm Prairie Marble," I answer her before she can say anything pertaining to Perfect Blitz. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion at my interruption.

"Uh...yeah, we know that much. But you're-" the other more timid seeming boy starts, before I cut him off to repeat in a firmer voice, "I'm _Prairie Marble,_ I said."

...

_Are they seriously not getting the message? _I wonder, trying to convey my intentions with pleading eyes to get either stranger to not say anything. At least not while Kokichi is here.

All three of them are quiet for a moment- Kokichi with an indiscernible blank expression and the other two with matching puzzled looks...before Kokichi eventually grows bored of it and breaks the silence.

"How do you two know she's Prairie Marble already? Ooo! Ooo! Did you two keep your memories from the resets too then? Hey, Prairie Dog, looks like you're not the only freak around then!" Kokichi laughs brightly, reminding me of a particularly bright pink bear I really don't like.

"Huh? Resets...? No, we're talking about...or actually, what are _you_ talking about?" The girl asks, prompting Kokichi to shrug dramatically and gesture my way.

"Don't ask me. Ask the cute little mousey here~! When I politely asked her, she wouldn't tell me anything," Kokichi explains, looking suddenly upset to the point that tears start to form at the corners of his eyes. How does he do that? How can he make honest-looking faces like that at will?

Well, anyways...!

"Oh. Yeah, _politely_. The knife he was pointing at me spoke volumes of politeness. I always know my manners are on point when I tell someone I'm going to gut them like a pig," I drawl in obvious exasperation, watching Kokichi rock back and forth on his heels as his tears vanish and his expression jumps to amusement.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures! Aw...you don't think I would have actually _hurt_ you, do you, Prairie Dog?" Kokichi looks so honest saying this that I bite off any other sarcastic remark or vehement objection I have at the tip of my tongue, 'cause of course why _would_ he hurt me?

It's that moment that my brain decides to remind me why we're all here though, and my objection dies away with my voice and my temper. Noticing this sudden cool down just by observing my face alone, Kokichi blinks and plasters the usual fake smile to his face. One would think this would be the moment where he tries to fish more answers out of me, but he surprisingly doesn't.

_We wouldn't all be here if we weren't capable of..._ I think again, trailing off and looking toward the unidentified pair among us._ I'm right, aren't I?_

I try to shake off my bad thoughts and force a small smile on my face.

"So who are you two?" I ask, looking at one and the other until they seem to relax and forget the topic we were just discussing. Well, at least they let it _slide_ past without further prompting for answers.

"Oh! W-Well, I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist! And this is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective," the blonde girl explains brightly, prompting my eyes to flick towards Shuichi in surprise.

_Huh...I guess I can tick that off my list of _ _cliché_ _ ultimate abilities. Who would have thought._

"Uh, if you're gonna ask me whether I've found a way out already or not, I'm sorry but I haven't," Shuichi responds to my lingering gaze, causing me to blink and shake my head as a result.

"I wasn't. I already know there's no way out of here. Well, no way that's _pleasant_ at least..." I comment purposefully, already turning to leave.

"Wait! Prairie, do you know-?!" I hear Shuichi call after me the further I get, but I just keep ignoring him until I enter the school building, jogging once the door shuts behind me and slowing down as I near the gymnasium.

Looking around to make sure I'm alone, I blow out a quiet breath of relief and lean over with my hands on my knees. Well, at least the bears didn't deem that little comment worthy of a third strike...

I straighten back up and turn to look at the gate blocking the way into the gym. Reaching out, I try to pull it open by the knob there, but it holds fast just like the knob in the building with all our rooms. My eyebrows knit together in a frown when I peer past the metal bars at the doors to the gym. Why is it locked _this_ time?

...

Glancing up, I see a gap just above the gated door- enough to climb and jump down to the other side.

_...I could climb this._

"Nee-hee-hee!" I resist the urge to roll my eyes and sigh even heavier than before. "Shuichi and Kaede are probably still scratching their heads back there. I think I made it worse!"

"...Right. W-Why are you following me now?" I ask, looking back at the boy and flinching back in surprise when he immediately lunges forward towards me, prompting me to close my eyes and wait for the worst. It isn't until I feel something touch my ear that I peek open an eye timidly and reach up to see what Kokichi's tucked in my hair.

"...? A flower?" I ask in confusion, not quite sure what to think at this point. What's Kokichi doing putting a flower in my hair? Is this some kind of trick?

"Yep! See? I can be nice too! ...Well, I could be lying. But I could also be lying about lying. But I could also be lying about lying about lying. But I could also be-"

Having had quite enough of his shenanigans, I grab the vertical bars behind me and easily climb them like second nature, pulling myself up into the notch and sliding in on the other side. When I land on both feet and look back at Kokichi through the bars, his eyes are sparkling in awe.

"Whoooa! How cool! Okay, that seems easy enough!" Kokichi chirps, leaving me to watch as he grabs the bars...and slides back down with a look of confusion. "Uh...okay, maybe if I just..."

Kokichi tries to climb it. He tries _very_ hard. After the fifth breathless attempt to go higher than one jump though, he stops and leans against the gate to catch his breath.

"Alright, I guess I...can't climb it then...! No big deal...! You can't run very far anyways...!" Kokichi barely manages through his panting, making peace with his failed climbing attempts and giving me a bright wave and smile. "I'll just wait here till you get back!"

_...Well, I guess he's not bothering me right now... Shoot, I'm definitely gonna regret this later, but-_

I jump back up on the gate and climb up to the notch, sitting at the top and leaning down to hold out a hand to him. He looks mildly surprised behind his expression of amusement, glancing at my hand and then up at me. After a minute of deciding, he takes my hand and I pull him up high enough to reach the notch with his free hand, helping him until we land on the other side of the gate.

"You might regret trusting me like this, Prairie Dog~!" Kokichi chirps in a sing-song voice as I head towards the gym doors ahead of him. "I still have a knife, you know?"

At that, I tap one of my climbing clips from my belt on the sheath of the blade at my hip for him to see- not even looking back in his direction to check if he can see what I mean since I already know he's watching me anyways.

"Hey, you didn't have that before! Did you find it at the warehouse? Or what?" Kokichi inquires, just as I push open the double doors and step inside.

_Nothing new in here... It's exactly the same way it looked the last times I'd come in during the multiple resets._

"One of the monokubs gave it to me so I could cut this root out from the middle of the hallway," I start, only for Kokichi to give me a strange look unlike most of his usual fake smiles or blank expressions. He's giving me a total 'you're a weirdo' smile- how ironic, coming from him.

"Ew. Why the heck would you be cutting a root for _any_ reason? What, do you collect trash as a hobby, Prairie Dog? Ah, I guess that makes sense for a rodent..." Kokichi teases, snickering my way as I stutter to explain myself- even though I shouldn't have to since I don't owe Kokichi any explanation.

"B-Because! Someone could trip and hurt themselves! Especially if they're running around with a..." I trail off, watching Kokichi's eyes widen and a grin of realization start to form on his face as the implications of my words start to click in his mind. My face catches fire, turning bright red with shame._"No!_ No, that's not it! Stop that! S-Stop it right now, that's _not_ the reason!"

_"__Awwww__~!_ Prairie Dog, you were worried about ME!" Kokichi shouts loud enough that it echoes in the gym, making me cringe and pray no one is around to hear him. He grins and opens his arms, suddenly causing my stomach to drop as I read his intentions. "A sweet angel like you deserves a _biiig_ hug from these very boyish arms that are in no way feminine whatsoever! Since I know you just _looove_ boys so much!"

I back away a step when I see him start to advance quickly, only turning away to run from him when I realize he's not kidding.

"_Eeek!_ No, get away from me! You're just doing this because of what I said before!" I complain, before feeling his hand grab onto the back of my suit and yank me back in a hug that quite nearly squeezes all the air out of my lungs. For such a skinny guy, he's got an iron grip...! "No! No! Let go!"

I squirm and whine pathetically until he finishes squeezing the life out of me, allowing me air after a few minutes and laughing as I catch my breath and jump back several steps away from him.

"...Oh yeah! You were telling me where you got this knife!" Kokichi chirps, suddenly holding up my sheathed knife with a very innocent grin. Surprised to see him holding it, I look down at my belt and let out a noise of offense, grimacing as I march back towards him and snatch it out of his hand.

"A-As I was saying before you went and _assaulted_ me..." Kokichi lets out his trademark laugh, looking quite proud of his work as I half cover my face with my hair and my knife. "I cut a root in the hall and when I tried to give it back, Monosuke said it's better I kept it," I answer honestly, since I don't need to hide that.

"Oh, so you know the names of those bears? ...Interesting. And why would it be better if you were carrying a knife with you, Prairie dog? I don't see them offering knives to anyone else, which is kind of funny! I mean, since you seem to have an idea of what's going on...that kind of makes you a bit suspicious," Kokichi comments slyly, prompting me to drop the hair from my face now that my blush has mostly settled.

"Why's that?" I ask, turning to walk towards the center of the gym so I can get a better look around...and get some extra space away from Kokichi. Obviously more out of comfort than out of guilt from his words, since I know very well I'm not in any way associated with why we're all here.

"Well, I'd suspect the person that kidnapped us all and brought us here would be the one that would know the most out of all of us. Don't you?"

I pause at his logic and look back to find him grinning innocently at me.

"Are you implying I could be the kidnapper then? A..." I pause to make air quotations with my fingers to quote him, "_'little wimp_' like me?"

Kokichi seems somewhat amused by my attitude, cocking his head to the side slightly and pressing a finger to his chin like he'd _never_ suggest something like that. Since he doesn't verbally answer though, his true words shine through.

_Hey, it's not like I know who I am anyways. He could probably be right... I could be part of this Danganronpa team that kidnapped them all and just accidentally forgot. It would explain the chocolate (if it really helped stop subsequent erasures of my memories). Heck, maybe I even _ _ **asked** _ _ the _ _monokubs_ _ to bully me beforehand so none of the others would consider me to be a "traitor" or-_

"Yoo-hoo~! Little Mousey! Don't doze off on me like that, I was _lying,_ that's all! Of course you wouldn't be the person that kidnapped us all, you're too nice to be evil~" Kokichi snaps me out of my dark thoughts, patting the top of my head with a grin and a laugh.

It's too late though, he can't remedy my thoughts anymore since I'm already theorizing how the scenario could be true. Memories help shape a person's personality, as well as experiences. For all I know, the Prairie Marble everyone recognizes died when I got amnesia. After all, apparently I'm nothing like her.

_She_ isn't nice.

Kokichi's smile fades into that unreadable look he sometimes sports.

"...I have amnesia, but...if I _am_ a cause for us all being here..." I start to say, noting the slight flash in Kokichi's eyes as he observes me. "I think I'll beat _myself_ up- what kind of an idiot goes and throws themself in a-"

"Hmm? A what-now?" Kokichi actually cuts me off, much to my surprise. He smiles and folds his arms behind his head casually. "Well, you know...unless you _do_ wanna tell me why we're all here and would like those bears to really go through with killing you. Then be my guest! I'm _all_ ears!"

_...He stopped me from saying it._

"Wow. I almost stopped to wonder whether you _actually_ lead an evil organization, but I just remembered all the torture you've put me through since I've first met you. In case you're wondering, my trust in you just went from negative twenty, to negative nineteen."

Before Kokichi can comment anything else like he appears to want to-

** _DING-DONG, BING-BONG!_ **

The sound of the bell makes Kokichi and I pause and look around, until something near the back of the gym where the stage is catches my attention. There's a screen with buttons and loud speakers around it. Curious, I jog on over to it, followed by Kokichi as we watch a picture appear on the screen.

Unsurprisingly, it's the monokubs. Sharing a look, Kokichi and I sit down on the stage to watch together.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 1.10 - Trickster_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  



	11. Instigation

❀ **_1.11 - Instigation_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"_Hello__, hello! How are you all enjoying __your__ new home?" _That's the sound of Monotaro speaking, sounding at ease and completely relaxed as he lifts up a fancy glass with a lemon wedge at the side- complete with a much too fancy straw.

All of the bears are shown on the monitor seated on a couch together as if on vacation somewhere. Why? Who knows. Those bears value theatrics much more than logic, from what I can see.

"_Who gives a shit?! We're waiting for you BASTARDS!" _Monokid howls, raising a paw to throw down his drink before he seems to think twice and stops himself. Likely due to the "no littering" rule and whatnot...

...Now that I think about it, those bears are robots. Can they even drink that stuff they're holding?

"_With that said...everyone and Ugly!" _Monophanie chirps, prompting a slight grunt of disapproval on my part that makes Kokichi glance my way for a moment. "_Please head on over to the gymnasium on the first floor immediately!"_

"_HELL YEAH! The entrance ceremony's gonna start! __**Finally!"**_ Monokid howls with vigor again. How the other bears don't get annoyed with him is beyond me. Maybe because they're equally as obnoxious and annoying as he is?

"_Yeah, we've finally gotten everything prepared! Took us long enough- NO THANKS TO _**_UGLY_** _OUT THERE!" _Monotaro stresses, startling the other bears when he takes the plunge to whip his glass down against the ground with a shatter and jumps furiously on the couch. "_AARRG__! She makes me so angry, and I can't remember why!"_

I roll my eyes but say nothing. So far, only Rantaro would know they're talking about me when they refer to someone as "Ugly", but whatever. The one I don't want realizing who they mean by it is Kokichi- it would suck if he replaced "Prairie Dog" with "Ugly". By far, both "Prairie Dog" and "Mousey" are a whole lot more tolerable than "Ugly" is...

"_Don't worry, __Monotaro__! We'll get back at Ugly for giving you amnesia! She'll definitely pay for being so __un__-cute! But for now..."_ Monophanie continues, causing Monotaro to stop jumping on the couch.

"**_So long~! Bear well~!"_**

As soon as the monitor to the screen clicks off, Kokichi hums in thought.

"'_Ugly'..._ I guess they're talking about that donkey-lipped one from before!" Kokichi laughs, making me gape in his direction for that little insulting observation he's made of Himiko. I really, _really_ hope Himiko treasured those pre-Kokichi moments of hers...

"That's so mean, Kokichi! Don't you dare call her that to her face," I object, casting him a frown that only makes his grin widen as his laughter abruptly cuts off. He throws me a sly look, violet eyes narrowed on me.

"That's not mean, it's the truth! ...Probably. Come on, Prairie Dog, you see the donkey lip too, don't you? Go ahead and admit it. I mean, you knew exactly who I was talking about after all! Himiko popped right in your head when I said it, and I didn't even hint at it being a girl!"

I break off in a stutter of guilt at the call out, unable to form a good enough defense since...well, he's right. Himiko _did _pop up in my head straight away when he said "donkey lip".

"_Nee-hee-hee~! _So I guess that makes you just as terrible as I am! No surprise though, I don't think you're as innocent as you make yourself out to be. You and I are a bit similar, don't you think? You just...need someone to teach you how to reach your full potential, so to speak!" He exclaims, gesturing to himself with a quirky smile of childlike innocence. "Like using our cuteness to get what we want out of other people!"

I scoff at that, crossing my arms in defiance to show my stance on _that _idea. "I'd never stoop to you level and take advantage of other people like that. B-Besides, I'm not _that _cute anyways. If you wanna mentor someone to be a leech like you, teach Himiko or Angie- or something. I'm not interested."

"Oh, I think you're very cute!" I can't even keep eye contact with him when he says that, hearing him laugh in amusement as I pull my hair over my face to hide my growing blush of both embarrassment and annoyance with him. _He's _definitely trying to take advantage of the fact that my brain's like a Jenga tower around boys. "With that said, Angie and Donkey-lips could _never _pull off the things we could. Besides, don't tell me you've never done it before! It comes natural to us cuties!"

"I-!" I start to object, before trailing off and thinking back to the resets and allowing my eyes to trail down to Kokichi's feet.

Those times when I stomped on his feet during the first two resets and tried to innocently play it off...technically counts whether I got away with it or not. Shoot, he's right, I _have _done it. Well, let's see if he can tell it's a lie then.

I look straight at Kokichi, frowning at him as I drop my hair from my face. "I haven't," I say with as much composure as I can muster, somewhat proud of myself for not stuttering at all.

Kokichi's violet eyes flash like a polygraph test detecting a lie, making me squeak a little and crumble immediately as he points straight at me off the bat with a gasp.

"A _lie! _Yes you have!" Kokichi accuses, making me take a step back...and then let out a noise of annoyance when he takes a step closer in response. "Nee-hee~! You're a terrible liar, you know? ...I can teach you how to _lie _better, too."

I scowl at him. "It's still a no!" I reaffirm, watching as he sighs and shifts his balance to his other foot to grin at me.

"Anyways, wha'd you get someone to do, Prairie Dog? Got someone to buy you stuff? Or do your homework for you?"

"What the...?! Are those all things you've gotten other people to do?!" I ask, watching Kokichi throw me a wacky grin as his only confirmation. "Sheesh, you really _are _nothing like me. B-Besides! I don't remember anything before we woke up here, I already told you that, so I wouldn't know if I've ever done something like that!"

Kokichi whistles, making me blush with shame when I realize he's caught me lying without me even _noticing _I was lying in the first place. "_Liiiar__! _You know exactly when you used your cuteness to your advantage! I'm guessing it was during one of those times I forgot with everyone else, huh? So what was it? Did you trick Rantaro to always come at your beck and call? _Oooo__, _you _naughty_ girl!"

He's _way _too amused by this!

"Hey, you two! What's goin' on, huh?" Kokichi and I look up to turn towards the speaker, Kaito joining us in the gym wearing a jolly grin. Clearly he has no idea what he's just walked into. Some of the others are coming into the gym now too, but I'm much too busy thinking of a way to shut dumb Kokichi up before anyone else can believe any of his lies.

Not to mention I'd be _mortified _if Rantaro heard what Kokichi was saying about me somehow manipulating him!

"Prairie Dog used her cuteness to psychologically manipulate Rantaro to do her every bidding!" Kokichi accuses, making my cheeks fire up even though it's not the truth.

"Shut up! Stop saying that, you know that's not true!" I snap, trying to control my temper and voice.

"Oh? But you seem so taken with him! I wouldn't blame you if you did it to get his attention, he _is _good looking. I mean-" Kokichi lurches a step back quickly with his trademark laugh when I take an aggressive step towards him. Unfortunately, Kaito stops me just before I can get far enough to teach Kokichi a lesson of my own, pulling me back by my arm with a nervous laugh. "_Hoo-ho! _That's a guilty reaction if I've ever seen one!"

"Don't let him get under your skin, Prairie! We all know you're not like that, don't worry. Just ignore him!" Kaito reassures me with a smile, turning to lead me towards the other arriving ultimates.

"Yeah, Prairie, don't let me get under your skin! Listen to the Neil Armstrong wannabe with the creepy goatee!"

Kaito and I glance back, Kaito looking a bit less composed as we then share a look and roll our eyes together. He shakes his head, obviously a way of quietly saying "he's not worth it".

"_Nee-hee-hee! _Sure, you two keep rolling your eyes if you want. In fact, if you're lucky, maybe you'll even find a brain or something back there!" Kokichi grins wider when Kaito and I slowly turn to give him dark scathing glares of warning. My temper is teetering right at the edge- to the point where I just might toss aside my inhibitions to deliver some justice to the gremlin from hell. "Oh, well, except for you, Kaito. After first introductions, I'm sure everyone can agree the inside of your head is as empty as the deep space you love so much!"

This time Kaito lunges first, but he's quickly apprehended by a verbally apologetic Gonta behind him. I, on the other hand, am longer being held back by Kaito.

Seeing my chance at this moment of freedom, I deftly dodge Gonta's attempt to catch me with an arm around my waist and dart around the two. I make a direct pounce for Kokichi, noticing just a sliver of surprise from the teen's face.

Just when I think I'm about to stick the landing and tackle him to the ground, however, a pair of arms snap around me and catch me in midair much to both our surprise. I struggle a little to push out of their grip for a moment since my arms aren't pinned down or anything, but when I notice the many rings and bracelets adorning the person's hands and wrists, I stop. I make a small noise of objection, but cease my squirming to simply mad-dog Kokichi as Rantaro effortlessly carries me away from the evil twerp.

Kokichi doesn't say anything, but he does snicker to himself as I'm towed away, grinning in amusement.

"Just so you know, I hope both your feet still hurt, _jerk," _I call back over to him, noting his expression waver just slightly as he shifts his feet and then narrows his eyes with a smirk. Whether he's realized what I mean by that is not too important to me, since Rantaro sets me down once we're far away enough from Kokichi.

As my feet hit the ground, I pull away from Rantaro and give him my back as I cover the bottom half of my face with my hair and avert my gaze to the ground.

"Prairie-" Rantaro begins, but I cut him off.

"I-I know what you're going to tell me already! So don't bother," I huff, biting my lip and focusing my attention on the floorboards of the gym. Having seen them many times, I recognize the patterns of the wood easily and attempt to get lost in them as I pretend I'm not about to get scolded by Rantaro again for losing my composure with Kokichi again.

"...So you think Kokichi's taunts merit a physical punishment then? And that his words are impossible to ignore?"

"Maybe they do. And yes, he's impossible to ignore," I grumble, feeling my foot start to tap impatiently against the floor as my temper sparks a little more at Rantaro's prodding despite it not being confrontational. "Did we meet the same person, or are you just blind?"

_Aaah__, that was so rude! No, that was a really snarky comment, oh my gosh...! I shouldn't be talking to Rantaro like this- _**_Kokichi_** _is the one who's irritated me! Rantaro doesn't deserve a treatment like this!_

At first, I think I've gone and finished off whatever insane patience Rantaro has had when dealing with me. I'm prepared for the consequences even though I don't actually _want _to lose Rantaro, but rather than doing the reasonable thing and simply taking a step back from my wounded ego to apologize, I stand rooted in my spot and hold my breath. I count the taps of my foot as I wait for Rantaro to either walk away or lash back verbally, even if only a little bit.

...

"Hm."

..._? "Hm"? That's it? What kind of a reaction is that?! Why is Rantaro such a weirdo?!_

Rantaro walks around me, reaching up over my left ear to finger the flower that's still tucked there from where Kokichi left it. I feel it loosen from it's spot and make a small growl as I pull back from Rantaro's fingers to shoot him a look. Reaching up, I wind a small lock of my hair around the stem to keep it in place over my ear, swatting his hand further away so he doesn't try to touch it again. He smiles and pulls his hand back when he gets the message, mildly irritating me when I realize he's totally composed and not at all offended by my words or actions.

"That looks pretty on you. Where'd you get it?" Rantaro decides to ask, much to my embarrassment when my expression shifts a little at the almost...knowing look in his green eyes.

_No...did he see us when _ _Kokichi_ _ and I hopped the gate into the gymnasium? When _ _Kokichi_ _ went and put the stupid flower in my hair...?!_

My face turns bright red and I look down dismissively, peeking up at him every few moments.

"I...I'm not telling you..." I grumble, prompting Rantaro's smile to brighten a little more. At this point, I've stopped tapping my foot and a majority of my anger has turned into discomfort and embarrassment at the fact that me still having Kokichi's flower in my hair, especially after I've gotten so upset with him, proves I'm not _entirely _as angry with Kokichi as I want to be.

"Yeah, I'm sure you don't want to admit it. Instead, how about you think of that flower whenever you feel like he's upset you? I'm not saying you have to be his best friend or anything like that. Just try not to beat him up or lose your head around him is all. Remember, you're just giving him exactly what he wants when you get angry," Rantaro explains, making me bite my lip in consideration.

...Eventually, I take a deep breath and nod as my irritation and discomfort leaves me in one single exhale.

"Feel better?" Rantaro asks with a smile, reaching over to rub the back of my neck warmly. Hiding my face with my hair, I let go of my pride and nod in confirmation, hearing Rantaro let out a small breath of amusement.

_I'm an insult to humanity, _I think shamefully, releasing my hair to give Rantaro a hug.

"I'm sorry I was mean to you," I apologize, hearing him hum in understanding.

"That's okay, Prairie. I'm just glad you understand," Rantaro replies, a smile in his voice as I press my forehead against his chest when his arms wrap around me comfortingly. It's after I pull away from him that I finally tune into the conversation around us, playing with the fabric of my gloves restlessly.

Now we wait, I guess...

"Everyone! Putting your guard down is prohibited! We don't know what we're dealing with yet, so be wary! Danger might be hiding just around the corner," Kiibo announces as a reminder, causing Kokichi to make a sullen face as tears prick at the corners of his violet eyes.

"D-Don't remind me, I don't want to talk about danger! I'm scared..." He whines pathetically, while I just quietly stare from afar with a bit of a deadpan.

"There's no need to worry! Atua is most certainly watching over us as we speak!" Angie pipes up cheerfully, bouncing restlessly on her heels. Whether she's doing it out of excitement or it's just a sort of nervous tick, I've got no clue.

"Oh, really? I see! I guess everything's fine then!" Kokichi exclaims as he faces Angie with a sudden look of glee, matching her energy and also bouncing on his heels until Angie giggles. My eye twitches slightly at the sight.

_Angie wouldn't be giggling with him if she knew he was the devil incarnate,_ I think, just as I feel Rantaro put an arm over my shoulder as if noticing my gaze on Kokichi and reminding me to relax. I feel the tension in my body ease up, just as Miu lets out a scoff that I can't help but quietly cheer at in my head.

"Tch! Is there some sorta flower field in your brains, or what? I'll spray that shit with pesticides!" Miu snaps aggressively, making my hand fly up to my lips again at the profanity. Granted, at least it's not as much as when I first ran into her.

"Aw, relax, Miu! Don't worry about a thing, leave it all to us!" Kaito jumps in, looking much more composed than he had when Kokichi had originally first ticked us off. He punches a fist against his palm, grinning with determination. "The next time those teddy bears show up, I'm gonna wreck them so badly they'll be unrecognizable!"

I must be the first one that notices the sound of a distant Exisal, because when I hear the thumps headed our way in an almost _sneaky _manner, my breath hitches enough to make Rantaro look at me. It isn't until Ryoma leans over from around Rantaro that I notice his presence as well, though my attention is much more focused on the sounds of the mechas.

"Something wrong, Prairie?" Rantaro inquires curiously as I look up towards the ceiling where the Exisals will soon be descending down from. Eventually, at least.

Gonta straightens up next, fixing his glasses as he listens.

"Eh? ....What that sound?" The gentle giant asks, red eyes scanning the gymnasium quickly while I just stare up quietly.

"What sound?" Ryoma asks. "Prairie, why are you staring up at...?"

Ryoma trails off, presumably since they jump into view above just as his eyes land on the mechas that jump over the wall just like I'd expected them to.

The weight of all five Exisals shakes the gym as they surround us with loud crashing sounds of metal hitting metal. Although I'm expecting it and see it coming, I still can't help but flinch as a result of the noises, inching closer to Rantaro in case one of them tries to grab me.

_Then again, what if it doesn't matter whether I'm next to Rantaro and they just go ahead and grab the both of us?_

While a couple of the other students scream and back away from the imposing machines, I try to jump away from Rantaro. I only take a few steps away before he catches my wrist and tugs me back towards himself with a confused look of alarm when I resist his pulls.

"No, Prairie, stay close! It's dangerous!" Rantaro firmly exclaims, only making me try harder to unlatch his fingers from around my wrist.

"E-Exactly!" I object, feeling my feet slide towards him when he pulls me back despite my efforts. "It's not safe for _you _to be near me! They might be angry with me again and-"

"All the _more _reason you need to stay close," Rantaro replies with a hint of finality, grabbing hold of my arm when I'm close enough and giving me one last tug until I give up. He looks mildly frustrated, more with worrying about me than with dealing with the Exisals. Once I stop fighting him though, he seems to relax substantially.

"_Psh__! Looks like there's finally trouble in paradise between those two! HA! I knew their little romance wouldn't last long!" _Monosuke bluntly scoffs in amusement from his Exisal behind us, prompting me to look somewhere else. This time I'm not embarrassed, but rather scared of making them angry enough that they'd hurt both Rantaro and I.

"W-What even _are _you monsters?!" Tenko cuts in, obviously flipping out at the sight just on my other side. When did she even get there...?

"_These are the Ultimate Killing Machines! __Neato__, huh?!" _Monotaro chirps from inside his mecha joyfully.

"_Hieeeeee__! _I don't _care _what they're called, don't kill me! My face is too beautiful, go for the ugly ones!" Miu squeals, holding her arms over her face defensively as she cowers back from Monophanie's machine when the bear makes a "playful" swipe at her with the machine's claws.

"You better start running, Himiko~!" Kokichi playfully calls out, cupping his hands around his mouth and sneaking a look back my way. I look away quickly in response.

Maybe I'd laugh a _little _if we weren't surrounded by these menacing Exisals.

Maybe I'd laugh a little if the bears weren't all snickering in the mechas and all turning to look at Rantaro and I simultaneously- the red lasers all locking on my chest at the same time. Seeing this, Rantaro moves to stand in front of me with a glare at the Exisals.

"Nyeh...? What are you suddenly worried about me for?" Himiko inquires, sweating just a tad bit more.

"Everyone, _wait._ You don't have to be so panicked. If they were gonna kill us, they would have done it a long time ago," Rantaro surprisingly speaks up after a moment, turning towards Tenko and taking her hand. Before she can object like she appears to want to, he puts her hand around my wrist and faces her. "Don't let go of her, okay?"

Tenko, looking mildly puzzled, evidently nods as he steps away from us and releases my wrist from his iron grip. The second I see him walking towards the Exisals, my stomach drops and I make a barely perceptible whimper of fear. I only take only one step to follow him before Tenko pulls me back and shakes her head at me.

Rantaro himself doesn't even hesitate as he places himself directly in front of Monosuke's Exisal, bravely looking up at it without even a perceivable hint of fear. Basically, the polar opposite of my wimpy self... it's a wonder he even bothers with me at all since we're so different.

"So, what do you want with us? You're imposing the threat of violence on us, after all. That tells me if we don't do what you want, you'll go through with that threat." Rantaro smiles a little, shrugging as if this were a totally natural situation. "Well, you have our attention. What are those demands?"

_He's gonna get __**himself **__killed, why was I worrying about taking a wrong step myself?! I should have been the one holding onto _**_his _**_arm!_ I think in frustration, trying to sneak out of Tenko's hold discreetly only for her to tighten her grip around my wrist.

"_Hehehe, you have quite the sharp intuition! For a __**wise ass**__, that is!" _Monosuke chuckles.

"_Well then, I'll say it! What we want all seventeen of you to participate in is REALLY DAMN EXCITING! HAHAHAHA!" _Monokid shouts, obviously building the anticipation for their demands. "_I'm gonna say it! You ready?! You idiots are going to play a-"_

"_MUTUAL-KILLING-GAME," _Monodam surprisingly cuts Monokid off, completely breaking the climax. I look to the green Exisal in surprise, only for the green bear to seemingly notice and turn its Exisal the other way from where I am. Is this something similar to Kokichi's fake-outs? Trying to win sympathy and play the "good cop" of sorts? ...Maybe the most dangerous bear here isn't Monokuma after all...

"...Eh?" Kaede shakily queries while I watch the other Exisals carefully. Rantaro..._stupid _Rantaro! He's too close to them! It's starting to drive me crazy! I just want him to take a few steps back, for goodness sake!

"_MONODAM__! YOU STOLE MY FUCKIN' LINE!"_

"Um, wh-what did he just say...?" Tenko chokes out, pulling me slightly behind her as a result of the revelation. If only she could do that with the reckless green _moron _up there...

"If I heard him correctly, I believe he said-" Kirumi starts to answer, before Monodam cuts her off as well to repeat, "_MUTUAL-KILLING-GAME."_

"_Aaaah__! He said it again!" _Monotaro tattles as if we didn't already notice.

"_GAH! I'm really fuckin' pissed! I'm gonna break your __Exisal__, __Monodam__!"_ Monokid howls with exaggerated displeasure, obviously worked up by Monodam stealing his thunder.

One of the drills on Monokid's Exisal activates, spinning wildly enough that I make another attempt to get to Rantaro when I realize Tenko has momentarily released my wrist. Of course, I only make it a few steps forward before she snags my arm and reels me back in. "No, no! Stay with me, Prairie, it's dangerous," she scolds me, prompting me to settle down with a chastised look as my arm is once again held hostage.

"_Guys, guys, there's no need for fighting amongst ourselves!" _Monophanie tries to mediate the squabble between her brothers, though it doesn't seem to work too well towards her favor when Monotaro jumps in to fiercely add, "_That's right! Because _**_I'm _**_the one who'll be breaking the __Exisals__!"_

At Monotaro's proclamation, a thought pops up in my head enough to somewhat settle my initial nerves.

_If they break all the __Exisals__, doesn't that mean they won't have anything to threaten us with? _I wonder momentarily before biting my lip and looking away. _No. It can't possibly be that simple- they probably would have something to back up the __Exisals__ if they were to get damaged. The only question is what _that _might be..._

"_Why are you joining the fight, __Monotaro__?! If this happens, I'm breaking all four __Exisals__!" _Monophanie cries out, perking up Monosuke's attention as his Exisal turns to look at her.

"_All _'_**four'**_ _of us? Are you talking about me too?! If so, __**bring it on!" **_Monosuke is soon shouting as well, much to many of the other student's disbelief. Four of them are out of control, but Monodam seems to be the only one standing there awkwardly as if out of place in the situation.

_...Do it, _I think to myself, mouth already opening.

"_You wanna fight?!"_

"_1 Vs 1 me!"_

"_YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"_

"_Jeez! All of you are awful! I won't hold back, even if I am cute!"_

"You can't fight!" I shout at the top of my lungs, feeling my heart kick up speed as everyone in the gym slowly turns to look at me. I tune the eyes out and focus on the Exisals. I've got to be smart about this, but not too smart. Just dumb enough for the bears to understand and insulting enough that they don't attack _me _instead...!

"_Who asked YOU?!"_

"Nobody. I'm just saying based on Television logic and primary color hierarchy...Monotaro would trump over all four of you since he's the red one," I say simply, watching as Monokid's drill stops dead and silence fills the gym.

Looking around, I see Rantaro looking back at me and shaking his head in disapproval, but I choose to ignore the walking green hypocrite. He wants to be reckless? Fine. That means I'm allowed to be reckless if necessary too.

After a moment of the extended silence-

"Um, well... I mean, she's actually right. Red characters hold the spot as the leader for most animes, cartoons, and fantasy/sci-fi genres," that one blue haired girl comments thoughtfully, followed by a laugh from Kokichi.

"Hey, don't you bears even _flank _the red one whenever you all appear? He's obviously the top dog whether the rest of you admit it or not, which means he really _can _kick all your asses!" Kokichi laughs, prompting me to sneak a glance his way curiously. I wonder if he knows what I'm trying to do and is helping, or if he's just messing around as usual for the fun of it. Whatever the reason, at least his input can help throw more wood into the fire.

"_You heard them! Beautiful is right, I'm the leader and I'm the best!" _Monotaro cheers, pointing at Monokid's face until the blue Exisal swats his metal claw away. Meanwhile, Monophanie is screeching with offense and what he's called me again.

"_THAT'S BULLSHIT!" _Monokid snaps, drill activating a second time with a greater intensity. At that, Rantaro wisely backs off and starts to make his way back to Tenko and I. He's got his eyes narrowed on me- I better keep talking before he gets here and shuts me up.

"Technically though, blue is a formidable opponent for red as far as colors go, so Monokid has the _slightest _chance of actually overcoming Monotaro since blue is either at red's level or number two in the primary color hierarchy," I continue, walking backwards when I realize Rantaro is getting closer. At this point, I realize Tenko is also trying to sneak her way towards me to quiet me before I get myself killed, but I sidestep and drift around some of the other students, skirting past Kaito quickly who attempts to also catch me- hand up to his lips for me to shush when he misses. "Then come the other colors like green and pink, which are about the same level-wise, and smack in the middle of the hierarchy."

I stop and look over at Monosuke's Exisal, conveniently having placed myself at the far end of the gym and allowing Rantaro to close in on me as I channel my inner Kokichi for just a moment.

"Sorry, Monosuke, but you're pretty much dead last. Your Exisal would be the first to get destroyed, since everyone knows yellow is the absolute _worst_ color in the hierarchy," I comment casually, watching the yellow Exisal as it goes still and processes my words. Rantaro grabs me by my waist and pulls me back so I'm as close as possible to where he can run off with me if necessary.

...

"_AHAHAA__! __MONOSUKE'S__ THE FUCKIN' RUNT!"_ Monokid bursts out laughing, only for the yellow Exisal to suddenly dash forwards towards him to slam his drill towards Monokid's mecha with killing intent.

"_We'll see about that, you __**dumbass! **__Whether you're number two or not, you're still a piece of shit! No one likes your creepy chest hair, you __**poor excuse for a bear!"**_ Monosuke snaps back, before a pair of mecha claw makes satisfying contact with the sides of both Monosuke and Monokid's mechas.

"_I'm the leader, get back in line, you scumbags!" _Monotaro barks, sounding high with pride as the other ultimates back off nervously.

"W-Was that absolutely necessary, Blitz...?! Nyeeeh, I totally pegged you wrong...!" Himiko speaks up, scurrying back with Angie, Kiibo and Kirumi to get further away from the Exisals as Monophanie jumps into the fray, kicking and completely knocking Monotaro over with an eardrum popping metallic clank.

"_How dare you call Perfect Blitz anything but _**_UGLY! _**_I'm gonna make sure your Exisal never gets up again! Hmph!" _Monophanie shouts, receiving a smack to the back of her Exisal from Monosuke who's then knocked back by Monokid uppercutting him from below.

"_I'LL__ BE NUMBER ONE, JUST WATCH ME! And _**_SHUT UP _**_Monophanie__, you're _**_UGLY TOO!" _**Monokid bellows, grabbing her Exisal by the left arm and turning to throw her back so her Exisal aims to hit Monodam. 

Monodam just steps out of the way, backing up to avoid the fight just as much as the other ultimates.

"Prairie, what was that?" Rantaro snaps me out of watching with a harsh whisper, shaking my shoulder roughly so I look up at him. I throw his narrowed gaze a sharp look of defiance, twisting my lips in annoyance.

"I don't know. What was that when you walked up to them all willy-nilly?" I huff, looking away when I notice a shadow of disapproval crawl over his features and trying to shrug off his arms from around me. Surprisingly, he only tightens his grip and pulls me back more so most of us ultimates are closer towards the exit of the gym.

"Nee-hee-hee! I knew you weren't by any means an angel, Prairie Dog, but _sheesh!" _Kokichi chuckles as he places himself beside Rantaro and I. 

"Don't encourage her- and besides, you're just as much to blame for instigating this as _she_ is for that remark you made," Rantaro says to the violet haired boy as I quietly ignore the two of them.

"Oh? All I did was _agree _though! Am I not allowed to have an opinion...?" Kokichi asks, looking at Rantaro dejectedly from the corner of my eye.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but there's a difference between stating your opinion and stating _an _opinion for the sole purpose of fueling a violent argument that's likely to get us killed as well," Korekiyo is shooting both Kokichi and I sharp looks when I glance back at him.

I can't help but feel a little guilty with how the others are looking at me since it's my fault the monokubs are fighting, but...I trust my gut. _I definitely trust my gut. _This might just help us, even just a little bit! Even if they have two Exisals left or if all the Exisals are functional but at least somewhat damaged...this will _benefit _us.

I jump and back up into Rantaro when a metal piece flies and hits the wall close to us, forcing him a step back while the other students also pin themselves by the door and wall. We're all super close together, like a train or bus at maximum capacity.

"...?! The doors are locked!" Kaede cries out, much to the rest of our discomfort.

_Shoot, I didn't take into account that we might get locked in here! _I think, feeling a thin layer of sweat start to coat my brow as I reach up to press my fingers against the corners of my eyes and close them n thought. _Now what? Think think...come on, there has to be something we can do, right?_

_...Kokichi can lockpick._

My eyes snap open in surprise. What?

I look towards Kokichi anyways, knowing I might regret this. I'll have to lie a little so he doesn't realize that I shouldn't know that...but that just begs the question of _how _I know it. Are they old memories or something? I don't remember ever hearing or seeing Kokichi before my first awakening here, let alone seeing him _lockpick._

"Kokichi, you can unlock the door," I state clearly, watching the violet haired boy's gaze jump to me in surprise. For a moment, he seems to look a bit suspicious, but eventually pulls out a lockpick set from his pocket and smirks my way.

"Of _course _you'd know that..." He chuckles, turning and pushing past the others who open the way after hearing me. "Fine fine! If it saves our skins from _your _mistake, then I'd be happy to~"

_Jerk, _I think quietly, though I don't fight against his words as we watch the violence between the Exisals increase.

Monotaro has lost one arm of his Exisal, Monosuke throwing it hard against a wall near us that causes a few of the students to either scream or shriek. Looking back, Monophanie's Exisal has one leg completely bent backwards in a ninety-degree angle. Monokid and Monosuke are both completely intact still, going at some kind of sumo wrestling type of fight while Monophanie and Monotaro bash each other with their working limbs.

"Hurry, you damn half-pint, are we waiting for the fuckin' grass to grow?!" Miu shrieks, gripping the back of Kokichi's jacket as he picks at the lock with his tools.

"Shouting at him isn't going to speed him up, just give him a moment...!" Kiibo tries to pacify the crude girl, who looks a lot more freaked out than she's trying to sound.

"It's fine, don't worry! Atua is watching over us all," Angie comments calmly in response, smiling and appearing totally relaxed despite the way she presses back against the door beside Kokichi's work zone. She probably would never willingly admit she's scared, but it's sorta obvious...

"He's only _watching?!" _The blue haired girl squeals, turning to look at Angie as if she's an unorthodox specimen with two heads. "If you intended for that to be comforting, it's not!"

The girl shrieks and hides behind Gonta when another mechanical limb two times our size hits the wall just a bit too close to some of us, Gonta standing the closest towards the front with a determined look behind his glasses- watching with a primal look in case he needs to defend us from something that heads our way.

"_You're gonna be a pile of rubble when I'm through with you!" _Monosuke barks, retorted by Monokid shouting, "_OH YEAH?! You'll be chalk dust when I finish you off, you yellow piece of shit!"_

"It's getting worse...! Kokichi, how are you doing?" Kiibo can't help but ask, making us all look his way as the violet haired boy finally lets out a satisfied hum and stands up to pocket his tool picks. "You did it?!"

"Nope~! This door also has a secondary magnetic lock in place and I can't get that part open. Bummer," Kokichi laughs in amusement, folding his arms behind his head much to the horror of the rest of us. "So much for that, Prairie Dog. You really are the worst ultimate, you know?"

I narrow my eyes and finally shrug off Rantaro's arms enough to reach past Kokichi and grab the door handle to throw it open without a second thought. Of _course _he was lying now of all times...!

"Yahoo~! Bless Atua for Kokichi's wonderful skills!" Angie cheers, hurrying out first while the rest of us start to rush through the double doors to get out of the gym.

"**_HEY!"_** We're only a couple of people out of the gym before Monokid's Exisal suddenly slams down in the hallway in middle of the path with intimidating speed. My heart skips a beat, even though Rantaro and I are quite nearly the last ones out of the gym besides Kaede, Kokichi and Shuichi. "_Where do you IDIOT'S think you're going?! We have an entrance ceremony to get to, WALTZ YOUR ASSES BACK IN THERE!"_

The others back in quickly as the blue Exisals starts advancing on us, making us in the back back up as well so they have a way in. Once we're all back in the gym, we're well aware of the damaged Exisals of Monophanie and Monotaro in the back, both bears having to jump out due to the smoke and sparks the mechas let out. They look very clearly upset by the result of the fight, if their unmoving and quiet positions staring at the machines imply anything.

"Now now, what have we here, huh?"

My blood runs cold and I shrink back into Rantaro as a result. That voice is a familiar one. There's no way I could possibly forget it after that _one _reset... Especially after that cryptic question he'd asked me before.

"My beloved children... All of who I love so very, _very _dearly..."

"Huh-! That voice is...!" Monophanie perks up from where she is, both her and Monotaro spinning in all directions in search for the voice. "Daddy!"

"Father! Where are you, Papa?!" Monotaro also calls, just as Monokid and Monosuke jump out of their fully intact Exisals to search as well.

As they search for the source of the new speaker, something kicks the back of my shoe gently, making me turn my head along with Rantaro when he also feels the movement. I gasp a slightly when I find Monokuma right behind us, feeling Rantaro quickly tug me aside from the larger bear.

"Puhuhu!" The bear laughs into his paws, bounding away just as Kaede and Shuichi seem to notice Rantaro's and I's movements. They look like they want to ask what's wrong, but we never get the chance to answer the other pair. The lights in the gymnasium suddenly dim on all of us much to my mild exasperation.

_What is with these bears and their theatrical entrances...?_

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 1.11 - Instigation**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  



	12. My Punishment

❀ _**1.12 - My Punishment**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

A spotlight shines towards the stage where Kokichi and I were earlier, illuminating Monokuma's winged form as he jumps out from behind the stage and floats back down gently to land on his feet almost daintily.

"It is _me _who is the god of this world...and the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles!" Monokuma announces with regal flair to his words, right before reaching back and plucking both cardboard wings off his back. Without a second thought, he tosses them back somewhere carelessly. "Also known as _Monokuma__! _It's nice to meet you!"

Monokuma seems to look my way momentarily. When he winks and grins wider at me, I realize I'm not seeing things like I originally think I am.

"And _welcome back, _Miss Marble! I'm glad you haven't lost your head just yet!" Monokuma adds, prompting me to look away with a grimace when some of the other students glance my way.

"Yay! It's Daddy!"

"HELL YEAH! Dad's descended upon us!"

"I always knew Dad was cool...!"

Facing the other way, I can see Monokid, Monosuke, and Monodam jumping out of their still functioning Exisals, joining Monophanie and Monotaro where they stand. I squint a little when I look back at the stage, seeing Monokuma quiver as his face gradually tones a dark red shade of what I can only imagine to be rage.

"My beautiful children...you're all as lovely as ever. Even though you keep running your mouths with no sense of tact...you're still my beloved children. And even if you let Miss Marble take advantage of you this time...I absolutely am not angry with my wonderful, talented, gifted children."

"Hah?!" Monokid gapes, looking flabbergasted by Monokuma's words.

"We weren't being taken advantage of! We were-!" Monosuke tries to defend, before silencing when Monokuma holds up a paw.

"You didn't notice she suddenly got chattier than usual? It's obvious the little princess wanted to reduce the number of Exisals we had to give her and her companions a better advantage. Isn't that right, Miss Marble?" Monokuma half chortles, prompting a couple of the other students to glance my way where I'm glaring at Monokuma.

"I-Is that it? Nice one, Blitz!" Kaito half laughs, giving me a thumbs up. "See? You really are a girl of spirit!"

"...So what, you're just going to excuse the fact she could have gotten us all killed?" Maki asks, shooting both Kaito and I scathing looks from where she is. "That makes the _both _of you idiots."

_That would be the case if I didn't already know we would be fine. I trust my instincts. I got rid of two _ _Exisals_ _ and nobody got hurt._

"I don't think so! God is with her, she knew we would come out just fine! That is what Atua tells me~!" Angie surprisingly sticks up for me, causing my breath to hitch just lightly. I expected that out of anyone _but _her. What happened to calling me a blasphemer that couldn't win Atua's grace with any amount of blood sacrifice...?

"Well, Miss Marble...I guess you win this one. However, we still have _three_ Exisals, so-" Monokuma cuts himself off when Monokid's Exisal bursts into flames in the back, making some of the other students back away quickly in case it explodes. "...We still have _two _Exisals, so don't get cocky or anything!"

I grab my hair and cover my face a little to hide my satisfied grin, immensely relieved I'd managed to get them to destroy three Exisals with their own power. Us against two is a lot better than us against five... I'm just glad no one got hurt because of my actions.

_They could have though, and that's why what you did is wrong. You shouldn't gamble their lives on a hunch like that- you don't even know how you're doing things like that. You could still make a mistake._

I push my thoughts away and take one of Rantaro's hands after I sober up and release my hair. Rantaro doesn't say anything as I do- not even really noticing as I play thoughtlessly with his bracelets and rings while watching the bears interactions.

"Monodam! Good on you to not take her bait though! I'm proud of you, son!" Monokuma says, jumping off the stage to walk over to the green bear and pat the top of his head lovingly.

"...I'm gonna beat Monodam up later and take his Exisal..." I hear Monokid comment just slightly under his breath, watching bullets of sweat appear across Monodam's body as a result.

"Still..." Monokuma thoughtfully speaks as he walks back to the stage, climbing back up it with much effort and wiggling his butt to get his leg over the ledge. "This prologue is so, so _very _long...the first prologue I ever hosted probably was so short because you, my beautiful children, weren't there. A shame really, isn't that right?"

Monokuma looks a bit miffed again, turning a duller red color than he had when talking about the damaged Exisals. The other five bears avert their gazes in all opposite directions guiltily, sharing the same sentiments and trying to avoid the shame of being chastised by Monokuma.

_The "first" prologue? ...Yes, that's right. Rantaro said this was a Killing game made by a girl named _ _Junko_ _Enoshima_ _...meaning multiple killing games have taken place before this one we're currently in. Does that mean we're all bound to kill one another then? That I was right to believe we wouldn't all be here if we didn't have the spine to commit murder?_

Looking around at the three broken Exisals around us and remembering how we were all cowering by the door moments before, my stomach drops a little.

_...Even me?_

Just that thought is enough to make me feel a bit sick. I'm not sure how long I zone out lingering on that dark idea before my mind drifts back to the killing games. How many bodies has this "Danganronpa" piled up for the sake of entertainment?

It's Rantaro's voice that eventually brings me back to the present, easy to hear since he's quite literally attached to me at the moment.

"I'm not interested in the Exisals. I'm interested in this "killing game". What is it, exactly?" I hear Rantaro ask much to my bewilderment.

_What? Why is he asking about that? He knows exactly what the killing game is, he's the one that...!_

I blink and run my thumb over the rings on his right hand's index finger thoughtfully. He didn't remember about his old outfit like he had during the previous resets. He didn't seem to react quite the same way to Monokuma as he had when he saw him after the _Kagome__, __Kagome_ game either, much more hostile towards the white and black bear previously...but those things changed only after those bears used the round flashlight on us rather than the dark square flashlight they'd used prior.

_What was different about that last flashlight? This? That it erased even more memories than the previous one did? If that's the case, why didn't they just use that rounded flashlight to begin with then? Why bother using the weaker one at all? ...There must be more to it that I'm not seeing yet._

"If we don't want to die, we have to do it. That's what you're saying, right? Or you'll hurt us with the Exisals?" Rantaro speaks up again, followed closely by Tenko growling.

"Stop kidding around! Are you seriously suggesting we're all just going to go along with that and kill our friends?!" Tenko objects, a thin layer of sweat coating her brow as she glares at Monokuma.

"Hnnuuuhhh?" Monokuma dumbly asks, obviously portraying sarcasm. "Who are these 'friends' you're talking about? You lot aren't friends! You're all killers in the making aiming at each other's lives~! In other words..._you are __**all **__each other's enemy."_

The seed of anxiety in my gut opens up as I look around at the other students glancing at one another warily. Behind every set of eyes is suspicion. Doubt. Assumptions on who looks more trustworthy and who looks like a killer. What a way to shatter all trust among us...

I look down at Rantaro's hand still resting over my hand.

_...I can trust Rantaro. I know that I can._

On autopilot, my hand automatically weaves my fingers with his- causing my face to heat up after a moment when I realize what I've just done. Rantaro shifts to lean over and look at me after the friendly action, but I quickly grab my hair with my free hand and cover my face with it as I look in another direction. I hear him laugh under his breath and feel my heart squeeze with mild glee when his hand squeezes mine as a result.

My heart kicks up a notch and I start allowing my eyes to drift in several different locations until they land on the two standing Exisals in the room- causing my heart to speed up for a completely different reason altogether.

...Trust makes it easier to get close to your prey. And it leaves the bittersweet flavor of betrayal in its wake.

_No, don't think like that! That's just what _ _Monokuma_ _ wants! He wants us to doubt one another...to consider killing each other before we are killed first. It's a never ending cycle of insanity, I can't let him suck me into that mindset. I need to figure out a way to get answers that will help us leave this place._

"As expected of our dad! Such a good teacher!" Monotaro cheers brightly.

"GAH! I'm not listening to this shit! I'm gonna beat the CRAP out of Monodam now! I need to relieve stress and I want his EXISAL!" Monokid howls, snapping another guitar out of cardboard in half. Where he's getting all those cardboard guitars, I can only imagine. It's not like he's carrying a bag full of them around.

"But...I don't want this! It's too cruel! Too grotesque and pitiful! ...Well, maybe not for Ugly, but Daddy, can you make the other fifteen at least do rock-paper-scissors instead? And maybe...let me keep the green one Ugly likes so much as a pet?" Monophanie begs, throwing a wink me and Rantaro's way much to my increasing irritation.

_Is she seriously doing all this? Trying to be super cute, trying to act like me at times, and now she wants Rantaro to fuss over her? For calling me ugly, she sure seems to want to step in my shoes pretty badly._

For once, I can't help but stare Monophanie dead in the eye in disapproval, watching her cover her face and giggle cutely. I almost want to show off my hand in Rantaro's to shoot her ideas down, but...not only would that be embarrassingly defensive of me- it'd also probably be fuel to Kokichi's idea that I'm trying to wrap Rantaro around my little finger.

Not to mention I _really _don't what to come off as someone flaunting Rantaro off like that... he's not a trophy and I don't even like him like that. I'm just mildly crushing because he's good looking, that's it. It's just a dumb little crush. It will go away eventually.

Instead of letting my temper flare up again, I eventually look down and start playing with his bracelets again.

"Idiot, nobody but Ugly will die that way! Which is only _mildly _satisfying!" Monosuke huffs, paws on his hips in disgust at the thought.

"That kindness is very unique, Monophanie. It's a unique kind of cuteness!" Monokuma looks charmed by Monophanie as he says this, but seconds after he turns angry red again as he adds with a dead stare, "It's the type of cuteness that makes me want to eat you up!"

"_Eh?!" _Monophanie squeals in horror, making me promptly bring a hand up to my mouth to hide the stupid grin that wants to form on my face at seeing "_her royal highness" _kicked off her high horse by Monokuma. It's not a massive feeling of glee, but at least it does help with the slight irritation she sparked in me by subtly aiming for Rantaro.

"Enough of this meaningless babbling. More importantly, how are we supposed to kill each other? Are you going to give us weapons like guns or something?" Ryoma cuts in, much to the disbelief of some of the other students by his insane inquiry.

"Dude?! What the hell are you asking?!" Kaito gapes in horror, even taking a step back from the much shorter male beside us. Honestly though, despite the bit of his history I had the privilege of receiving straight from his lips, he doesn't quite strike me as the kind of guy that would murder innocent people like us. Rantaro must believe the same thing, as the both of us don't back away from him despite him standing right next to us.

"Getting information is key if you're going to fight back," Ryoma simply answers.

"Weapons? You had such wild thoughts? It's not _that _kind of killing game! In this academy, I will be hosting a killing game full of tact and entertainment!" Monokuma declares much to everyone else's confusion. Wait till Monokuma gets to the _other _part...

"'Tact and entertainment'...? What are you getting at," Maki demands more than asks, voice an eerie level of warning that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Ah! This is where _we _explain!" Monotaro starts, until Monokuma raises a paw to stop him from saying anything else. Surprised by the interruption, the other five bears look towards Monokuma puzzled. "F-Father...?"

"No. My lovely children...we've made her wait long enough, wouldn't you agree?" Monokuma carefully comments, prompting the other bears to gradually grasp the meaning of his words with snickers and giggles. Despite them not mentioning any names, I can feel the contents in my stomach swirl with discomfort as they laugh secretively among themselves.

"What are you laughing about now?" Kaito speaks up nervously, though he receives no answer from the bears. Rather, the bears all turn to look my way slowly in obvious amusement.

_I can already sense where this is going... _I think, suddenly worming out of Rantaro's hold and nearly getting a good space away from him till his hand restrains me from getting any further.

"Miss Marble!" I stop resisting and reluctantly look Monokuma's way with a less than friendly look. "Since you've been flapping your gums enough to cause us trouble oh so _many _times, why don't you come up here and explain it to the rest of the class?" Monokuma suggests, prompting me to eventually avert my gaze to the floor rather than at the infernal robot bear. "What's wrong? I thought you _wanted _to tell everyone what's going on! Well, now's your chance! I'm giving you permission to tell them whatever you want!"

I don't move from where I am. Something about that offer _reeks _of ill intent. And I trust my gut.

"...Fine, fine! Be that way then. But just so you know, out of all the students here..." I look back up in time to see Monokuma grin wide at me, revealing the rows of sharp shark-like teeth from the darkened half of his body. "_I'm looking forward to breaking _**_you_** _the most."_

I swallow down my anxiety but decidedly ignore the bear in favor of looking at the floor and finally regaining possession of my own hand from Rantaro. I don't even want to look and see what kind of an expression he's wearing...is it pity? I sure as hell _feel _pitiful after that threat of Monokuma's. Well, I guess it's the punishment I deserve for fighting back so much.

Sensing an opening in the conversation, Monotaro jumps up and down for everyone's attention, allowing me breathable air as the other ultimates look away from me at the red bear.

"Alright, it's up to us since _Ugly _over there doesn't give a crap about you dolts this time!" Monotaro speaks up, obviously an attempt to misconstrue my actions as being disingenuine towards the other ultimates rather than the monokubs and Monokuma.

"The way we do SHIT around here will include _class trials!" _Monokid barks, crossing his arms with mock authority and puffing up his hair covered chest.

"So during the killing game, the person who manages to kill another student will be known as the '_blackened'!"_ Monotaro adds, holding up his shurikens in a "heroic" pose of sorts.

"The other people, the ones _innocent, _will all be considered 'white' in this instance," Monosuke jumps in, playing with his glasses as he drifts on over in my direction. Unnerved, I back away until I bump into Tenko, making her pull me behind her as Monosuke cackles and skips away. Stupid bears really love terrorizing me, huh?

"During the trial, you figure out which SCHMUCK is the blackened and VOTE FOR 'EM!" Monokid announces, jumping over from where he is and dancing around Tenko and I with malicious mirthfulness. Tenko shoots the bear a threatening look, but other than laugh, Monokid continues to circle us.

"The killer will then be suitably punished~!" Monophanie chirps, suddenly jumping on my back from quite nearly out of nowhere and making me stiffen up with immense discomfort as she plays with a lock of my hair she's grabbed.

"If you successfully vote for the blackened and they get punished, then you can suitably move on with your school life," Monosuke picks up the explanation next, joining in dancing around Tenko and I- though in the opposite circular direction Monokid currently is.

"However, if you all vote for an innocent rather than a blackened...!" Monotaro trails off, snickering darkly at the thought.

"Then the blackened gets to leave the school and _all _the other innocents suitably FUCKIN' DIE!" Monokid howls out loud, just as Monophanie yanks hard enough on my hair to make me yelp before jumping off quickly and scurrying away with Monokid and Monosuke when Kaito and Rantaro dart over to chase the three snickering bears away.

"_Aah__, _it's too good! It's too good of an explanation!" Monokuma pants, letting his long tongue loll out again in just as disturbing of a manner as it had the first time I'd seen him do it.

"...I feel sick," Himiko speaks up lazily, frowning at the ground.

"Well, actually, you can't _just _kill some and then get out, scot-free. The blackened has to participate in the class trial too!" Monokuma states, rubbing his belly as he rolls his tongue back into his mouth. How he has a tongue like _that _when he's a robot is beyond my understanding. His creator must have been mental.

"...So basically, kill someone and don't get found out during the course of the class trial. Just like how it's done in the outside world?" Rantaro inquires with a slight bitterness to his words, relocating beside me and Tenko.

"Yes! If you think about it, I guess it really _is _just like the outside world! How cruel!"

"I think I know already, but I'll ask to make sure. What you said...'punishment'. What, specifically, do you mean?" Korekiyo speaks up, looking a tad bit too interested in the concepts Monokuma has brought up.

"Oh! Well of course I mean an '_execution'! _At least in this context!" Monokuma answers pleasantly with a wide grin.

Several students balk at Monokuma's words, some even going shades of blue as they process this new information. Monokuma only breaks into a wider grin and cups both paws around his mouth in amusement, as if savoring everybody's individual reactions- be it to his liking or even the blank-faced stare Kokichi gives him. Hell, the crazy bear even seems to enjoy the deadly look Maki is throwing his way. Is she really the Ultimate Child Caregiver...?

"Just like the outside world...if your sins are found out, you get punished! Of course, the punishment is a little more _permanent _in this killing game," Monokuma continues to fan the flames, his mechanical left eye suddenly pulsing an unnerving red glow.

"GAH! Just thinking about the kinds of executions there will be...it TURNS ME ON!" Monokid announces, followed by a grossed out noise of disgust from Tenko.

"M-Monokid can get turned on?!" Monotaro visibly sweats uncomfortably.

"HELL YEAH!" Monokid shouts in response.

"So gross...so gorey...!" Monophanie actually sort of gags after those weak comments, prompting Shuichi and Kaede near her to step back upon seeing the signs preluding to her throwing up. I don't get why though, it's not a biological bear after all- what could she possibly spew out? Bolts and screws? Oil and gasoline? Just before anything can happen though, Monosuke bounds up to her side.

"Hey, hey, think about Ugly getting bludgeoned! Or falling hundreds of feet and going SPLAT in five different directions when she hits the ground!" Monosuke exclaims, immediately making Monophanie sigh with relief and brighten up gleefully at the malignant thought.

"Oh! Yes, that helps! I really hope Ugly dies soon, she's very un-cute!" Monophanie agrees, laughing with Monosuke at my expense. As I watch them, I jump a little in surprise when Rantaro puts an arm over my shoulder and redirects my attention to him instead.

"Ignore them, okay, Prairie? They're wrong," Rantaro reassures me, quickly followed by a noise of agreement from Tenko as she peels Rantaro's arm off of me and links arms with mine. Despite that, Rantaro still smiles at Tenko's actions.

"Yeah, that pink parasite wouldn't know cute if it hit her in the face. She's just jealous you're cuter than her!" Tenko huffs in the pink bear's direction.

Monophanie turns slightly red at Tenko's quip, eyes narrowed on all three of us with ill intent. "...I _really _hope Ugly dies soon. _Very _soon."

_Oh no, that sounded even worse than the other times...she's not planning on killing me __**herself**_ _at this point, is she?_

"Puhuhu! Miss Marble's death would be very cute, I think! Bloody and painful, but still cute!" Monokuma adds, looking thoughtful as he thinks to himself and rubs a paw under his chin.

_And this guy...already planning my execution even though I haven't murdered anyone yet. Can we leave already? Is he done dropping these bombs on everyone?_

"What are you saying? That wouldn't be cute at all, you psychopath! Quit bullying Prairie already, whatever trouble she caused you before doesn't warrant this sort of treatment!" Kaito speaks up now, visibly fuming on my behalf.

At that claim, everyone (including myself) turns to look at the demolished Exisals in the background. Right on cue, Monophanie's mecha sputters and more smoke starts to emanate from the horrendously twisted area of the machine's leg, prompting me to wince and hide my face under my fluffy hair sheepishly.

"...Jeez. I wonder who caused _that _back there," Kokichi comments sarcastically, grinning as he rests his arms behind his neck and glances Kaito's way for a response. Kaito sweats a little, but remains the only ultimate to not turn his head as he keeps his glare glued to Monokuma- ignoring Kokichi altogether.

"Okay, so...is this you offering to take her place then?" Monokuma chuckles, causing Kaito to pause momentarily in surprise and then straighten up with a sense of having made his mind up.

"As a matter of fact, YES!" Kaito announces, determination laced in his claims.

"W-wait-!" I hear my own voice jump up, half wriggling away from Tenko and Rantaro before they hold me back. I'm cut off before I can say anything else to defend Kaito, but thankfully it's to my own favor.

"Well, _too bad! _We wanna harass Perfect Blitz, NOT the Luminary of the Stars! Get back in your own lane, wannabe!" Monokuma throws back at Kaito, who grinds his teeth with obvious aggravation.

_Whew...I'm glad they didn't take his offer though. Sorry, _ _Kaito_ _, but it's better this way._

"Well, we're done with the boring explanations for now. Let's have a great, new season of mutual killing!" Monokuma announces, his composure returning as his temper fades away. He opens his arms wide, humming mirthfully.

"I won't ask how you kill 'em- I won't decide your means! You like blunt pain? Poison? Stabbing? Blood loss? Staking? Beheading? Crushing? Suffocation? Strangling? Killing by laughing? I'm fine with all of that! The way you wanna kill...who you wanna kill...the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles is just for that purpose! Students with admirable talents being locked up for an all new killing game...!"

"An 'all new semester' of killing games..." Rantaro repeats with a less than enthused morbid smile akin to a grimace of sorts.

"Khehe...to risk one's life for something as insignificant as a game. How mad," Korekiyo speaks up in a similar tone, the visible portion of his face as pale as the dead.

"Looks like I won't be so bored after all. You know, now I'm kind of glad Prairie Dog didn't spoil it for us early!" Kokichi casually drops for everyone else to hear, prompting Tenko to look at all three boys and even go a step further to remove me from Rantaro's side warily.

"You filthy men! Why are you so calm about all of this?!" Tenko complains, clearly not registering that the only one seemingly calm about it is actually Kokichi and that's it. "Furthermore, how dare you accuse Prairie of keeping things from us!"

"But she _is!_ Right, Prairie Dog?" Kokichi presses, though I do well not to look his way- instead watching the other students taking the bulk of Monokuma's news poorly.

"This is a joke...has to...it has to be a joke..."

"I don't wanna _die! _I'm too beautiful! The world needs my good looks and genius!"

"I don't want to kill anyone...I don't want to. That's wrong and I'll never do it..."

"Puhuhuhuhu! It's not about whether you want to or not! If you don't kill, it'll be a big problem! After all, the only reason everyone is alive right now is for the killing game!" Monokuma corrects the students muttering to themselves, hugging his round belly with a grin.

"W-Wait just a minute!"

All eyes land on Kaede Akamatsu, the girl visibly shaken by the events and revelations thus far. How can she muster the courage to speak up when she's shaking like a leaf baffles me, but she manages well enough anyways.

"Yes?" Monokuma inquires, sweetly tilting his head to the side with mocking innocence.

"Even though you told us we're supposed to kill each other...we will _never _take part in a killing game! We're not doing any of that- we won't ever kill!" Kaede shouts suddenly, her trembling ceasing completely and her eyes blazing with such a defiance it surprises me.

"K-Kaede, you shouldn't be so recklessly bold towards-" Tenko balks, though Monokuma cuts her off before she can finish her sentence.

"No, no! Actually, I welcome that kind of attitude! People who say "I won't ever kill" are very important in a killing game!" Monokuma pauses, the left side of him grinning so wide that it almost appears to bisect his head. "Because they're perfect candidates to die and make the killing game much more interesting!"

Kaede's bravado fades momentarily, prompting her to let out a mildly strangled gasp as Monokuma gives her a thumbs up and a wink.

"It's my job as headmaster to make the ones who don't want to kill change their minds!" The bear exclaims, letting out a full blown laughter that four of the monokubs join in with. The malicious amusement in their laughing silences everyone in astonishment. If anyone had a shadow of a doubt this wasn't a just a joke, they sure know it's really happening now.

Eventually, their laughter settles down, Monokuma giving all seventeen of us a wave.

"Until next time!" Monokuma bids farewell, disappearing behind the stage with a few bunny hops backwards.

"_**So Long~! Bear Well~!"**_

The monokubs also give their little line before they disappear as well- Monosuke and Monodam hopping in their functioning Exisals and jumping out of the gym from the opening above.

There's a few beats where everyone seems to wait and see if they're really gone, sighs of mild relief escaping a few people here and there.

Angie is the first to move, climbing to get on the stage to peer over the back where everyone saw Monokuma hop down. Once she's gotten a good enough look, she turns back to face all of us with a bright smile.

"He has vanished!" Angie announces, jumping back down where the rest of us are.

...

I feel my heart skip a beat nervously as Tenko finally releases my arm to stretch a little, leaving me standing alone to drift a bit on over towards Himiko. Although I suddenly feel rather exposed since I've sort of gotten used to people attaching themselves to me at this point, I don't actually mind that she's left me to check on Himiko. From what I can see, the red haired girl looks scared enough to pee herself...

Rather, the thing I'm more concerned about the amount of eyes turning to look my way curiously now that the "entrance ceremony" is over. I can feel plenty of eyes drilling into me like machines in search of information I hold.

_Now what do I do? What do I say to them...? "Sorry I couldn't tell you that we're all here to die"? ...Why me? Why _ ** _us_ ** _?_

"Prairie..." I look up to see Shuichi take a step my way, gold eyes scanning my features. "You knew all of this already? ...Why wouldn't you tell us before though? Why'd you keep it from us all?"

"N-No...don't tell me! Those fuckwads got Perfect Blitz on their side?!" Miu gasps, eyeing me carefully before she frowns and throws Shuichi a dubious look. "I-I don't believe it! She's wild, but not _that _wild! The fuck are you trying to imply over there, you NEET?!"

Shuichi winces slightly, but says nothing else due to Miu's aggressive retort.

"Yeah, I find it hard to believe too. Prairie's acting much different than I remember, but she doesn't strike me as a person that would side with the monokubs or Monokuma! After all, look what she did!" Kaito adds, gesturing to the mess behind us with the Exisals. Oh, _now_ he's acknowledging it, huh? "There must have been a reason she couldn't say anything."

Surprisingly, it's Ryoma that beats everyone else to the punch.

"When I first encountered Prairie here, she let slip a comment pertaining to being the 'perfect victim' here- and that she'd probably be the first to get murdered. The weird blue bear shut her up before she could say anything else though and called it her first 'strike'. From that, I'm pretty sure she was threatened to keep quiet," Ryoma explains casually.

"...Me too. When she came up to me, she told me the bears were chaperoning her to meet every ultimate or they would decapitate her. Then she mentioned that they had already tried to kill her before for another reason..." Maki, the one I was pretty sure wouldn't speak up at all on my behalf, adds to Ryoma's explanation.

_...Is no one just going to straight up ask me directly? I'm still here, why are they talking around me like I'm not present? _I question with a bit of a frown as I look down and promptly grimace at my attire. I hate these clothes. I want my old uniform back- however boring those bears think it is. I'd rather deal with possible skirt flips than this side-boob situation.

"G-Gonta not sure, but...what 'Perfect Bits'?" Gonta asks, frowning and looking around at the other students for some sort of answer.

"Yeah, I'm confused too...are we talking about two different people? What does this 'Perfect' person have to do with the current situation we're in?" Kiibo also asks, scratching his head and prompting Gonta to visibly sigh a bit in relief as if glad he's not the only one that's confused.

"Uh, we're talking about Prairie... You two don't know?" Himiko questions the tall man-like teen and robot, earning two head shakes of complete confusion. "Huh...and I thought _everyone _knew her."

"Oh? Hey, spit it out, I wanna know too! What's Prairie Dog's dirty little secret?!" Kokichi eagerly inquires, racing over to me and linking his arm with mine despite my obvious discomfort with his sudden proximity when I jump and squirm to make him let go. Thankfully, Rantaro peels the purple twerp's arm from mine and gives him a hard look Kokichi only chuckles at. "Oh, Rantaro..perhaps _you _can tell us?"

"...I don't know what they mean by that either, actually."

"I can tell you guys! I mean...if it's okay with Prairie?" Tenko speaks up, glancing my way only for me to turn my back to her immediately in the opposite direction. If anything, that should speak volumes of my thoughts on sharing about the "Perfect Blitz" situation, but it doesn't seem to click for Tenko. "P-Prairie?"

Kirumi clears her throat as she walks over to join Rantaro, Kokichi, and I.

"I implore that you respect Prairie's wishes and _not _share it. I myself know what the topic is about and I can guarantee to those that _do not _know that it's irrelevant to our situation entirely. When Prairie wants to share it, she will, but that is not for the rest of us to decide or to force out of her," Kirumi clearly states much to my relief as the tension in my body relaxes and I look over my shoulder at her.

"...Okay, fine, but has she shared to the rest of you the tidbit that we've all woken up here four other times but had our memories erased?" Kokichi chirps casually, grinning as all the students look my way again- Kirumi included.

"You're over exaggerating, you _leech! _She said only six of us met four other times, herself included!" Tenko defends me immediately, eyes narrowed on snickering Kokichi.

Before Kokichi can say anything else, I cough for their attention. At first, all the eyes that return to me are a bit intimidating, but I swallow down my nerves and force myself to finally speak up.

"I-I think I can tell you some of that now, but...if they decide to kill me for opening my mouth again, don't be surprised," I speak up, completely turning around to face everyone.

"Are...are you sure, Prairie? If the punishment is as severe as that, I would rather you _not _tell us," Kiibo interjects, looking somewhat discomforted by my words. "Is it something we really, _really _need to know?"

I open my mouth and then close it in thought. The things we all conversed about before...

Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair, and her nefarious killing games common to Rantaro's knowledge...

Everyone but Rantaro forgetting or either altogether _not having _ultimate talents...

The Ultimate Hunt...

...How everyone recognized the name "monokubs" but not the individual bears themselves nor their appearances...

_There's more I can note, but the bottom line is that although it all seems like useless random tidbits at the moment, they might be invaluable or become relevant later in this godforsaken place._

"I think it's important enough to tell you guys and important enough that there was a valid reason the monokubs tried to shut me up," I explain, despite Kiibo's visible disapproval. I'm sure he knows my logic is sound enough too.

"Yeah, but if they didn't let you before, why would they let you tell us _now? _Prairie, you don't have to say anything- we won't hold it against you if you don't," Kaede reassures with a concerned frown, only for someone to scoff at her words.

"Maybe _you _won't, but don't speak for the rest of us, Kaede! I want to know what she's been keeping quiet about because _I _actually care to live," Kokichi remarks, stepping closer towards us. "I'm sure that while some people want to keep their rose-tinted lenses on like you do, some of us here think the risk is worth it, Prairie Dog herself included! _Riight__?"_

Kokichi directs the end of his statement my way. Although I'm reluctant to agree with _anything _he brings up, I sigh in resignation and nod. "He's right, Kaede. It's worth the risk, believe me."

"Prairie, you shouldn't be taking your own life for granted like that," Rantaro scolds me, taking my wrist to turn me his way. I wrangle my wrist out of his grip, stepping away from him. "If I have to quiet you by force, _I will."_

"M-Me too!" I look to see Tenko step forward, guilt swimming in the forefront of her eyes when she meets my gaze. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to know either if you'll get hurt for it! I don't want any of us to have to die or get crippled!"

"You said it! I'm not listening to a word if it hurts you, Prairie!" Kaito agrees, straightening up.

"Gonta will help! Even if small Prairie no like Gonta no more and no want talk about bugs...Gonta prefer be hated than small Prairie be dead!" Gonta speaks up, making my heart skip a sudden beat when I realize him, Rantaro, Tenko, Kaede, and Kaito are all stepping closer my way.

"...I think we should consider and weigh the pros and cons of this knowledge based on our situation. We will still be in a killing game whether Prairie tells us what she knows or not. Prairie has a high chance of being murdered as do the rest of us, but if she dies with what she knows, we may actually all end up picking each other off to the end rather than escaping, don't you think? Imagine...if she were to perhaps tell us, her demise might save us from a terrible fate," Korekiyo speaks up, much to Rantaro's obvious disapproval when he turns his head to throw a startlingly disturbing look the tall anthropologist's way.

"So you're suggesting she just..._sacrifice _herself?" Rantaro's voice is dangerous- unlike anything I've ever heard before.

Korekiyo doesn't respond at first, but a moment later he eventually answers, "Believe me, I don't relish the idea myself. However, we still don't know whether they'd kill her or just hurt her. She could still walk out of here with us in the end."

"That's only if the information she knows is useful for us in escaping. She could tell us something that would enlighten us, but give us no actual exit out of here," Shuichi adds, fiddling with his cap. "In that case, her sacrifice could end up meaningless- no matter the severity."

"Guys. In the end, it's still up to _Prairie _to tell us. I don't know what you guys intend to do, but it doesn't seem like _she's _on the same page as you," Ryoma comments, nodding in my direction when he notices my slow retreat towards one of the basketball hoop courts.

All heads whip back in my direction and I spin around on my heel, charging the rest of the way to the pole and jumping to climb it at a blinding speed just as the others reach where the court is.

"Whoa, she's fast as _shit!_ That's Perfect Blitz for ya!" Miu crows in excitement.

"W-We shouldn't be encouraging this! She could get hurt!" The blue haired girl who's name I _still _don't know chastises Miu, much to the blonde's annoyance.

"Get down from there, you're going to hurt yourself!" Rantaro calls up to me, prompting me to roll my eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Prairie!"

"Are you two siblings or some shit like that...? Or is this a kind of dom-sub thing I don't know about?" Miu asks, thought Rantaro completely ignores her input.

I settle at the top and look down at them, letting out a breath and relaxing momentarily knowing none of them can possibly silence me if I say something from all the way up he-

"Gonta, throw me up there on the double!" Kiibo orders, much to Gonta's confusion despite the bulky teen following the white haired robot's orders and picking him up to toss him where I am.

"A-Ah...!" I stammer, realizing I need to say something _now_. What do I tell them though? If I only have one chance and one thing I can possibly say, then...?!

_The first thing I figured out. The name of the group that captured us...! That might end up the most useful thing we have...!_

"Th-The people that brought us here is a group called Da-" I quickly start to shout from where I am.

Before I can finish, however, everything goes pitch black when something clamps hard around my head with a surprisingly vicious force. At first, all I feel is this unbearable head pain. When it starts to fade with my consciousness, I hear Monosuke's cheery voice pierce through the fog of my mind.

"_Nope~! Not today, __**UGLY! **__You shoulda listened to your friends, you stupid bitch!"_

Everything goes black.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of Arc 1: Entrance Ceremony**_ ❀

_...next..._

❀ _**Arc 2: Killing Resistance**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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	13. Tolerance

❀**_ 2.1 - Tolerance_**❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Something tickles my cheek ever so gently, a light feathery thin and practically weightless touch that makes me frown slightly. I feel a soft breeze send a lock of my hair in a different direction, making me shift in my sleep to get in a more comfortable position.

It isn't until then that I realize I have my hair all over my face, prompting me to blink in confusion before reaching out to push myself up...off the grass...?

In a daze of sorts, I brush the curtain of hair out of my eyes, squinting at the darkness around me. The only light is from the main school building and the lights along the path, but there are some stars out that I can see when I look up at the sky through the large cage. Looking up at it, the sky still looks strange for some reason- maybe even _more so _now that it's night.

_Nevermind that. How did I get outside in the first place? Why am I sleeping on the grass?_

"Finally you're awakey-wakey~!"

I jump in surprise, but somewhat relax when I find Monophanie by my legs, lightly bouncing on her feet when I turn her way. Honestly, I probably shouldn't be too relieved to see it's just here. After all, these bears aren't to be taken lightly.

"When you passed out, we didn't think you'd be asleep for so long! It was very annoying watching you sleep. You're so ugly and you drool!" Monophanie accuses, prompting me to touch my chin and make sure it's clean. At that, she sighs. "No matter... I'm here to tell you that the consequences for your actions are _still _active! This time we only punished you a little bit. Next time...it will be much worse! And gory! I _hate _gore, but I'll stomach it if you're the one on the receiving end. On top of that...we won't just hurt _you _next time. We'll go after fighter girl or your hunky green boyfriend! Or even that purple boy you keep being nice to! So watch your step, Ugly~!"

_Ugh..._

I feel my body go somewhat slack as I manage a frustrated nod of understanding, watching Monophanie perk up and jump to her tiptoes in delight.

"_Perfect! _I'm glad we've come to an agreement so quickly! Feel free to return to your dorm room- the door should be open by now! The dining hall is closed after ten at night, so don't try and sneak in for a midnight snack past the late hours!"

_...I'm glad I'm not hungry right now, since it's obviously past ten._

Monophanie continues, despite the fact that I flop over onto my back again when I'm unable to keep myself up in a seated position. She giggles a little at the sight, prompting me to make a bit of a face she ignores.

"Furthermore, this is a special 'monopad' _juust_for you! If you try to get rid of this thing, you'll regret it. If you try to show your extra rule tab to anyone else, you'll regret that too. Please remember to keep your special rules in mind before you go opening your mouth! Bye-bye, _Ugly!" _Monophanie gives a little dainty wave after setting down a tablet of sorts beside my arm, bounding away and leaving me to stay where I'm half sprawled out.

Eager to get up, I try again at climbing up to my feet. In the process, I sort of lose my balance and fall to a heap on the floor when my head starts to spin from the exertion. When I try a third time to no avail, I decide to just lay back again and pick up the monopad Monophanie left me.

Examining the item, I flip it around to see it's half white and half an assortment of the five colors the monokubs bear, having a glossy finish that makes it somewhat slippery due to its weight in my grip.

_Since I can't really stand up at the moment, maybe I should give this garbage a look-see._

I lift it up over my face and power it on via a fingerprint scan at the upper right back corner, nearly dropping it on my face with an annoyed grunt when the full on brightness quite practically blinds me. With one squinted eye, I navigate the visible pull down bar to lower the brightness enough that I can see what the background message of the tablet reads.

"_Blinded By The Light?"_

I scowl sourly at this. Stupid bears.

Since I already know all the main killing game rules, I scroll past half of the content. I only pause and slow down when I reach some rules I definitely don't recognize.

_Not just the cafeteria closes, but the gym is off limits after ten pm too. And daytime resumes at eight in the morning..._

"'No attacking Monokuma, no breaking the monopad'..." I read to myself under my breath, only for it to hitch on the next slide.

_A "Body Discovery Announcement" will occur when at least three students find the body of the murdered student._

...

I grit my teeth with a frown, recalling Kaede's words in the gym from earlier.

"_We will __**never **__take part in a killing game!"_

I want to believe her so badly. I want her to be right. I want to think the others won't turn against each other. However, I can only hope it doesn't come to that in the end.

"'Students that break the rules are disposed of by Exisals'. Hm. Good thing there's only two left right now," I mumble under my breath, swiping back to the first tab reading "students". Everyone has a silhouette icon- including myself- with just some basic likes and dislikes, height and weight measurements..._chest_ measurements...?! Who the heck was measuring our chests? I mean, sure, they seem to have even measured the boy's chests as well, but why is _that _important?

By the time I leave my head space and realize where I swiped to, I nearly face palm at myself in annoyance.

I've swiped to the fourth silhouette along the lineup of students, Shuichi's icon being first and my own icon being at the very end. Despite my embarrassment even though I know I'm alone and I have no need to be, I feel my face turn red as I scan Rantaro's "report card" curiously.

_Height, weight, chest, blood type...and he dislikes cars? ...What are "extraterritorial rights"?_

As my eyes land on the notes, I'm mildly surprised to see that it reads "Ultimate ?", especially considering I already told him what his Ultimate was. Does this mean it's not common knowledge? As in...maybe Rantaro isn't telling everyone else what his talent is? Well, I guess it's his prerogative. He probably has a good reason for keeping it under wraps. It's a good thing I told him in private and didn't spout it out loud when prompted by Kokichi.

I scroll to Kokichi next and make a face when I read his dislikes. Yeah, I don't think a lot of people even _like_ pigs feet, it even _sounds _gross. Unless it's a common dish in Japan? He is Japanese after all. ...Actually, most of the people here mostly look it- save for Angie and Rantaro.

Angie looks like a Pacific Islander, but then again her last name is completely Japanese... On Rantaro's end though, he doesn't look Japanese, but then there's the thing that his first name is Japanese. His last name...maybe Italian? Hm. I might just ask him later or something.

_But not too soon, he might still be upset with me after pushing the _ _monokubs_ _. Even if it is immature of me to avoid him so I don't get scolded, I'm not going to visit him anytime soon...!_

I scroll past the next students and stop on Tenko's report card curiously, laughing a little under my breath when I read what she dislikes because _of course _it's "men". Or as she prefers to call them, "degenerate males".

Who else...?

_Oh!_

I blink in surprise when I see the silhouette of that girl I've yet to introduce myself to, scrolling to her icon and frowning when I see there's no information- all reading "[Redacted]" where I'd seen information for most of the other students. Her name isn't even added, let alone a profile picture.

_I guess I have to actually meet her before her information pops up in here...but that's enough stalling on my part. Let's look at the other rules tab._

I back out of the report cards and navigate to the tab reading "Ugly Rules", rolling my eyes before I begin to read the contents.

"_Miss Marble~! Here are a few items we would like for you to refrain from mentioning or hinting at:_

_-_ _Junko_ _Enoshima_ _, The Ultimate Despair and creator of the killing game_

_-Danganronpa_

_-The kidnapping that you remember_

_-The Ultimate Hunt (restriction might be removed later if you're good!)_

_-Your..."intuition" for lack of a better word to describe it._

_Please remember that if any of these rules are broken, we will dispose of you immediately with the _ _Exisals_ _! Watch your step~!"_

I swipe around the screen a little more to see if I've missed anything, but when I find nothing else of importance, I let my arms flop back to the ground with the monopad and sigh heavily. Now what? ...Did I make things worse by both accounts in pushing the bears? They only have two Exisals at the moment, but Monokuma didn't seem concerned over that...and although they definitely got me that last time, all Monokuma did in the end was attach all these special rules on me.

After everything I've done, it's a wonder they haven't just killed me already.

_Okay, Prairie, time to get up. Get up, get up, get up-_

"Get up...!" I murmur the last part to myself with a grunt as I sit up and clamber onto my feet, legs shaking like a newborn gazelle's and head swimming once I'm standing. My body sways to the sides a few times before my balance seems to recover enough for me to start walking around, allowing me to examine where I'd been laying.

I'm by that archway where I introduced myself to Gonta...which means I'm a good walk away from the dormitories as well as the main school building.

_I want to see what poor excuse of a room they gave all of us._

I don't see any of the other ultimates nor any bears as I walk. Despite having been completely out, I feel like I'm carrying a fifty pound weight on my back- rather than having woken up refreshed or whatnot. Is being knocked out not the same as regular old sleep? Probably. I guess I shouldn't expect my body to feel good after getting attacked by an Exisal.

As I walk through the courtyard, I eye the night sky curiously. It looks even weirder and "off" than it does when it's daytime. Maybe when I climb to check it out, I should do it at night in that case.

_I wonder what everyone else was up to while I was blacked out...if they had seen me sleeping on the grass where I woke up, there's no way they would have just left me there._

I open the door to the dormitory building and step inside, scanning the doors leading to every student's bedroom. All the doors are closed, but I can't tell whether everyone is actually asleep or maybe wandering around the school grounds. I really hope it's the former- I don't think I could handle having to come up with a good way to apologize to the others for not being a better help. I didn't even get to say the full name of Danganronpa...!

_Stupid bears._

I grab the rails and climb up the metal stairs to my room slowly, shooting my icon between Kiibo's and Kokichi's room a sour look.

_...She cleaned it, _I realize with a bit of a helpless laugh of amusement. Not that it's clean at the moment, but...see, now the entire face of my icon has been completely scribbled in black, and the place where my eyes and mouth should be have pink spots. Also, they drew a pink noose around my neck. _Well, I feel very welcome here._

I reach for the knob once I've finished looking at the abuse done to my icon, opening the door and...

...closing my door again.

...

I open the door a second time, but this time it's clear my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. It's not like I was expecting a great room- or even simply a tolerable room at that, but this is on a whole 'nother level.

There's no way anyone would call _this _travesty a room, other than saying, it "_has" _room in it. There's _tons _of room in this room. So much room, in fact, that there's no shelves, no table, no closet or dresser...there isn't even a BED. It's just an empty room. There's no carpet and the walls aren't painted either. This is a completely cement clad room with nothing but one air vent at the upper part of the wall at the back, releasing cold air on top of everything.

...I close the door to my dorm room and step back from it with an eye roll. It's amazing anyone would tolerate sleeping on the cold hard floor. I'll admit the ability to lock the room makes it much safer than any other room in this hell hole, so I _will _be back to sleep here later, but I'm not tired yet. I'll postpone my suffering for later.

I sigh and walk back down the metal stairs and out of the dormitories, strolling back outside and making my way to the main school building to explore a little and wear myself out for sleep. Everything is dark, everything is quiet...like Gonta mentioned before, I can't hear any bugs- neither crickets nor the sound of buzzing. The quiet is almost surreal.

I can't go get a snack, not that I'm actually super hungry at the moment- I could tolerate waiting till later- but I could probably go and play some games in the game room to get rid of all this excess energy I have right now.

_...So quiet. It almost feels like only I exist in this point of the world right now. No _ _Tenko_ _ fawning over me, no _ _Kokichi_ _ trying to get on my nerves, no Rantaro making me question my social skills....not that any of those are particularly bad things. It's just that being alone is sometimes nice too._

I pause when I reach the staircase leading to the lower floor, eyeing the spot where Kokichi had cornered me with a knife earlier in the day. After a huff under my breath, I make my way down the dark stairwell. Unlike how it's dim when it's daytime since the light floods in from the entrance, at night they have to turn on some low lights down the stairs just so the steps are visible enough that you don't trip over yourself.

Once I reach the bottom, I head into the game room and maneuver around the stray cables and vines entangled with one another in the room to get to an arcade machine that looks vaguely familiar to me for some reason. Curious, I hit one of the buttons and the menu pops up, reading "Namco Classic Collection". There's a whole gallery of games, but the game I decide to go for is the most familiar of the lot, that being "PAC-MAN".

The jingle that plays as I start up the game tickles my memories and makes me smile a little, sending waves of comfort in me as I move the joystick around to avoid the ghosts. Not even five minutes in and I lose my first life to the orange ghost.

"Wah, you suck at that! Come on, you haven't even eaten half of the points yet and you're down to four lives already?!"

"...Why are you here?" I ask, not even turning my head to look towards the voice who I know to be Monotaro. Focusing on the game, I hardly bat an eye when I feel him jump up on the side of the arcade machine, surprisingly making sure not to obstruct my vision or get in the way of the buttons or joystick.

"Because! It's one thirty PM and you're still awake!" Monotaro complains with a huff. "You're supposed to be sleeping!"

"One PM is daytime, it's AM in this case. And for the record, I _just_ woke up from being knocked out by your stupid yellow brother, of course I'm gonna have some energy. The only reason I'm down here is to make myself tired so I can go back to sleep." I pause and look Monotaro's way as I pass the first level, only returning my gaze to the screen of the machine when I hear it resume with another jingle. "Not that I even have a bed to sleep in, for that matter."

Monotaro snorts in amusement, posing dramatically in a showy fashion with his shurikens. "Ha-ha! But at least you have a room that you can lock, don't you?"

"...I suppose. It's a really cold room though, do you want me to freeze to death? Also, can I have my old uniform back? I can't wear just _this _forever," I say, prompting Monotaro to sigh unenthusiastically.

"Don't ask _me_. I don't deal with that stuff- you need to talk to Monophanie!" Monotaro answers, turning his back to me much to my frustration as I abandon my current game to face him with a hand on my hip.

"You and I both know that Monophanie hates me. Why would she even consider it?" I point out, watching Monotaro spin on pointe a few revolutions before facing me with a little snicker.

"Oh, right! I totally forgot that part," Monotaro comments casually, obviously lying this time unlike the other times he's forgetful. I stare at him for a moment, but he doesn't say anything else about my clothing, prompting me to give up and turn towards the machine to reset my game from the beginning. This seems to surprise the bear. "Hey, why'd you throw the game?"

"I want to see how far I can get with _all _my lives," I explain, starting up and maneuvering around the ghosts once more. After the practice in the previous game, it's obvious I've gotten better at recognizing their patterns. "...No one else is up but me, right?"

"Nope! Just your ugly butt is up and about. Those other losers tired themselves trying to find a way out," Monotaro answers, moving closer and making himself comfortable slung over my shoulder to watch me play with a similar perspective. He's not actually that heavy and he doesn't debilitate my movements, so I decide to let him stay there.

"Hm...I did already tell Shuichi, Kaede and Kokichi there was no way out. I guess they didn't take my word for it," I respond thoughtfully, using my brain to strategically collect the most points possible in the game.

"Blondie was the one that led the charge, but the purple boy shut her down after a little while," Monotaro says, watching as I earn a one-up and continue going around the screen to line up the ghosts and then eat them as soon as I lure them close to a power pellet.

"So then...about my clothes. I only get one pair and that's that? What am I supposed to wear when I need to wash the stink out of these? Unlike you, I'm organic and I sweat among other things. Showers help, but there's no point if I just put on my dirty clothes straight out of the shower," I point out, pushing gently to see if maybe I can appeal to his better nature.

"...Fine, whatever. Hey, I have an idea! If you play a perfect PAC-MAN game and get the highest score of three hundred and thirty-three thousand, three hundred sixty points as a score, then I'll pull some strings and get you your old clothes from Monophanie!" Monotaro huffs, propping his head up on his hand as he rests his elbow on my shoulder. "I doubt it though, even _with _your freaky ability. I just wanna see you give up."

"_Challenge accepted,"_ I answer straight away, eyes narrowed as I focus on the screen and my new task.

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

"...I miss when the points came in pretty colorful fruit icons, why are they boring keys now? I mean, what sort of nincompoop makes the hardest layers _this _dull?!" Monotaro complains, before abruptly falling silent as I pin PAC-MAN to the lower right side of the screen and use the massive colorful text of glitches that's suddenly appeared as a shield to release the joystick and rub my eyes free of the sting from staring at the screen for so long.

"What level am I on?" I ask, hearing Monotaro answer quietly, "...Probably the last one. There's no way to progress after the code appears, I just didn't think you'd-! Are you _actually _a psychic?!"

_To be honest, it seems like every time I use it too much, I get these weird headaches at the back of my head...or maybe that's just because I've been up all night? I guess I ought to be testing it out when I'm not sleep deprived._

"At this point, I'm starting to think it too- _trust me._ What time is it anyways?"

"Almost six PM. Ah! I mean, _AM! ..._Oh, you're getting closer to finishing!" Monotaro cheers from my shoulder, prompting me to close my eyes and use my intuition some more. I can't help but quirk an eyebrow at his tone though, resisting a bit of a confused smile of uncertainty. I thought he wanted me to lose and give up so I could suffer. Is he so into it that he wants to see me actually- "YOU DID IT!"

I open my eyes in mild surprise, glancing at the score as I go up the colorful columns of scrambled text that takes up the entire right side of the screen in search for more hidden points obscured by the coded mess. When I find nothing else, I let a ghost catch my final life and watch the next screen roll over so I can input my initials.

After a second of thought weighing between PDOG to spite Kokichi or going with BLTZ, I eventually settle for the latter. There's no _way _I'll ever accept the nickname Prairie Dog...even if they are sort of cute animals. The way that violet leech says it ruins everything.

"Alright then, a promise is a promise, even if I don't like you and didn't think you'd actually be able to get the highest possible score..." Monotaro coughs a little and bounds away quickly out of the room. Minutes later, he returns with a plastic baggie and holds it up to me. "Here they are! They're clean, but from this point on, you'll have to wash them yourself! Also, no asking that maid girl to clean them for you either, got it?! We're adding that as an extra rule- wash your own clothes!"

I nod in understanding as I take the baggie from him gratefully.

"That's fine with me. I wouldn't ask her too anyways, it would feel to weird," I comment before breaking into a yawn and looking back at the scores on the machine. I have the highest and the only score on the machine...but who cares. I got my old clothes back and playing the games in here successfully tired me out, which was the whole point of coming down here anyways. I look back at Monotaro, smiling a little despite the absurdity of my next words. "Thanks for keeping me company then."

Monotaro looks stunned for a moment, before coughing again and looking in every other direction in what appears to be confusion and irritation.

"I-um, no, _you! _I mean...whatever! Enjoy your cold room! I don't care!" Monotaro spouts, right before bounding out of the room once more with a surprisingly speedier pace than usual. As soon as he's gone, I start making my way out of the game room and up to the main floor. Stepping out of the stairwell, I'm greeted by the pleasant blue glow of dawn. Rather than stop to enjoy it, I just keep walking to my room- lost in thought about what to do about the atrocity that is the cement cell I've been given.

I still don't see anyone in the school, so I guess no one's up yet...six in the morning is still pretty early though. Practically still night time if you ask me, so that's presumably the reason.

I kick a pebble in the path as I make my way to the dormitories through the courtyard, taking another glance up at the sky and wrinkling my nose. Why does it look so _weird?_ I mean, yeah, as a sky it looks right, but something just isn't right about it and I still can't put my finger on it yet.

Just as I'm about to reach the dormitories, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and turn my head, jumping in surprise and swan diving into the tall grass beside me to hide. Up and at 'em is one particular guy chewing on a small white paper stick of sorts, adjusting his cap as he strolls by without notice of my presence. Once he walks around the corner, I wait a couple of minutes and exhale with relief.

Ryoma Hoshi...well, I guess it's not too surprising. I presume morning times in jail are as early as this. Not that he _has _to follow that schedule or anything anymore, but I figure it's probably difficult to break a circadian rhythm once you're already committed to it for so long.

I shuffle out of the tall grass and quickly scurry the rest of the way to the building. Inside is nice and cozy- prompting me to make a sour face the closer I get to my dorm room.

As soon as I open my door a crack a chilly blast of air hits me, prompting me to immediately shiver before stepping inside and pulling the door shut behind me. When I really look at the room though, I pause and stop at the sight of what's in the middle of the room.

A large folded fuzzy blanket.

Confused, I lock my door just as my eyes land on the note attached to the top of the blanket. Curiosity piqued, I set down my clothes near the corner to the far left where I planned to curl up- furthest from the air vent. As I approach the bundle, my steps grow more confident the closer I get, up until I kneel down beside it and pluck the note off to give it a read.

"_T-this isn't me being nice, so don't get any ideas, UGLY! It'd just be troublesome if you died before someone could murder you, you hear me?!_

_-_ _Monotaro_ _, The _ ** _Leader"_ **

I set the note aside and unfold the blanket, feeling a small tired smile form on my face as I pull it around myself and immediately snuggle in its warmth. I must be more exhausted than I thought, because as soon as I sink into the blanket, I start to fall asleep, forgetting about my belt, my shoes, my hair bow, and the monopad attached to my side under my belt. I drift off completely at that point.

It practically feels like I only _blink_ before I hear the muffled sound of a school bell through my room door and open my eyes in a squint to give it a glance from between the cracks of the blanket. When I see nothing but cement walls that just barely manage to drown out the sound, I roll over and cuddle into the blanket more.

...And then something jumps right on top of me, making me sputter awake in surprise and bolt up in a sitting position with a yelp as I'm literally wrangled out of the toasty blanket and left a shivering mess on the cold floor.

"No, no, no! Stupid Monotaro, he should have known better than to be babying ugly rabid things like you. We said 'okay' to the clothes, _not _a blanket! Stop trying to seduce my brother, you harlot!" Monophanie huffs, rolling up the blanket and bounding out of my room without another word.

Tired, stressed out, moody and cold, I curl up in the corner I'd originally meant to and finally remove my hair bow, shoes, and belt- including the knife and monopad attached to my belt. The chill is insanity, but I make a huge effort to fall back asleep despite the discomfort the raw cement floor causes- radiating a cold chill that keeps me up.

I roll over several times to get comfortable. I use my arm as a pillow in several different positions, I extend out and curl up several different times, I even use my bag of clothes Monotaro returned to me as a pillow at one point, but other than offer my head comfort from the rock hard floor of what feels like ice rather than cement, it does nothing to warm me.

...

After a few minutes, I sit up and lean back against the wall hopelessly with a hand pressed against my face.

_This is impossible. I can't sleep like this. If there's no point, why bother staying in here? ...Oh, that's right. If I go out there, that means I have to face everybody I let down earlier yesterday. I'll have to face the embarrassment of being totally useless, the shame of getting chastised by Rantaro- who I presume is definitely not happy with my performance or attitude, and the humiliation of getting laughed at by _ _Kokichi_ _._

...Maybe staying in here is better. No one is judging me in here by myself- and I can handle that much. I'll just leave once it's night time again so I'm less likely to bump into anybody. Sure, night time doesn't guarantee that everybody will be asleep, but it's better than going out in broad daylight.

_So what, now you're just going to avoid everyone? You made a few mistakes, get out there and just own up to it._

I sigh and stand up to walk to the door, fixing my rumpled curls and staring at the door across the room. After a moment though, I sit back down and scoff. Why should I? What's the point of anything? Maybe it's better they think I'm still held captive by the bears, or whatever excuse the monokubs and Monokuma gave them. It means no one will be able to find me and kill me.

...

"_Ugh!" _I groan, standing up and yanking my belt back on along with my shoes. After I tuck my monopad in a conveniently shaped leather "T" shaped slip at the side of my belt and attach my survival knife to the other side of my belt, I glance at the bow on top of the bag of my other clothes. I almost adamantly abandon the bow, but in the end I concede defeat and put it in my hair.

_I blame it on my lack of sleep. It's likely just me being delirious, the bow is still stupid..._

I put my hand on the door knob and take a deep breath of the cold air in the room...and step out of my empty cell.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 2.1 - Tolerance**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)   

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)   

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)   

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)   

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	14. Deliberate Misdirection

❀ _**2.2 - Deliberate Misdirection**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Stepping out into the moderately warmer dormitory building, my heart kicks up speed automatically at how vulnerable I feel out in the open with the daylight streaming in through the tinted glass of the building's dirty windows half dressed with vines and plants. I anxiously glance around for signs of the other ultimates, though it seems like it's just me in here after waiting a minute or two. With that somewhat comforting thought, I exhale again and allow all the tension in my body to fade away.

_I wonder where everyone else went. But...now that I'm out here, I have no idea what I should be doing. Should I find everyone and apologize to them individually one by one? Should I mind my own business for now and let them come up to me and apologize then? Or should I gather them all in one place and apologize to them at once?_

I make a face, finally closing my chilly dorm room behind me and locking with the keys Monophanie had left with me. I need better social skills, sheesh…

Once I'm done locking up, I walk out of the building and stop as the dormitory entrance shuts behind me. Sunlight beats down on my skin from between the bars of the exceedingly large cage around the school grounds, making me reach up and pull my hair over my shoulders defensively- as if someone will appear at any moment to criticize me for what I'd done before.

_Still trapped here, I guess. Not that I thought it was a dream or anything...it just sucks that the way out isn't obvious._

I can hear my boots crunch the little stones on the path as I make my way towards the main building, giving the structure above a few glances of curiosity as I do. I don't know what I'm looking for exactly, but I'm certainly not going to find it from way down here.

_Maybe everyone is hiding- setting up traps for one another to kill any unsuspecting classmates like me. That, or everyone is already dead._

I pause in my walk and slap my hands on my cheeks irritably, pressing my fingers against my temples with an irritable eye roll and a growl. Have I _always _been so pessimistic? No, that changes right now. Everyone is probably getting food- it's morning and no one starts their day without a hearty meal. Besides, I saw Ryoma strolling around earlier after I came back from playing in the game room, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been out if someone was murdered.

_Unless he's a murderer himself._

I drop my hands and bite my inner cheek as I resume my walking- urging my brain to get rid of those ridiculous thoughts before I face the other students.

_I'm thinking like a grouch because I'm hungry that's all. I haven't eaten yet and my stomach is starting to growl a bit._

I pause a way down the hall where the double doors that lead to the dining hall are located. I can see the doors are open, but I can't see anyone from here since it's facing the opposite end of the corridor. It's a straight walk down and to the right of the hall. I can hear some voices though- some talking, some raised voices, but nothing I can coherently make out since I'm not close enough.

_Hm. All of a sudden I don't feel all that hungry anymore. Maybe I don't need to go in there after all._

...That's definitely me trying to make an excuse not to go in there.

I take a few more hesitant steps towards the dining hall. There's a nervous chill that runs across my body the closer I get, up until I hear a familiar boisterous voice that echoes into the hall. I can't hear what the others are saying as I approach and hide behind a nearby alcove leading to an intersection through the school hall, but Kaito is so loud that I can hear him loud and clear from where I am.

"It doesn't fuckin' matter what his goal is- we can't let him get away with this! I can't stand letting this stupid bear get what he wants! I'M SICK OF IT!"

I flinch at Kaito's tone, despite not even being in the same room. He's really, _really _angry…! Is it because of the killing game? Did Monokuma provoke him? It sounds like he's just about ready to...

_Hm?_

I can hear more voices- the voices of the students which sound panicked and the annoying sound of the monokubs. What's going on in there? ...It's obvious I can't hide in here, I have to get closer if I want to find out.

I step out from behind the corner and start walking closer, keeping close to the wall as I look behind me just to make sure no one might be sneaking up on me or anything. Something about this situation makes me feel as if I'm at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"...are you going to do?!" I hear Kaito ask, voice shaking a bit and his original intensity replased with apprehension that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Please stop!" I hear Kiibo cry out, followed closely by Kaede's sudden urging shout of, "Kaito, get out of here! _RUN!"_

_Kaito_ _ is in danger._

I break into a run just as Monosuke's Exisal appears- jumping straight down and landing just outside of the doorway of the dining hall ahead of me. It doesn't seem like he notices my presence as I get closer, moving to enter through the massive doorway I'm upset to see the frame of the Exisal fits through.

My heart is racing wildly like a jackhammer. My feet burn in my boots as I ignore the sound of my quick footsteps nearing the machine, not concerned whether anyone may hear my approach.

_When I get there, what am I even planning on doing? That thing is a giant hunk of metal and I'm just this tiny little thing…_

I close my eyes and my hand unsheathes the knife Monosuke had given me before. Funny that I'd actually end up using it on him instead of another student.

With a precision I'm still unable to explain, other than maybe loosely crediting it to vague memories I recall from glances of the Exisal's design I actively didn't bother to commit to my memory, I jam my survival knife as hard as I can into a part of the Exisal that feels a lot like wires and penetrable plastic. I put my entire weight behind that stab, and once it makes its mark, a current of electricity runs up my body- prompting me to jerk in surprise and release the blade immediately.

I just barely manage to suppress a squeak at the burning feeling, making me look down to see my left palm a shade of red- the area I'd been holding the metal hilt of the blade a moderate burnt pink.

_Ow! Ow, ow, ow, that's not what I had in mind when I went for it…! Shoot, I should have put on my gloves before I left my room!_

Realizing I'm still next to the Exisal in the middle of the hall, I dart back down the corridor on my tip toes, now making an effort to quiet my footsteps despite my heart dropping at the sound of screaming from within the dining hall. I swing around the corner again and get down low on my knees, peeking around the side and catching my breath as I clutch my burnt hand against my chest.

Terror floods my veins as I listen to the commotion, my brain coming up with only the worst possible scenarios since I'm unable to make out what's going on in there. Did I make things worse? Is Kaito okay? Did someone _else _get hurt…?!

The awful thought of something happening to Rantaro flashes in my mind and I cringe with immense guilt. When the screaming starts to get rather..._mechanical, _I frown in confusion.

An explosion makes me flinch, hiding back around the corner and eventually just jumping on my feet to leave the main building altogether. Anxious and scared of retaliation for my actions, I keep on running until I get back to the dormitory building, abandoning my original plan to meet with the others and instead scurrying up the metal stairs loudly and fumbling to open my room door. Once I get it unlocked though, I jump in and slam it shut on accident, only succeeding in spooking myself some more as I lock the door and jump to my corner where my old uniform still sits in it's baggie.

…

Agonizing minutes pass that I expect the door to be thrown open or broken down by an Exisal. I don't know how long I wait exactly, but I eventually start to relax again after the time passes- every second getting longer and longer than the last. Once I'm sure nobody is about to break down my door, I let out a heavy breath of relief and finger the empty survival knife sheath at my side.

At first, I just play around tracing the rim of the leather mindlessly. I don't think much of it's emptiness, picking at it a little...until I realize exactly what this means.

I left the knife inside of the Exisal. Which in turn means it's only a matter of time before the monokubs realize what happened.

_Darn._ _I messed up._

…

My eyelids are getting heavy...it's probably best I just keep trying to sleep. If those bears figure it out, then they figure it out- there's nothing I can do about it. If I go up to the Exisal and try to remove it myself, I'll probably just burn my hand even more.

I set aside my items and curl up on the cold floor again, grimacing as my body, which was warming up nicely outside the room, shivers upon contact. At first, I roll around for a while trying to get comfortable. It's almost exactly like the first time I'd fallen asleep without the blanket, a difficult endeavor to find the best position to sleep. Once I finally drift off though, my worries fade away for the moment and all I see is the color of my dreams.

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

When I wake up again, it's to an awful back ache. I'm so groggy and cold I can hardly bring myself to get on my feet, but after a few coughs rattle my body, I sit up with a shiver and rub my eyes free of glossy water from sleep. At first, I have to brush off some really tiny stones and pebbles from sticking to my body, wincing as my left hand reminds me of the burn on my palm when I accidentally use it to brush the pebbles off.

You know, left in the worst state possible for me courtesy of the monokubs.

…

Maybe a few minutes pass where I just sit there shivering and look around my room thoughtlessly. I'm still here. Still alive in hell. Still alive for someone to pick off.

_What time is it?_

I pick up the monopad by my other items carefully with my right hand and turn it on, the first thing I read is the time, that being ten minutes past midnight.

_Alright, it should be perfectly safe for me to come out. Most of the other students should be asleep right now, right? Not many of them seem like the night owl type._

I stand up and grab my bow, carefully putting it in my hair and sliding my boots on as best as I can with one hand. I doubt I'll need my monopad, but I grab my belt and slip it in it's holder anyways on impulse. Once I have it set, I pull on my gloves and make a face as my left palm immediately objects the pressure of the fabric fitting it's shape.

_If I don't wear it though, the burn will be obvious and everyone will ask questions._

I cross my fingers and open the door out of my dorm room, slipping out quietly as I hold my left hand close to my chest protectively. I only relax the moment I see the dormitory building void of the other ultimates, giving the interior a few scans before all the air I didn't realize I was holding it expels from my body in one sigh of relief. Good, it's just me here. Now I just-

"PRAIRIE DOG~!"

I shriek a little at the sound of a door swinging open, barely given the time to turn when a white and violet blur catapults into me from my right, lifting me up off my feet and squeezing my midsection hard enough to crack my already aching back. It isn't until I realize the assault is actually a _hug _that I stop trying to push away from the violet goblin attached to me- switching to thumping my right fist on his back irritably.

"L-Let go, what is wrong with you?! Kokichi, you're actually hurting me!" I complain pathetically in a whine, hating how utterly unaffected he appears to be by my hitting. When he lets out a delighted hum and spins me around, I open my mouth to call him a few choice names- but pause when I catch a glimpse inside of his room.

_There's a bed. There's blankets. There's a heater. There's a bathroom. There's a wardrobe with several similar outfits to what he's wearing._

I should have known. I shouldn't be so surprised. Of _course _my room is an empty cold room of nothingness. Of _course_ Kokichi and the others have better accommodations than me.

And yet despite everything, a throb of hurt runs up my chest, hitting my heart with such a force that I stop fighting Kokichi's hug and just go slack as I wait for him to eventually let me go. Noticing my resistance fade, Kokichi sets me back down on my feet and doesn't stop me when I take a step back from him.

Silence.

Kokichi studies me with a familiar unidentifiable expression, turning to look back inside his room when he seems to notice my eyes flick towards it in my quiet painful envy. I can only imagine what my expression probably looks like- especially the terrible sleep quality I got. Honestly though, all I feel is hurt when I see everything I've been denied by the monokubs.

_I deserve this. I was the one that kept disobeying the _ _monokubs_ _. I was the one that broke three _ _Exisals_ _. I asked for this treatment._

My throat gets a little tight and I look away when Kokichi's gaze returns to me, a grin formed on his features.

"Funny! You came back from the dead just when we finally killed Monokuma! This is great!" Kokichi chirps, making me frown at both points in confusion. Somehow, and I'm rather grateful for it, my mind drifts off of what I'd figured out about the state of my dorm room.

"Huh? …What do you mean 'came back from the dead'? I didn't die, I blacked out. And what do you mean by-" I start, only for Kokichi's eyes to sparkle as he jumps up and down, causing his hair to bounce as well.

"Oh really? You _looked _pretty dead hanging from the yellow bear's Exisal! Besides, they all even said you were dead! ...Well, I guess that might have been a lie. I hate lies and jokes! That, or you're totally a zomb-o waiting for the right moment to eat my brains out like strawberry ice cream," Kokichi cuts me off, grinning and circling around me in interest as he looks me up and down curiously. "That's probably why your skin is ice cold, riight? Or are you about to tell me you sparkle in the sunlight too?"

_Oh, he noticed that? ...Besides that though, what the heck is he even talking about? He's all over the place again!_ I think, only then feeling mildly panicked when I notice I'd left my dorm room open a crack.

Not only that though…

Kokichi has _conveniently _placed himself right between me and my room.

_This leech…! He wants to see inside my room! How did he…? Tch. He really is a clever one._

As if realizing I've noticed his game, Kokichi's grin gets sly. My heart speeds up, waiting to see if he'll actually go for it.

…

He whirls around and darts for my door, but I catch him by the back of his jacket with both hands just in time, hearing him laugh as I swing us around to switch places and grab my door to slam it shut behind me. My left hand aches from the use, but I try not to let it show as I stand in front of my room door protectively when Kokichi turns to look at me- giving him a glare of disapproval.

"Ooo, why are you so protective of your room, Prairie Dog? What are you hiding in there?" The prick cackles, leaning on the wall beside me and my door with a grin of amusement.

"Nothing. There's nothing in there," I answer honestly.

_And don't I know it…_

Kokichi narrows his eyes a little at my statement, but says nothing else on the matter. Instead, he changes the topic on me again.

"So back to you being super dead. Everyone else thinks it too, you know? Some of them even cried. I, myself, was in utter tears when I thought you died. So young…! So unhelpful…! So tragic…!" Kokichi laments, eyes watering in dismay I can just tell is fake.

"Crocodile tears," I simply huff.

"Rantaro is depressed though. Seriously, he was even blaming himself and everything! It was pretty sad to watch- he barely batted an eye when the yellow Exisal accidentally crushed Monokuma to death. He was a total debbie downer about it all and was like," Kokichi bounces back- pausing and clearing his throat to deepen it in an obviously mocking way that sounds _nothing _like Rantaro. "'What's there to really celebrate about? One of us still _diiieeed__'! _Yadda, yadda- blah, blah, blah."

The way he is causes my head to spin a little. I can hardly keep up with him- but I guess Rantaro is upset. That's not at all good news to hear. I'll have to see him when I can and…

_Hold on._

"Wait, when did Monosuke crush Monokuma?" I ask in surprise at the familiarity of the scenario, watching Kokichi tap his chin in thought and hum. After a second, he pushes off the wall and faces me, taking my hands and making me yelp on impulse when he squeezes my left hand.

He pauses and gives me a curious look, making my heart speed up nervously when he grins and lets go of my right hand to carefully pull up the hem of my glove. I try to stop him at first, but he swats my other hand away and continues pulling my glove until the burn on my palm is somewhat visible.

_Is he going to say something about it? Oh no. No, no, no… The _ _monokubs_ _ are going to figure it all out and then-_

"...This morning in the dining hall," Kokichi bluntly answers after pulling my glove back into place, making a point to hold my right hand again but instead hold my left wrist to swing our arms side to side playfully.

I blink a little in confusion, a little jarred that he doesn't address the state of my hand or questions it. He hardly gives me a moment to ask though, cutting me off when he sees me open my mouth to say something about it.

"That idiot Kaito tried to attack Monokuma and instead of crushing _Momota_to death, the Exisal sort of stalled and all it's weight landed straight on Monokuma~! Karma is a bitch, am I right?" Kokichi chuckles, laughing even more when I wrinkle my nose at his curse. "Karma...is a..._biiiit__-"_

"D-Don't be so profane, you're reminding me of Miu," I cut him off this time, snatching my limbs back from his hold despite replaying what had happened earlier in the day.

_Then that mechanical _ ** _noise_ ** _...I didn't just save _ _Kaito_ _, I got rid of _ _Monokuma_ _! ...They can't know about it though._

...But Monokuma is a robot, which probably means there might be spares.

"Hmph!" When I snap out of my thoughts and look up at Kokichi, he's straightened up with his hands on his hips and a mildly irritated look on his face. "Let me guess, _you _think there's a spare Monokuma too? God, both you and Kaede _really _seem to want this killing game to continue for some reason! Quit being negative, leave that to Run-turdo!"

Something about that comment suddenly flicks on my temper. If he intended to get a rise out of me, then he succeeded yet again.

"...And here I thought you were one of the smarter ones around here. I guess I was wrong. You say _Kaede_wears rose-tinted lenses? Well, it sounds like she dropped them and you picked them up. You're naive if you think a place built like _this _for _seventeen specific_ ultimates to kill one another doesn't have the funds or the means to supply as many killing game mascots as they want. We aren't getting out of here- not today, not tomorrow. When Monokuma comes back, I won't say I told you so."

…

_Good god, where did that come from? Wow, that terrible sleep quality didn't do me _ _ **any ** _ _favors, did it? Although, I probably shouldn't blame it all on that- it's obvious I have a bit of an attitude problem. Crap, I definitely upset _ _Kokichi_ _..._

What would Rantaro want me to do?

_...Well, if there's any time I ought to be following _ _Rantaro's_ _ wise words, now's the time. I need to apologize._

"...I'm sorry, that was rude and insensitive," I start, swallowing down guilt. "You're not-"

He moves so fast that I nearly don't see it, making me squeak as his hand slams into my door just beside my head with such a force that the loud bang makes me shrink back from him anxiously. His expression has completely morphed, taking on a very scary visage that stresses me out just staring at it. To make matters worse, he's _right in my face._

"I _know. _I'm _not _naive. I _don't _actually think all of that. It's a _lie," _he very deliberately and carefully says in a low dangerous tone, eyes narrowed on me.

Kokichi holds my gaze for a good few solid minutes before leaning back and plastering the usual smile to his face. Albeit, this time it's noticeably much brighter and cheery than usual, clearly giving off the fact that it's totally fake.

"Don't bother finishing your apology, I don't accept it. If you can't cope with the consequences of your actions, that's your problem," Kokichi innocently comments, staring me down with his violet hues.

"...J-Just because I have a temper and can't 'cope' doesn't mean I'm not gonna speak up about what I want to speak up about. Did you already forget what happened in the gym? If you thought that was going to make me stop, I-I hate to be the bearer of bad news," I manage to respond after a moment, willing myself to stare up at him dead in the eye. "By the way? I'm not sorry anymore. You disgust me." At that, Kokichi stares back boldly with that fake smile of his.

Neither of us blink as we wordlessly stand there in our weird little squabble. Moments pass and still we stand there. No one enters the dormitory building, no one leaves. Seems like it's just dumb Oma and myself here.

"...I don't have time for this," I eventually huff as my temper flares up a little again, running my hand through my locks and flipping my hair right in his face so his victory laugh is more or less cut off when he's forced to swat my hair out of his mouth and eyes. "Have fun lying to yourself, _Oma__."_

"Ooh, are we on a last-name basis now? Nah, I'm gonna keep calling you Prairie Dog, that one seems to bug you the most. See you later, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi chirps brightly.

...He doesn't move from his spot and I don't move from my own.

"...You really _are _the Ultimate Annoyance," I grumble, seeing exactly what he's trying to achieve by not leaving. "Fine. We can just stand out here all night then. Either way, you're not looking in my room."

Kokichi chuckles, giving me a sly grin as he slides a finger just by his lips. Seems like his irritation has diminished a bit since I lashed out at him, thankfully.

"Hey, Prairie Dog...don't you care that Rantaro is mourning over you? You don't seem very concerned about it. I thought you two were so close! Why don't you go down and visit him in his room?"

"No. Of course, I care, but there's more important things to worry about at the immediate moment. Like you. Trying to break into my room. So you can snoop around like the nosey leech you are. You know?" I growl, giving him a pointed look. "You weren't even supposed to know I was around."

"Maybe you shouldn't have been screwing around with the Namco arcade machine playing PAC-MAN then, huh?" Kokichi snickers, before grinning wider and adding, "How'd you get that stupidly ridiculous high score, by the way?"

I go dead silent for a moment.

"...Are you leaving yet?" I instead ask, avoiding the question.

"No. Don't you like talking to me? I enjoy our chats! Even if you _did _piss me off in the beginning." Kookichi's eyes start to water again, his expression twisting with hurt. "You really hurt my feelings, you know? And to think I was waiting hours with my bedroom door open a crack for you to finally come out of your room!"

My eyes widen a little at that revelation. He was deliberately _waiting?!_

"W-What? You _planned _to run into me?!" I gape in surprise, watching his tears vanish as he replaces his expression for one of sudden excitement.

"Yeah~! I mean, I didn't think that I'd be interested in your room, but when I was playing PAC-MAN and saw your score, I knew 'BLTZ' could _only _mean you! Perfect Blitz the World Famous _Ultimate Rock Climber!" _He pauses when he sees the look of horror that crawls over my features at the way he says it, prompting his smile to settle into an innocent look. "Oh, yeeeaah…about that. Since you were proclaimed dead and everything, everyone that knew your celebrity secret spilled the beans. Who would have guessed!"

"...Everyone knows? E-Even Rantaro?" I ask, voice dipping a little as most of my fire suddenly doused with realization.

"Yep. Everyone. Run-turdo included. What's wrong? You're _popular! _People like you even though you were a total bitch before the killing game and your amnesia!" Kokichi laughs, smiling again and resting his arms behind his head. "Some people would _kill _for that kind of reputation!"

"...Th-That's not at all tasteful, Kokichi," I scoff at his little joke, wrinkling my nose. "Also, no, it's _terrible. _I hate it. If my amnesia is the reason I'm no longer the way people have described me to have been before, then I'm grateful. I-I sounded ten times worse than I am right now, and I have enough of a problematic attitude."

"Wow, low self-esteem much? You're not _that _bad, Prairie Dog! ...But if you ever want to be, my offer to teach you my ways is still open~" Kokichi comments, voice dipping low as he takes a step closer. My heart suddenly skips a beat at the familiarity of this action. He's not gonna pull another knife on me, is he? "Who knows, it might even save your life. You could make yourself to be too cute to be killed...too cute to be ignored…"

_He's getting even closer than before, what is he doing?!_

My cheeks burn red when I notice his left hand rest where he'd slammed it earlier, allowing him to lean in unbearably close.

"...Cute enough to _get away with murder…"_

That's when I feel the lightest tinkering at my belt, making me slap my hand down right over where his other hand has snuck to- catching him just in time as he completely unhooks my room key from one of the clips on my belt. Despite my red cheeks, I wrangle my key out of his fingers and glare back at him.

"Walk away, Kokichi," I state clearly with a firm no-nonsense tone. "I punched Rantaro in the face in a previous reset for irritating me, so just _imagine _what I'd do to you."

At my glare and statement, Kokichi stares at me curiously in obvious contemplation- as if weighing the validity of my words and trying to decide whether I would go through with the threat or not. After a second, he smiles and steps back from me- though he grabs hold of my hand much to my annoyance.

"I'll walk away if you walk with me!" Kokichi says, making sure to hold my good hand much to my quiet surprise. When I eye him cautiously, he giggles at my hesitance. "You don't hate me as much as you pretend to, Prairie Dog. Besides, you heard Kaede before! We're all a team against Monokuma! We gotta play nice with one another, _riight__?"_

I study his features a little, playing his words in my head thoughtfully.

"Is that you saying we ought to forgive and forget what's happened between us so far then? You pulling a knife on me by the stairs, me trying to tackle you in the gym, our little argument earlier and your pickpocketing problem?" I inquire, even though I have no intention to apologize for anything anymore, discreetly pressing my key ever so slowly and quietly into my door to unlock it in advance.

_I gotta fight fire with fire in this case. If he wants to lie and play these games to try and distract me so he can get answers to his own benefit, then fine. I'll play too._

"_Yes! _Let's start off with a clean slate- okie dokies? I'm Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!" Kokichi chirps innocently, none the wiser of my little schemes I'm planning to use against him. He holds his hand out towards me in a greeting, flashing a smile I already know is fake. He's trying to do the same to me.

So I decide my first objective is to point it out.

"K-Kokichi...you and I both know very well you're not sorry. That's okay though, you know? I _was _really mean to you, but it's my own fault for letting my temper get out of hand," I start, reaching up and taking his hand in both of mine despite my left hand objecting the action. As I gently massage his knuckles, Kokichi's expression becomes somewhat...strained. He's still smiling, but his left eye is sort of twitching ever so slightly in obvious disapproval. I'm a little surprised how easily I notice those little slips on his face, but I chalk it up to the fact that I'm simply observant.

_It doesn't matter if he hates it or likes it though, he just needs to be distracted._

I look up at him through my lashes, giving him a charming smile on my part. Best mode of action? _Don't lie. _He'll realize exactly what's going on if I do. I might regret this later, but who cares. I'll just avoid the topic if he brings it up.

"You're very clever to be able to put on all those masks whenever you want. If I were someone else, I'd have probably bought it. It's actually really impressive," I comment, taking a step towards _him _much to his obvious surprise. His expression is unreadable once again, but what gives him away is that he takes a step back on impulse, stepping back again when I test the waters and advance towards him some more. I'm still holding his hand, despite feeling him try to remove it from my grip. "Not to mention, being clever is a very attractive quality in a guy."

Kokichi pauses, managing an grin bordering on a grimace as he gains a bit of his footing and asks, "Are you admitting what I _think _you're admitting, Prairie Dog?"

"And if I am?" I offhandedly avoid the question, since even saying 'yes' would be a lie that would break the illusion. "Just 'cause I'm shy around boys doesn't mean I can't be attracted to them."

Kokichi seems to swallow a little, though it's so discreet and barely noticeable that I question whether he actually did it or not. When I take another step closer, he backs up towards the other end of the second level where his room is, prompting me to walk just in his line of sight so he can't see I've left the key to my dorm room in.

"The Ultimate Supreme Leader...someone like you probably has a lot of girls in line for your attention, huh? I wouldn't be too surprised to hear that. You're cute, clever, _and _a natural born leader with charisma," I comment, watching his back hit the rails of the metal platform's end to signify the complete lack of escape he has as I walk right up to him and...mentally cringe as I lean in to wrap my arms around his neck.

"You're gonna hurt Rantaro's feelings if he learns about this, you know? Shouldn't you be saying these kinds of things to someone that _actually _finds you remotely attractive? You don't do it for me. Like, at all," Kokichi comments, obviously trying to ward me off by inciting my temper again. "When we get out of here, you ought to look for a guy that's more around your age and type. Like a preschooler or something~!"

"I don't want someone from there. I'd prefer someone smart, tall, dark, and handsome," I say, hugging him and fiddling with the back of his scarf as I gently hook my foot discreetly behind his left knee. At my words, Kokichi falters just a bit and his fake smile slips into confusion, making him frown as he repeats my last words under his breath.

"Wait, what? I'm not tall…?" He comments, eyeing me weirdly as I look up at him and give him a sudden wicked smile. Just like that, I watch as he puts two-and-two together behind his violet eyes.

"_Exactly."_

In a single fluid motion, I yank his scarf up so it covers his face and tangles in his hair, pulling my leg back so his own gives out under him. His grunt and curse go muffled under his scarf as he collapses on his behind, me scurrying back to my room where I'll be safe from any retaliation. I don't look back where he's fallen since I know hardly much damage was done, grabbing my door knob and key.

"You must be mental if you think I'd ever find _you _attractive in any way, shape, or form! JERK!" I snap, just as I slam the door and lock it behind me.

Silence fills my room. Dead silence. Not the same surreal silence I'd experienced when walking through the school last night, either. My hand aches from excessive use, but I ignore it.

…

I hear three soft reps of knocking on my door, making me frown and lean against it with an eye roll.

"Hey, Prairie Dog? ..._I knew you had it in you," _I hear Kokichi chuckle on the other side just barely with how much noise is blocked from reaching the room. I'm smart enough not to respond this time, instead waiting until I strain my ears to hear his footsteps make their way to his own room beside mine. He probably knows just how much I hate hearing him say something like that.

_I'm nothing like him. I just did what I had to so he'd leave me alone, that's all. He deserved to have a taste of his own medicine. And now that I know he wants to enter my room, there's no way I'm leaving it for him to lockpick his way in._

Why? What's the point of actually hiding my room from Kokichi and the others? ...All it actually does is make me look suspicious.

_Because. They all have good rooms, and the fact I don't...is sort of embarrassing. I don't know why...I just know I don't want them to see it. They'll just pity me and my situation some more, which I neither need nor want._

...Pride.

_I'll figure it out myself. I can deal with it. I don't have to trouble or worry anyone else- it'll be fine._

Once again, hours start to pass and I stay leaning against the door, eventually deciding to move around my cold room and pace to generate some heat in my body when I start shivering again. There's nothing else to do…

My doorknob suddenly shakes a little and I run over to it, locking it again just as I hear it unlock. I strain to hear footsteps walking away, blowing a small breath of relief as a result.

_Persistent leech._

With that, I step back from the door and sigh. I guess this is what's gonna be happening then, huh? Him unlocking it with his little black magic tricks and me locking it back? Alright, whatever. Let him try.

But he's not entering my room.

With that said, I stay in there and continue pacing around to warm myself up.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.2 - Deliberate Misdirection_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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	15. Recuperation

❀ _**2.3 - Recuperation**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

The door to my room unlocks for the fifth time that night with a gentle click. I quickly reach up from where I'm sitting with my back against the door to clumsily find and turn the lock for the fifth time as well, eyes closed and head aching. This time, it's not hurting due to use of my intuition, but rather due to lack of sleep and the fact that my room is a freezer. I'm shivering like crazy, but despite it all, I continue to refuse exiting my room altogether.

The war between Kokichi and I has gone on for a while. I honestly can't help but wonder how _he _is still active and energetic enough to continue torturing me by trying to get into my room, especially considering it's nearly three in the morning according to my stupid monopad. Doesn't he need sleep too? Or did he catch up on it after making his plans to run into me earlier when he found my score on the Namco machine?

I don't know, really... I just wish he would leave me alone already. I want to sleep- maybe in the library or something. My mind has completely changed regarding this room after being in here so long without the blanket Monotaro provided me. Not even a locked room in a killing game is worth suffering this cold dump!

"_...__hnnng__! _Prairie Dog, you can't stay in there forever!" I hear Kokichi suddenly complain from outside- the first thing he's said to me following my trick on him earlier in the night. "Just lemme see your room! It's totally suspicious! Don't tell me you're willing to _starve _yourself to hide what's in there- I _know _you haven't eaten yet! You've only been awake the times when the dining hall has been closed!"

"...c-come back after f-five business days," I respond, only slightly stammering due to the cold. It's hard to control my voice, but somehow I manage to make the fact that I'm freezing discreet enough that it can pass off as my usual shy voice.

"I don't wanna. I want to see Prairie Dog's room," I hear Kokichi insist in a stubborn huff, prompting me to open my eyes just slightly as a violent shiver runs across my body.

"...r-really c-c-cold..." I mumble, hugging my knees against my chest to make myself as small as possible and using my hair as a means to warm myself.

"What? What are you saying, I can't hear you," the voice on the other side of the door complains, but I don't answer this time as I eventually stand up and brush my hair away to look up.

As I take a step forward, my bare feet sink into the moist green moss and grass under me. It's soft and cool to the touch with without shoes, so I continue to watch my feet as I walk ahead.

A stray breeze brushes through my hair and I shiver, despite the sun beating down on my shoulders and arms.

A couple of steps later and I stop when the vivid green grass suddenly cuts off to dry dead grass and brittle cracked dirt. I stop just at the point where the divide between green and brown is, looking up to see the expanse of land ahead of me in a similar dead state, the smell of burnt chemicals entering my nose and-

"_Whoa. _THIS is your room? It looks like a jail cell!"

I open my eyes and jerk up from where I'm laying, eyes blurry with sleep and head spinning. Confused and angling my face slightly from where I am, I can just barely make out the blurry silhouette of a figure standing close to where I am.

There's no grass, dirt, or sunlight anymore. Just cold cement and gray walls all around me.

"Huh...?" I mumble in confusion, both at the figure and the sudden change in the environment. At the weak noise I make, the figure turns towards me and crouches down to my level.

"Wow, you look terrible. What are you looking at me like that for anyways? I lock pick, _remember? _We were doing this for an annoyingly long time! It hurts my feelings you forgot already, I thought we were friends!" The figure complains, while I study their blurry face in confusion.

"W-Who...?" I ask in a weak stammer, struggling to identify and place their face despite that I can somewhat make out their expressions at least.

The figure goes dead silent and stands up, grinning a stiff smile that betrays none of their emotions.

"Great. She's delirious...well, it's no wonder, you've gone two whole days without food and water and _then _you decided to lock yourself in a cold-ass room like this. Sheesh, and here _I _thought _you _were one of the smarter ones here!"

I don't answer, sitting up with weak wobbly arms and looking up at the figure curiously once I'm upright. The figure doesn't say or do anything for a moment, but eventually they walk out of the room- footsteps making metallic sounds as they descend somewhere and knock on something down below. I can hear talking after a moment of just sitting there, starting to feel a little warmer from the open door.

_...It's warm out past that doorway..._

I weakly start to crawl and half drag myself to the doorway where the figure disappeared past, but just as I pull myself to the doorway, they reappear and laugh at the sight of me.

"Aw, now I'm being followed too~! I told Rantaro, but you know, I really ought to just leave you in there after what you did to me last night. You got me all excited and then you totally stomped on my poor little heart!"

I still can't make out their face as I lean against my propped up arms, blocked from leaving since the figure is obstructing my path. When my arms start to get tired, I flop back onto my side weakly.

"...you're hopeless. Well, I _maaay_be the leader of an evil secret organization, but I'm a pacifist at heart. With that said...I don't wanna help you. So I'll get Kirumi!"

The figure turns and runs away yet again, leaving me alone for the second time. The way out is accessible now, but I just lay where I am as my stomach rumbles and a shiver travels up my spine. I don't have the energy to move...

_That's what I get for playing in the rain even after _ _Aika_ _ said I shouldn't._

I reach down, honestly surprised to feel myself completely dry. Just as I'm trying to figure out all these confusing dilemmas and breaks in my consciousness, my stomach rumbles again and brushes my confusion aside. I'm really hungry.

"...ah...? _WAAAH__! _What-? Where-?! _Why...?! _Why is Prairie's _body...?!"_

I open my eyes a crack to see another figure just outside my doorway. Whether it's the same figure or not, I can't really tell.

"Hey, Kii-boy! Watch her so she doesn't do something stupid, like crawl off the second floor."

"E-eh? Kokichi? Wait, do you mean...?!" The figure starts as they walk out of the doorway to look over the edge of something and then turn to take a few steps closer towards me. Once they're right next to me, they crouch down close enough for me to make out their sharp cyan blue eyes. After eyeing me for a moment, they lift their head take a look around my room, eyes settling on something in one corner before looking at me again. "Prairie, are you okay?"

I feel a cool hand rest against my cheek- one of metal rather than skin. At the feeling, I shiver and let out a soft breath of frail exhaustion, inching back from their touch in fetal position.

"C-C-Cold..." I mumble weakly.

"Huh? But...? Is that a robophobic comment...?!"

I manage to lift a hand to try and pull my hair over my cold face, but my nails sort of graze something sensitive at the back of my neck that makes me squeak and jerk my hand away. The figure must be concerned or something, because I feel them brush some of my hair aside and lean over me to look at what's bothering me at the back of my neck and-

"HEY! What are you doing to Prairie Dog?! You're trying to take advantage of her while she's out aren't you, you dirty two legged poor excuse for a toaster! I said to watch her, not sexually assault her!"

"GAH!" The figure drops my hair like it's burnt them. "No I wasn't! T-That's not it, I was just checking on her!"

I curl up more, voices tuning in and out of focus. Sounds like they're all still talking with one another, but their voices sound a bit distant. There's four figures here now, two of them interacting with the one that was looking at my neck, and...

"Try not to move, Prairie."

A warm hand runs along the back of my head, brushing my hair out of my face enough to meet my weak gaze with a small smile on their part. They rest a palm, one with several bracelets around their wrist, against my forehead and then sigh after a moment when I feel another shiver of the cold run across my body.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but it's good to see you. You'll be fine now, don't worry."

_Who's talking to me...?_

I mumble something incomprehensible under my breath, just as the person sits me up and slips their arm under my knees to lift me up in their arms. As soon as I feel the warmth, I melt into the embrace and close my eyes to try and suppress my cold trembling.

"See? And to think you thought I was _lying. _I would never! I hate lies and jokes!"

"Do you now? That completely contradicts your actions."

"Hah! That's 'cause it's a lie, Kii-boy!"

"My name is _Kiibo__!"_

"Is this...Prairie's room? What a terrible accommodation- it's been purposefully neglected specifically for her. Monokuma truly wasn't lying when he stated his desire to '_break'_ her. I absolutely cannot allow one of our own to suffer like this."

"Why did she faint though? She was fine a while ago when I was talking to her. She even beat me up a little! It was really mean, I thought our feelings were mutual when she started flirting with me."

"Prairie might have acquired mild hypothermia judging by the temperature of her room. Furthermore, it might be affecting her more since I doubt she's been able to eat or drink water since she first woke up."

"Do you mean...she hasn't eaten or drank anything in _two whole days?!_ But she's such a small human, wouldn't that be bad for her?!"

"Hmph! Not that _you'd _understand, but that would be bad for _any _human! It's the equivalent of you not being able to fill your gas tank back up every twelve hours!"

"For the last time, I am not powered by gas!"

I feel movement, clinging to the person carrying me as the sound of a door opens. Opening my eyes a crack, I'm able to make out a room. Warmth encompasses me completely in the form of a blanket that wraps around me before I feel someone settle in a bed with me- along with a second body.

"I can help warm her too! I'll make myself moderately warm so that it's not uncomfortable for her."

"Make sure you do not raise the temperature too high, or you could burn her due to her hypothermia. Whatever you can manage is much appreciated, Kiibo."

"Ah, so you're part heater too? I guess you really are a useful piece of equipment. Heh, if she were a little more conscious though, I _know _she'd flip out knowing she was in a situation like this. I'm sticking around to see the show when she wakes up!"

"Are you seriously teasing and mocking her while she's down? Rantaro, I can kick him out if you ask me to!"

"No, it's fine. I don't believe he's actually doing any harm. After all, he's the one that came to find Kirumi and I to help. If he _really _didn't care, he would have left her where she was."

I feel a hand run through my hair, moving it a little where the blanket can cover my head as well but leave enough of an opening for my face to breathe.

"Shall we keep her presence between us four until she's alert then?"

"Yeah, Kirumi. If she doesn't wake up until after we all meet at the dining hall in the morning, don't mention it."

"Very well. I will take care of it then."

"Ooo, I _love _secret keeping! ...why are we not telling everyone Prairie's alive, again?"

"Obviously, _Kokichi__, _because she's-"

"Really weak and easy pickings for a murderer? Huh. You don't say, Kii-boy."

"Don't ask if you already know?!"

Unable to keep myself conscious enough to listen anymore, I allow my focus to drift off into to warmth around me. I'm really tired and it's just so nice that it's not so cold anymore.

And so...I sink into sleep completely.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_...Warm. Safe. That's what home is supposed to feel like, right?_

I snuggle into the warmth beside me a little more even though the hazy curtain of sleep on my consciousness is starting to lift ever so slowly, causing movement from something on either side of me.

"Oh. I believe she's just about ready to awaken."

"Huh, this soon? Good, I was hoping the show would start soon! This is gonna be good, I just _know _it!"

"Kokichi, her anxiety with the opposite sex is not a source of entertainment! If you start terrorizing her, I'll sue you for more than just your robophobic remarks when we get out of here!"

"I will retrieve her clothing from her room- I'm sure she'd like to wear something clean than what she currently has. However...what should I do about the others? It may be early, but we have a few early risers among us and they might ask questions as to why I am in your room, Rantaro."

"Just tell them I'm sick or something- attribute it to Prairie, they'll believe it."

_Hey...that voice. It's right up against my ear, I can hear it rumble through them directly._

"Very well. I will be back shortly. Please try not to let her move too much until I am back."

The sound of a door opening and closing makes me stir a little more. Half of me wants to see what's going on around me with all these voices, but the other half wants me to ignore it and go back to sleep. It doesn't seem to important after all, I might as well just keep cuddling here with Rantaro where it's warm.

...

...?

_Rantaro?_

My eyes open and I abruptly sit up on my knees, fast enough that the people in the room audibly react. My head is spinning as I press a hand against my face to settle my uneasy senses. It isn't until the spinning feeling ceases that questions start to form more coherently in my mind.

_Where am I? What happened? Didn't I...kill _ _Monokuma_ _ on accident?!_

"It wasn't me! It was an accident! It's his fault for trying to...! To..." I trail off once I realize who the three confused faces around me are, prompting me to clamp my jaw shut when I notice one of them in particular half laying right next to me.

He has a light shade of bright green hair and minty green eyes which study me curiously following my outburst. Slowly but surely, as I register Rantaro's presence and where my placement is in the room, the pieces all connect in my head.

I'm in bed with Rantaro.

...

As soon as Rantaro notices my face start to turn into a mortifying shade of red embarrassment, he sits up more and holds up his hands. He smiles at me, but it's obviously an attempt to ease me more than it is an honest smile since it's a bit strained.

"Prairie, it's alright, don't panic-" Rantaro tries to calm my nerves.

So I proceed to panic.

I jump back out of the bed with a shout of horror, only for my arms to pinwheel when my foot gets caught in the sheets and sends me in a tangled mess on the floor with a painful thump.

"_Ow!" _I yelp, hearing a sudden uproar of laughter from somebody a few feet away where I've fallen. As I look up, I see Kiibo jump to my side hastily with an expression of concern painted on his features, paralleled completely by Kokichi who I realize is the one laughing up a storm behind him at my expense.

"Are you alright?" Kiibo asks, prompting me to wiggle in an attempt to get up and realize the futility of my efforts when I'm unable to. I resort to shaking my head "no" in response to the robot's query, a red faced mess as Rantaro jumps off the bed and joins him in helping me get untangled from this mess with a bit of a helpless smile that I avoid looking at when I notice it.

"Hey, Prairie Dog! Welcome back from the dead again!" Kokichi laughs. "Remember earlier last night when I said karma is a bitch?"

Rantaro and Kiibo pause to share looks of confusion between one another, looking back up at Kokichi in obvious confusion.

"You spoke to her before she passed out last night? So you were telling the truth about that flirting remark you made...?" Kiibo inquires, though his tone sounds somewhat dubious of his claims.

"Yeah! Yesterday night around midnight, Prairie Dog totally professed her undying love to me under the gentle glow of the moonlight. It's true!"

_That's not what happened, I made you eat dirt and you know it._

My eyes flick momentarily towards Rantaro to gauge his reaction from where I'm laying as Kiibo manages to free one of my arms. Unsurprisingly, the green haired male is wearing an expression as dry as a desert. Of course he knows Kokichi is lying- or at least making it more dramatic than what actually happened.

"Just kidding, that's a lie. She did trip me though, I was telling the truth about her cruelly beating me up!"

I sit up quickly, Kiibo turning and glancing my way as I shake my head in objection with a blush. Time to pull a Kokichi- I don't want Rantaro to chastise me again for losing my temper!

"N-No! He's lying! I didn't do any of that!" I object, pulling on Rantaro's sleeve to get his attention. He looks at me curiously, green eyes searching for the truth in my blue orbs. "I didn't try to beat him up!"

Rantaro's eyes narrow on me slightly, causing my heart and stomach to drop a little. He's not any easier to fool than before- this guy is just as difficult to trick as Kokichi. I better stick with my story now though, or he will definitely be upset with me for lying to his face on top of everything else.

"Oh-_ho! _Is that the game you want to play then? Prairie Dog, you're playing with fire. We both know what you said and did last night! _Naughty, naughty~!" _Kokichi laughs more, making me fidget and look from him to Rantaro's dubious face and back in rising panic. Kokichi is insisting it, I need to say something that will make Kokichi look like a liar for his current claims!

"S-Stop, you're painting it all wrong!" I complain, cheeks stained red with shame at the memory of the night. "You're just trying to get Rantaro upset with me!"

"Kokichi, I said don't terrorize her!" Kiibo speaks up in my defense as he jumps onto his feet, causing Kokichi to backpedal with no obvious concerns in regards to the approaching robot.

"I'm not! I'm just trying to get her to tell the truth! After all, I'm a clever, charismatic, and _cute _Supreme Leader! She said so!"

"_No!" _I complain, half covering my red face to hide my rising irritation when I bite my lip and shoot Kokichi a warning glare to stop.

"She was like this close! _This close!"_ Kokichi exclaims as he waves a hand in front of his face, rounding the bed as Kiibo tries to catch him and ducking out of the way under the robot's arm. "I almost thought she was gonna kiss me!"

At that comment, embarrassment and rage fills my body at the call out.

"IT WAS A LIE, YOU ARROGANT FASCIST BASTARD!" I explode after him, dropping my hair and jumping up to my feet.

...

I slap both hands over my mouth in horror at the bad word Kokichi has managed to make me blurt out, turning away from Kokichi's absolutely amused look of victory and Kiibo's utterly stupefied expression to face the very clearly disappointed expression on Rantaro's features. If anything, somehow just that look that Rantaro gives me is enough to make me feel ten times worse than _any _prank Kokichi could ever pull on me.

"I-I mean...! Yes, so, u-um...!" I pause and swallow nervously as I sit back down beside the green haired ultimate. "I might have p-played a little trick on Kokichi."

Rantaro's gaze intensifies from where he's seated beside me on the floor and I feel my nerves crumble entirely from the shame of my sins.

"And I m-may have kicked out his legs and made him fall because I got upset again, b-but-"

"No 'buts', Prairie, that's enough with the excuses. If Kokichi wants to behave like a child, let him," Rantaro cuts me off, making me squeak a little as I avert my gaze to the floor despite him not even raising his voice in the slightest. If anything, his casual no-nonsense tone is what really gets me. "We're going to have to work on this little attitude problem of yours later. _Before _you really get yourself in trouble making the wrong person angry."

I bristle a little at that, further aggravated by Kokichi's laughter behind me. I'm just about to lash out at Rantaro and defend myself when the gremlin from hell decides to open his big mouth again.

_Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, _ ** _I _ ** _shouldn't have opened _ ** _my _ ** _big mouth to _ _Kokichi_ _!_

"Careful! She might punch you in the face again like she did in a previous reset!"

I whip my head around to look at Kokichi, not in rage this time but betrayal. Why is he trying so hard to make my life so difficult? Not even the grin he casts me answers that question as I feel my cheeks go impossibly red and avoid Rantaro's gaze.

"Prairie-" he starts, before the door opens and all eyes land on Kirumi's figure as she gracefully glides in with what looks to be my things. My heart lurches at the sight of my white and multicolored monopad in her hands, but she immediately sets them on the bed when I crawl back up on it to make sure everything's in there. Of course, they are. My boots, my bow, my belt...my empty knife sheath...well at least my hand isn't throbbing as much as it had before during the first few hours.

"I should have known not to take so long, however Ryoma stopped me after I left Prairie's room to question my activities. Aside from that, Prairie is _not _supposed to be moving around so much! I informed you all she is in a delicate state right now- even mild hypothermia is no joke. Rantaro, I was counting on you to make sure Kokichi and Kiibo caused no trouble," Kirumi actually scolds Rantaro as he climbs up on the bed to sit beside me with a guilty smile of embarrassment, running his hand through the back of his hair. She simply lets out a sigh of disappointment at that.

"Why is she bunching me in with Kokichi...?" I hear Kiibo mutter quietly, obviously bothered by it.

I almost laugh a little at Rantaro getting scolded himself, but then I remember Kokichi's remark and bite back the giggle guiltily. He just learned I punched him in the face, out of context at that. He's probably upset about that since he doesn't remember what happened...which means it's best I not make things any worse.

"U-Um...you didn't look at my monopad, right?" I ask instead, making Kirumi smile pleasantly my way when she sees me.

"I did not. That would be an invasion of your privacy," Kirumi calmly responds, not looking put off at all by my question. As I blow out a smile of relief, she then asks, "May I ask why I should not have?"

"Uh...T-There are some things like extra rules regarding what I'm not allowed to talk about or hint at. Basically, Monokuma would kill you if you read what's in it," I explain, pulling it in my lap as Kokichi hops on over to the bedside enthusiastically.

"That would matter if he were still alive, but he's dead! Lemme see, nothing's gonna-" Kokichi starts, reaching for the tablet until I turn away from him and hold it protectively against me with a dirty look his way. "Oh, come on, Prairie Dog!"

"We talked about this before. Do you wanna get tripped again?" I huff before hearing Rantaro clear his voice behind me much to my chagrin and shrinking back with a scowl. "F-Fine, I'm not gonna trip him...but he's still not allowed to see my monopad."

"I do agree on that point at least. Besides, if you're going by that logic, then don't forget the monokubs are still around- and _they're _the ones with access to the Exisals," Rantaro covers for me much to my surprise.

"Hm. Fair enough!" Kokichi easily agrees, no doubt since he and I both know what _he _said last night.

"_I __**don't **__actually believe that. It's a _**_lie_**_."_

Remembering that still gives me chills.

"Alright, I believe it's time for the three of us to leave then. Prairie needs privacy to get ready for the day and Kirumi's going to help her. We'll figure the other things out after we meet at the dining hall with the others," Rantaro says, getting off the bed and leading Kokichi and Kiibo out the door on Kirumi's behalf.

"We're about thirty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds away from the start of morning hours, what should we do in the meantime?" Kiibo queries the other two boys, prompting Kokichi to whistle as if impressed.

"How many milliseconds though?" Kokichi asks off the bat.

"I-I can't count it verbally, they go by too fast!"

"Aw. Even egg timers are better than you."

Kirumi shuts Rantaro's door on Kiibo's declarations of robophobia, leaving me to face Kirumi and smile. At that, she smiles back and takes my hand to lead me to the bathroom, which Rantaro was nice enough to lend me the use of despite the, uh, "punch" revelation. I'll have to apologize to Rantaro later and explain- he's right. I do have an attitude problem, even if I don't actually want to admit it.

A shower later, I jump out and dry myself enough to pull on my undergarments, Kirumi helping me fix and dry my hair before I dress in my old uniform. There's a new pair of socks in the bag that Monotaro gave me- exactly the same as the ones I had used before in the first resets to bind my arm slash after I'd cut it a second time. They're not the same ones though, as there's no sign of even the slightest faded bloodstain remaining.

Once I have my belt, my bow and my gloves on (having hidden my burnt palm from Kirumi the duration of her helping with my hair), Kirumi and I re-enter Rantaro's room with a bit of a slow walk that she sighs at in concern.

"You're weak right now, but you will start feeling better once you have something in your stomach. Come along, Prairie, the morning announcement should be playing very soon," Kirumi says as I adjust my slightly out of place belt and attach my monopad to the slot.

When we exit the room, Rantaro, Kokichi and Kiibo appear visibly surprised by my state of dress. From what I saw in Kokichi's room the other night, I guess everyone has a set of similar outfits that look exactly the same as what they're already wearing...well, not me. I got my ultimate outfit and my old uniform. That's it.

"What, were you feeling left out being the only girl without a skirt?" Kokichi inquires with a snicker, prompting me to shrug weakly in response. Now that I've been up and moving around to get ready, my exhaustion is starting to catch up to me enough that I can't even bring myself to snap back at him. Not to mention it doesn't help that my belly keeps rumbling with the need for food.

Rantaro reaches for my right hand (thankfully) and leads me towards the dormitory building's exit at a reasonable pace the other three easily match.

"Don't worry about answering any more questions, Prairie, just relax. Once you get water and food in your system, _then _we can all talk," Rantaro comments with a smile, much to Kirumi's visible satisfaction and Kokichi's slight irritation- since Rantaro obviously directed it half towards him. "Just ignore any other questions the others ask you."

...

"Aren't there only sixteen seats in the dining hall?" I ask, remembering when I'd counted the seats with Tenko and Himiko.

"Yes, there are only sixteen! You have a great memory, Prairie!" Kiibo states cheerfully, obviously missing my point despite verbally confirming the count.

"...I make our number go back to seventeen," I clarify just as we reach the double doors into the dining hall and step into the vacant room. "With me here, someone else isn't going to have a seat."

"Let me worry about that, sit here for now," Rantaro reassures me as he leads me around to the back of the table and sits me down in the middle area. With me seated, Kiibo quickly takes my other side before Kokichi can- an obvious decision to keep Kokichi from being close enough to tease and heckle me any more than necessary.

Kokichi only looks amused as the Ultimate Robot leers up at him, prompting Kokichi to chuckle and stroll around where he can instead sit on Rantaro's free side.

The sound of the morning announcement goes off and I feel my nerves react when I realize everyone else will soon be joining us. I'm not ready to face them, but I guess I have no choice any more. I can't ghost everyone forever.

"I'll start preparing the food immediately," Kirumi gracefully speaks before turning and heading into the kitchen.

_Honestly, any food at this point would be fine. I'd probably even be able to stomach cardboard flavored corn flakes right now._

Minutes later, the door to the dining hall opens sooner than I expect it to and I feel all the air in my lungs lock up nervously when I realize the time to face the music is now. Everyone thought I'd died due to Monosuke and his Exisal...and now they'll see the truth. How they'll take it, I can only wonder until they actually react.

I feel Rantaro squeeze my hand under the table, making me realize we hadn't yet let go. My cheeks go a little pink as I glance his way and receive an encouraging friendly smile. With that motivation, I look to the first person to walk into the room.

...

"Huh. Timid, assertive, _and _hard to kill. That's reassuring. Welcome back, Prairie," Ryoma greets me with mild surprise, just as a few others follow him in- lifting their heads from their conversations at his words and allowing their wide eyes to land on me.

Kirumi momentarily returns with glasses of water and straws at the point when the people at the door suddenly run in to the table towards us, the ultimate maid dropping a fruit that looks like either a peach or a nectarine in front of me. I pop my straw in my glass and immediately get to sipping to ease my nerves.

When Miu walks in and screams at the sight of me, I nearly choke on my water. Rantaro pats my back a few times as I mentally try to process the noise. I'm not even sure if it's a scream or horror, glee, or..._pleasure?_

I don't know, but it only succeeds in making me scoot closer to Rantaro once it cuts off- followed by a cacophony of overlapping questions and shouts that Kiibo, Rantaro, and Kokichi all easily address in their own unique ways while I slump in my seat and pinch the bridge of my nose in thought.

Eventually I'll have to actually speak for myself.

I squeeze my eyes shut and sigh, only to feel a flash of a memory form in my mind.

_Right, that was something I think I remember thinking about when _ _Kokichi_ _ broke into my room, right...? Green grass cutting off into dead badlands and the smell of burning chemicals...what sort of a memory is that?_

I open my eyes again and reach for the fruit Kirumi set out for me, taking a bite and feeling my stomach rebel with a painful growl despite it getting exactly what it's asking for.

_Maybe I can talk to Rantaro about it later. It must be significant in some way, and a second opinion could help. I just need to remember to apologize first._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 2.3 - Recuperation**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)   

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)   

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)   

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)   

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>   



	16. Red is the Color of Sacrifice

❀ _**2.4 - Red is the Color of Sacrifice**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Eat slowly, alright, Prairie? I can assure you the food isn't going anywhere. If you eat too quickly you might make yourself sick," Kirumi comments as she brings out the first bowls and sets them in front of those present, moving gracefully around the table.

"Oh, don't worry about her, Kirumi! This girl's a fighter! No hypothermia is gonna take her down, trust me! She's got spirit brighter than the sun- I should know!" Kaito laughs, ever the mirthful one. It's no surprise he's a morning person, what with how boisterous he is.

"You say that, but she's only here right now because Kokichi broke into her room. Her's, unlike ours, is completely made of cement and entirely empty with an approximate room temperature of forty-nine to fifty one degrees Fahrenheit, or nine to ten degrees Celsius. Had she been in there any longer, she really _would _have passed away," Kiibo corrects Kaito, quietly watching the rest of us eat. Of course, as a robot, eating probably isn't necessary for Kiibo...

"Yeah, I totally saved Prairie Dog's life! If it wasn't for me-" Kokichi cuts himself off to shove food in his mouth, causing his cheeks to puff up. When he speaks again, it's after swallowing the huge portion of food down. "-she'd be a goner. Simple as that. Now she needs to spend the rest of her life devoting her services to me as repayment for my hard work!"

At that, I pause mid chew and shoot the violet goblin a dry look that I hope expresses everything pertaining to the fact that no, that's _not _happening. I have half the mind to throw some of my food at him, but feeling Rantaro rub the back of my neck makes me flinch violently in surprise enough that I swallow down what's in my mouth whole and my fork goes flying somewhere behind me. With my yip, Rantaro yanks his hand back and gives me a look of concern after a quick glance at wherever my fork has landed.

"What? Prairie, are you okay?" Rantaro is quick to ask as I reach up behind my neck in mild confusion, touching what feels like a sore and tender spot just at the base of my neck.

"Oh, that's right. When I was accused of somehow _harassing _her by Kokichi last night, I noticed she was rather sore at the back of her neck," Kiibo speaks up, causing the other people in the room to pause their eating as Rantaro turns my head and proceeds to start gathering my hair.

"What is it? Did that bastard Monokuma do somethin' to Perfect Blitz before he was blown to pieces?!" Miu growls around a waffle, followed closely by the blue haired girl who's name I _still _don't know commenting, "Don't tell me...it's Orochimaru's Cursed Seal Technique!"

_Roachimaru_ _...? What a strange name, sounds like a roach. Besides the name though, what is she even talking about?_

I feel Rantaro pull up my hair and gently prod at my skin before humming in thought. "I'm not exactly seeing anything... Prairie, I'm going to press around gently, okay? Just tell me where it feels sore."

With a nod on my part, I feel his fingers prod at my skin carefully, applying more and more pressure with each press until I jerk away as his fingers press into my skin just under my head where my hair starts.

"It could be pain from when the Exisal grabbed her in the gym before. It can't have been good for her neck for them to have carried her off like that," Ryoma points out, bringing another spoonful of simple oatmeal and milk to his lips. Does he really like that stuff? It looks mushy and gross...

"Probably..." Rantaro agrees, but something in his tone makes me think he may have other ideas about it. He eventually drops my hair and gives me a reassuring smile when I turn to look back at him. "Don't worry, he's probably right."

I cock my head to the side at his words, making sure he knows I notice that he doesn't quite believe that. Before he can say anything about my look like he appears to want to, I turn back to my food and silently keep eating.

"You really seem to care for Prairie, huh, Rantaro? You're like a mother hen with her!" Kaito pipes up between a bite of his food, causing me to slightly redden and duck my head more so my hair veils most of my red faced blush.

Why would he just go and point it out so bluntly like that? Why do guys do that? Rantaro did the same thing in the first reset when I said I'm nervous around boys- Do guys just not have a filter on their words or something? And they always do it about the most embarrassing topics, so are they _trying_ to kill me?

"Ah, maybe so. I can't help myself, I guess. She reminds me of someone in my family and it sort of just happens, I guess," Rantaro openly admits with a charming at ease smile much to my quiet annoyance. I mean, sure, I already knew of course. He told me in our first meeting that I reminded him of his sister, but I never really lingered on it.

Now though...

_I remind him of his sister. So if I wasn't like her and didn't remind him of her, would Rantaro still like me at all? Don't I have any individual value?_

As the traitorous thought settles in my mind, I shove another forkful of food in my mouth to hide my sudden rise in irritation. More people enter the dining hall with varying reactions as my thoughts warp in my head. Upon Himiko entering, she drops us all a lazy greeting before taking a seat across from me. I'd probably have been paying attention more if I wasn't biting on the prongs of my fork thoughtlessly, but I do hear her eventually notice me and ask about my not-so-dead state with a dry tone lacking any surprise whatsoever. She's honestly probably too lazy to be surprised.

When Angie walks in, she doesn't even bat an eye- rather claiming that Atua told her in advance within her dreams. She does, however, point out my fork biting when my mind goes back to Rantaro and his sister despite my efforts to try and push my thoughts away from them. This is the second time Rantaro has to intervene and make me stop chewing on my fork.

"SMALL PRAIRIE ALIVE!" Gonta shouts at the top of his lungs when he walks in, snapping me out of my spaced out zoning enough to allow me to quickly pull my fork from between my teeth before Rantaro can catch me biting on the prongs like an animal again.

As soon as I register the teary eyed giant, I see Tenko race inside of the dining hall- practically shrieking in delight before she runs around the table to give me a hug where I'm seated.

"Prairie, you're _alive!_ Thank goodness, you have no idea how sad I've been thinking you were gone!" She mopes, before pulling a smile to her face and releasing me from her iron cast hug. "This fills me with even more fighting spirit than your passing did! I could probably take down two Exisals with my bear hands at this point! HIII-YAH!"

"Interesting. Well, I guess things truly are not how they appear, are they? Welcome back, Prairie, Khehehe..."

At the entrance beside the still joyful and tear streaked Gonta is now Korekiyo, tipping his head just slightly in my direction but looking towards Rantaro with twinkling eyes of amusement. When I follow the Ultimate Anthropologist's gaze, I can't help but frown in confusion curiously when I see Rantaro casually smiling back at him...albeit it in a less than friendly way by the looks of it. What happened between those two?

With my thoughts now convoluted regarding Rantaro and Korekiyo, I almost don't notice Maki slip inside the dining hall, walking just a few paces behind Gonta who has finally gotten a hold of himself to sit down beside Kokichi with a big smile as a result of my return.

Maki frowns a little when she sees me, but other than that, she doesn't give much else when it comes to a reaction and she doesn't ask any questions. As a result, no one bothers her since she decides to keep to herself.

_...He's nice to me because I remind him of his sister. _ _Augh_ _, stop thinking about it, it's not his fault he sees her in me! Besides, there's no way she's exactly the same as me, she's probably more outgoing in general and has less issues talking with boys and whatnot._

If anything, my thoughts only make my irritation rise- and Rantaro has to stop me chewing on my fork a third time when he notices. Other than a mild warning glance, he doesn't say anything to me about me ruining my teeth this time. I almost stick my tongue out at him, but manage to stop myself after a second thought.

"_We're going to have to work on this little attitude problem of yours later."_

I don't have _that _bad of an attitude problem! I had every reason to be upset with Kokichi, I wasn't blowing things out of proportions. Kokichi shouldn't have opened his stupid mouth in the first place!

"...! Prairie?!"

I look up in time to see Shuichi walk in with Kaede, the blonde being the one to squawk in disbelief before sharing a look with Shuichi that is so subtle that I nearly miss it. It almost looks...knowing and suspicious. Could the Ultimate Detective and Ultimate Pianist have deduced that I'd not actually been dead? It would explain the knowing look, but then what are they suspicious about?

_There's something they know that the rest of us don't, isn't there? That's the only reason I can guess why those two look so secretive with one another. Why would they keep it from the rest of the group though? Shouldn't we all be figuring things out together? ...Then again, _ _Monokuma_ _ might totally ruin any attempts at camaraderie among us._

With that, I push away my nearly empty bowl and brush some of my hair back behind my ear with finality.

"Hm?" Kiibo hums in confusion from beside me when he notices my leftovers in the bowl. "Not hungry anymore, Prairie?"

"Yeah, I'm tired now is all," I respond simply, closing my eyes and rubbing the bridge of my nose as I take a moment to use this subtle action to use my weird intuition. Why are Kaede and Shuichi so nervous about?

_Come on, give me some answers..._

...

...

..._?_

_..._nothing.

_Nothing? What? That's never happened before, why am I drawing a blank this time? Is something different about my attempt this time than when I tried before?_

"I-If anyone wants to ask me anything, now's your chance before I leave and find somewhere to nap," I speak up, causing Shuichi and Kaede to perk up from where they're standing at the doorway. The Ultimate Detective almost looks like he has a question, but before he can open his mouth, Kokichi butts in.

"Hey, what were you going to say in the gym before that Exisal knocked you out?" The violet vermin inquires, eagerly sitting up and waving his hand in the air like a student in class. I narrow my eyes and immediately wave his query away with a scowl.

"I'm not answering that and you know it, Kokichi," I huff his way from Rantaro's other side, prompting Kokichi to puff his cheeks up in mock offense with mirth twinkling behind his scowling eyes.

"Hmph! What happened to the Prairie Dog that was willing to die for us? I miss her!" He complains, despite the dry look most of the people around the table give him.

"I don't miss her..." Himiko remarks, holding her hat over one eye as she narrows her icy gaze on Kokichi for his tasteless joking.

"G-Gonta prefer Small Prairie _live _for us than..." Gonta can't even bring himself to finish the sentence, while Tenko taps a foot impatiently from where she's still standing behind my seat. Looking up at her, she's got this very dangerous stare nailed on Kokichi, but he only laughs a little at the varying looks he gets from the others.

"U-Um, Prairie?" I let my gaze drift over to Shuichi and Kaede, noting the Ultimate Detective shuffling his feet slightly as our eyes meet. For someone that looks as shy as I normally am, he manages to hold my gaze without a hitch. He swallows a little, but manages to speak up. "I was...wondering if you could tell us when exactly you came back after the monokubs released you. Was it this morning, or...?"

He's so polite as he asks this, and I can feel the tension in my muscles ease a little as a result of his disarming demeanor. This is the Ultimate Detective? He's almost _too _approachable. Well, at least I can answer his question without having to dodge it like _most _of the listings in the "ugly rules".

"I woke up outside in the courtyard around the night time hours of the first night. Everyone was already asleep according to the Monokubs," I state, watching Shuichi closely as I answer his queries. There's a small sliver of concern that I see flash across his eyes when I say this, making me cock my head to the side in mild confusion.

_That's a strange look I'm getting._

My eyes drag to some of the other ultimates, only to feel my stomach twist when a few seem to avert their gaze as I look at them, namely Kaede and that blue haired girl. Maki, Ryoma, and Kokichi on the other hand give me varying types of piercing gazes that don't help settle my anxious stomach in the least bit.

"What?" I ask, glancing at Rantaro, Kiibo, and Tenko in confusion for some sort of answer. Rantaro frowns, but it's at the people eyeing me suspiciously rather than at me. Kiibo just shrugs in confusion when I look at him, Tenko looking around equally lost as we try to figure out why there is a sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Everyone suddenly got quiet," Himiko thoughtfully breaks the silence after a moment, biting lazily into an apple and chewing slowly.

Despite the break in the silence, the tension does not let up.

"So you were around the whole day yesterday and you just...forgot to say something about it?" Maki asks straightforward in her usual to-the-point tone, eyes drilling into mine so directly that it sort of makes me shrink back in my seat a little.

"N-No, I-" I stammer, ready to defend myself before Korekiyo cackles from where he is and cuts me off.

"Perhaps our little celebrity was preparing the perfect murder- a desperate attempt to dig her way out of this mess and leave the rest of our corpses to lay rotting here," the Ultimate Anthropologist morbidly alludes, prompting me to fall silent as a result.

_What am I even supposed to say to that? No matter what my defense is, I'm in a position where nobody can believe me...and due to the nature of this killing game, they're even more likely to see me as a liar. There's no way I can clear myself of suspicion in a place like this!_

...

"No answer? Shall I take that as a 'yes', in that case?" Korekiyo asks rhetorically after a beat of silence.

Miu suddenly throws down her fork aggressively, making it clatter noisily against her bowl of food. "The HELL? You've got some _nerve _saying that about Perfect Blitz, you walking shit stain!"

"Yeah, man! Don't act like she didn't put herself in danger just to give all of _us _a hint on the first day! The whole _reason _she's been away is because of us- if you're twisting that around just to get a rise out of everyone, it's not cool," Kaito suddenly bursts out, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table as well.

"Calm down, you two, I'm not actually accusing her. I'm merely speculating based on the circumstances. It'd be a shame if the killing game were to begin at this point, wouldn't it? Well, not that I don't welcome it. The idea of seeing humanity's primal side and studying the internal battle between survival and society's moral compass intrigues me...especially coming from the world's most inspirational and prestigious celebutante at the top of the 'food chain', so to speak," Korekiyo defends his point, though it's obvious he hardly cares whether anyone agrees with him or not.

_I really didn't know he was like this. I thought he was _**_nice_** _before. Like __Kaito__, __Korekiyo__ is totally different from how he was before the last reset. What does this mean? Is it a pattern? Could this be what made the round flashlight so different from the dark square flashlight?_

"Is that all?" I ask, now even more eager to leave and get away from everyone.

"Um...y-yeah..." Shuichi mumbles, trailing off nervously under my gaze when I turn his way. Presumably, my impatience has made its way to my expression by the look of his reaction.

"Well actually, I'd for one like to know why you're only showing up today. Where were you yesterday?" Ryoma cuts in now that Shuichi backed off from asking me any more questions.

"In my room," I say, which is true to an extent. I wasn't in there the whole day but I _was _in my room. "After I woke up I wasn't tired enough to sleep, so I spent the whole night at the game room playing PAC-MAN. By the time I was tired, it was daytime, so I went back to my room to try and sleep. Kokichi knew I was around though- he saw my score on the Namco machine and decided to wait with his stupid door open until I woke up again last night so he could corner me."

Now everyone's eyes move to Kokichi in obvious annoyance.

"What? Wait, when did _you _figure it out?" Kaede asks boldly, raising a brow in disbelief at my revelation. Kokichi flashes an amused grin, arms resting behind his neck as he tips his chair back precariously.

"Nee-hee-hee! When I found her score on the machine yesterday morning after Monokuma's unfortunate accident, I was sooo excited that telling someone else must have completely slipped my mind! Whoopsie-_daisy! _Oopsie-poopsies~!" Kokichi cheerfully admits without hesitation, much to my own surprise.

It's a wonder he didn't lock pick his way earlier if he figured it out _that _early in the day yesterday, so I guess there must be some sliver of respect for others in his soul if he decided not to invade my privacy prior to my suspicious behavior after seeing his room.

_No way that's true. Or maybe he didn't want to scare me like that? ...Nah. Why am I thinking of scenarios where he's making thoughtful logical choices based on kindness? He probably didn't break in because he didn't want to and figured it was simpler to just wait for me to leave my room on my own._

"What the-?! Why didn't you say anything, you rotten degenerate male!? Some of us were over here suffering and you were just waltzing around with the knowledge this whole time!" Tenko snaps from behind my chair, hands fisting up before taking a few threatening steps his way that makes Kokichi jump out of his char and back up with a casual laugh of amusement- as if excited to get chased around again.

"Why? Well, look at you guys right now. Some of you are all so busy being angry and tearing her apart due to the killing game that nobody's even noticed she's already leaving!" Kokichi chirps with intentional casualness and a slow drawl so that I'm already near the doorway across from Kaede and Shuichi by the time people even notice me having abandoned my seat at the table.

"W-Wait-" Kaede tries to speak up, but she's immediately cut off.

"Nyahaha~! But isn't this unnecessary? Some of you continue to harass her even though the killing game is over! Atua got rid of Monokuma, there is no need for suspicion!" Angie cheerfully stands up to remind everyone as I stop just at the doorway to look back at her in mild surprise. She's defending me again? "Blasphemer or not, I do not believe Perfect Blitz would have been up to anything nefarious."

Her eyes jump between Korekiyo, Ryoma, and Shuichi- her expression darkening with her persisting smile. Shuichi appears to only be the one affected by her look, prompting him to avert his gaze quickly when I glance his way.

"Unless you _also _believe Monokuma indeed has a spare, no?" She presses, blue eyes studying the three boys before looking towards some of the other less-than-confident ultimates.

"Angie's right, there's no reason to be ganging up on her! You all did the same to Kaede yesterday too- we can't just be ripping each other to pieces like that on simple whims!" Kaito also jumps in, visibly agitated on my behalf.

"That's the fuckin' tea right there! Perfect Blitz isn't gonna double cross us, you guys are just pissy-poor babies scared of a few nicks! HAH! What noobs! I won't let any of you make me doubt her!" Miu barks from her seat half victoriously, blue eyes blazing as she narrows her eyes at everyone else.

"Jeez, Miu, why don't you _marry _Prairie Dog if you like her so much? I'll bet you'd make the perfect divorcee afterwards," Kokichi snickers with an eye roll, taking a peek at his nails and examining them casually. He really loves doing that, doesn't he? I'll bet he's only doing it to make himself look like more of a prick...

Miu bares her teeth Kokichi's way, and it's not a smile whatsoever. "What was that, you little abortion?!"

"I said _silence your flat plastic-baked ass, thot pocket!" _Kokichi suddenly raises his voice with a sharp glare, which immediately turns into a bright grin and a laugh of delight when Miu flinches violently and shrinks back in surprise with a small "_hyiiieeee__!"_ of terror. "Nishishi~! You're like the opposite of Prairie Dog! She goes from anxious to _rawr_on her end!"

"Um..." The girl with no name comments, though she never continues her sentence as she eyes Kokichi and Miu in obvious concern.

"I concur with Angie's notion. There's nothing to be suspicious of Prairie for," Kirumi adds her input as she returns, clearly having overheard the conversation despite her work in the kitchen. She sets out more dishes for some of the other ultimates that have arrived and then walks back to the kitchen. My eyes meet hers and she offers me a small encouraging smile before she disappears around the corner.

"That's right! Prairie has given us no reason to mistrust her in my eyes! She's our friend!" Tenko adds, turning to look away from Kokichi and towards everyone else. "There's no point in murdering for a killing game that's over before it started!"

"Hel-loooo, everybody~!"

..._Always aiming to make an entrance, these ridiculous bears._

Unsurprisingly, those that _actually _believed he was gone for good go into a frenzied panic at the sight of Monokuma's unexpected reappearance within the dining room- somehow avoiding having been seen before he announced his presence at all. He's wearing a strange get-up however, one that makes him look like a cat...not to mention there's cheap sticks with crudely drawn fire balls made to "float" around him, all taped to the back of a tan-yellow band around his midsection.

"You came back to life?! What are you?!" Kaito quite practically squawks in horror, turning a shade of blue at the obvious implications of his return.

"Are your eyes just for show? I'm Monokuma!" The bear cheerfully supplies before sulking where he stands and adding, "'What are you'...such a disrespectful question! You didn't say that to Miss Marble when she came back from the dead."

"T-That's because she wasn't actually dead in the first place- _you _were!" Kaito snaps, even more miffed now than he was before. Monokuma evidently ignores the Ultimate Astronaut's excuses, waving him away with his white paw while he uses the other to readjust the band around his belly.

"Anyways, after going off like that in the...'_accident'..._" Monokuma stresses the last word, making me slightly stiffen up from where I am by the doorway. "I became the spirit Jibankuma!"

"Really?" Kiibo asks from where he is on the opposite side of the table from the main dining hall exit, seated next to my empty seat and Rantaro's empty-

_Eh?! Wait-!_

I only think that at the moment a hand catches mine, turning to see Rantaro standing next to me with a mild sigh of relief as he settles next to me. Remembering the tidbit about his sister though, I try and fail to detach his iron grip from around my hand, subsequently giving up and throwing him a scowl he simply smiles apologetically at. He obviously has no idea why I'm upset with him- he probably just thinks I'm annoyed he's being too much of a "helicopter mom".

_Him and his stupid reasonable smiles...they're bugging me again._

"From now on, I will be your headmaster! It might feel a bit awkward at first, but get used to it!" Monokuma explains brightly, followed by a dead strained silence that actually impresses me somewhat. As the silence persists, Monokuma looks around at all of us quietly. Sure, the others are absorbing this new dose of absurdity, but my mind backtracks to how he'd described his accident. Specifically the implication it _wasn't _an accident.

_How? How could _ _Monokuma_ _ know it wasn't an accident if he was out of commission by the time anyone could have figured it out? Did the _ _monokubs_ _ solve the mystery and then tell him? Do they know it was _ ** _me _ ** _then? There's no way they couldn't figure that out- my knife was stuck inside _ _Exisal_ _._

I'm a little jittery but I feel Rantaro rub his thumb along the knuckles of my hand to comfort me and ease my stress. Despite being mildly upset still (over something I _know _is stupid), I inch closer to his side nevertheless.

"Huh? Did I say something weird? Everyone's so quiet!" Monokuma remarks, as if shocked by the reaction.

"Isn't it obvious, you fuckin' imitation?! Don't turn into roadkill and then come back!" Miu snaps, flashing a thumbs down at Monokuma now that Kokichi is no longer terrorizing her.

"It's...not even fit for cosplay. I can't watch," the blue haired girl mumbles with a quivering voice and a cringe much to my confusion. Cosplay? Why is she bringing that up? ...Is she the Ultimate Nerd? Or maybe the Ultimate...Otaku? Cosplayer? Hmm...

"Let me ask; have you maybe mixed the meanings behind 'yūeri' and 'yōkai'?" Korekiyo, who I'm rather miffed at, starts to speak- ever the chatty one in regards to his obsession for history.

_Oh, he can put a cork in it. If it wasn't for him making the stupid accusation that I was trying to plot a murder, no one would've been arguing! He didn't even give me the chance to explain, he just made everything worse!_

"Prairie, take a few deep breaths. I know you're upset, but please relax. I don't want you getting hurt by Monokuma," Rantaro whispers in my ear, prompting me to bristle a little. A part of my bitter frustration is a result of Rantaro himself, so I simply look up at him indignantly and tear my gaze away once I've thrown him that wordless message.

"Aw, this is why I hate high school students. Elementary school students make better audiences without destroying the joke!" Monokuma huffs, flexing his claws irritably and shredding the cheap costume off after Korekiyo's babbling.

"_RISE AND SHINE, URSINE~!"_

Just the sound of their voices makes me suddenly tense up again, feeling my fire of annoyance at everything else sizzle out like the ember of a candle snuffed out under a metal cap. Well, here it comes. They're definitely going to kill me for real this time.

"How noisy...you've been noisy this whole time..." Monotaro is the first to drop into the dining hall, turning around and evidently facing the much larger dual toned bear behind him. There's another pause of silence and then- "HUH?! Our dad that's supposed to be dead is back?!"

There's a howl and suddenly Monokid appears, shredding an already half torn cardboard guitar and nearly running into Monotaro. "It's just like an eighty year old manga that's still printing! You can't kill of such an iconic mascot like Monokuma just like _that!"_

"This must be the work of a yōkai!" Monophanie chirps in surprise as she pops in with Monodam and Monosuke at her sides, fixing the flower over her ear with a cute flirty wink my way that I don't dare backsass since I'm much too nervous to set them off on me.

"...Well, the joke's already over. You're too late," Monokuma states plainly, prompting me to cling to a sliver of hope that maybe they _don't _know it was me. Just as I'm about to sigh in quiet relief though-

"Hold on, everybody!" Monosuke interrupts unceremoniously, causing everyone to look his way when he tosses something in the middle of the dining hall floor that makes enough of a metallic clatter that I tense up all over again. This time, Rantaro must have an idea as to why I'm so anxious, because I hear him whisper by my ear ever so softly.

"Prairie, _what did you do?"_

I swallow a little but can't bring myself to answer him, staring down at the knife before my gaze lands on Monokuma and the monokubs again. None of them are looking at me yet but I'm pretty sure they know who, out of all of us, owns a survival knife like that.

"W-What, is this your guys' sorry attempt to convince us to kill each other? We're not doing it, our stance hasn't changed on that matter!" Kaito barks, only prompting the dual toned yellow bear to scoff.

"No, we won't provide you lot with any weapons," Monosuke resumes, even though he and I can both recall who gave me that stupid survival knife in the first place. "_This _was found jammed in my Exisal when I tried to get rid of you. It's what made my Exisal stall and land on Monokuma. I'll explain it nice and simple for the dumber of you lot...only one of you wasn't around at the time when I entered the dining hall, which means only _one _of you could have possibly gotten behind my Exisal to make me miss my intended target. Now, I wonder...I _truly _wonder who that could have been. Don't you wonder too, Ugly?"

_I was starting to get used to not hearing them call me that on an hourly basis._

Everyone's eyes land on me just as I swallow nervously a second time when I realize I have no way out of this.

_But they're basing it on the presence of the knife and the fact I wasn't in the dining hall specifically. Why though? On _ _Monokuma's_ _ end, he always seems to know what's going on everywhere, so maybe he sees things by camera? I haven't seen any cameras around though...but if that's the case, why isn't _ _Monokuma_ _ the one throwing these accusations on me?_

...

_Whatever. This might as well happen- there's no reason to drag it on any longer. I've been caught._

I open my mouth and-

"It wasn't her! Because she still has her knife on her! It's the one Monosuke gave her. So how could she have been the one to attack the Exisal?" Monotaro cuts me off before I have a chance to say anything, bounding over to mine and Rantaro's side to grab my leg and shove my skirt up it. I panic with a squeak at first- until I see the knife strapped around my thigh that's identical to the one on the floor. Thankfully, Monotaro is considerate enough not to hitch my skirt any higher, but...

"Hey, nice strawberry birthmark, Prairie Dog~!"

At that, I grab my skirt and cover my thighs properly in horror. Maybe no one saw my undies, but there's something inherently horrifying about Kokichi pointing out a birthmark that should otherwise be private from the public eye. Besides, I only first saw it when I was taking a shower- I didn't even know it was there due to my amnesia!

"See? See?" Monotaro chirps, looking back at the other bears. All the while, I'm still very much confused. How'd that knife get strapped to my leg? Monosuke only gave me _one _knife, and I used it already. I didn't strap anything to my thigh either!

Glancing towards Kirumi from where she's standing just outside the kitchen doorway, I can see the slightly confused look on her face as she stares my way- equally puzzled since she was there helping me while I was dressing earlier as well. Where did this knife come from?!

As I look down at Monotaro, I can't help but wonder a little. He gave me a blanket against the wishes of the other monokubs too, but Monophanie didn't show up until a few hours later. Does that mean it's only Monokuma that gets information relatively quickly and not the monokubs? And that Monokuma and the monokubs don't necessarily share all their information with one another?

_And if _ _Monotaro_ _ was the one who put that knife on my leg without my notice, then is he maybe rebelling...? I don't know why he'd help me, I figured all the _ _monokubs_ _ pretty much hated me equally- with _ _Monodam_ _ being the one up for debate._

"Oh! ...Wait, what?!" Monophanie squeaks, paws on either side of her shocked face as she gapes at the fact of the matter. "B-But I was sure it was...? Who else could it be?"

"M-Maybe another BASTARD is among us?! An eighteenth killer out to get us?!" Monokid half panics, hugging his broken cardboard guitar against his chest.

"...Well then. I guess I could have been mistaken. However, this knife should not be accessible yet- to these guys, to ugly, or even an _eighteenth _person. So...which one of you bastards managed to steal it in that case?!" Monosuke demands, stamping a foot that makes his glasses tilt and go askew as a result.

My eyes drag over towards Monokuma curiously despite every nerve in my body telling me to avoid his gaze. He's not saying or doing anything- rather he's staring intently at Monotaro. Something about it immediately sets off my alarm bells when I observe Monotaro fidget slightly under his gaze as if he too realizes Monokuma is acting strange.

"One of you better fess up already or I'll-!" Monosuke starts, before Monokuma lifts a paw and cuts him off with, "No, no. That's not necessary, my cute little cub~! I already know who stole it. I've known since the crime occured! In fact, I _watched _it happen!"

"Y-You did...?" Monotaro asks, suddenly looking very small under Monokuma's overpowering and persisting stare.

"Wow! Daddy's _amazing! _He has eyes everywhere without any technological assistance!" Monophanie gasps in awe, calming down now that there's obviously no more mystery about the second survival knife.

"So who was it then...?" Monosuke presses, all the monokubs save for Monodam and Monotaro huddling around Monokuma like it's story time. "Tell us who to crush into mushy cranberries!"

"Hehe, _I _won't be revealing it! Miss Marble knows who it was too, you know... It's quite obvious, after all. Also, there's no reason for her to give any other name than the right one, because I know who did it. So..." Monokuma and the three other kubs look my way where I stand with Rantaro and Monotaro, the red glow of Monokuma's left eye sending a chill down my spine as I meet his gaze. "Tell me who I'll be punishing."

_Not "tell me who did it", but "tell me who I'll be punishing". What is he implying with that? Is this is some sort of game to him? To see if I'll throw _ _Monotaro_ _, one of his lackeys, under the bus to save my own skin?_

_..._

It's not even a trap or a trick. Monokuma just wants to play with my emotions because he knows I'll say...

"Me," I hear myself say after a moment of thought, not even realizing I've spoken until I see everyone's reactions around me.

"P-Prairie? But why would you...and how-?" Kiibo stands up as he asks, to which I suddenly blurt out, "I didn't stay in my room all day yesterday for no _reason!_ I was going to come in yesterday morning, but the Exisal...! I couldn't just let them kill Kaito!"

"Then you-" I hear Kaede start, before I hear the sound of _"tsk"_ing from Monokuma interrupt her.

My eyes glaze over everyone else's expressions to look towards Monotaro- who is now facing Rantaro and I in visible panic and confusion at the fact I've just lied to take the fall.

At least I know something new though. Something that might help the others in the long run if I don't die right now and then another thing that is rather upsetting for all five of the monokubs.

_I know the _ _monokubs_ _ can be swayed now. Their _ _AI's_ _ are not as stuck on the deranged and twisted mindset _ _Monokuma_ _ appears to wholesomely have, but this also proves that the _ _monokubs_ _ are at the mercy of Danganronpa and _ _Monokuma_ _ as much as we are._

_...Unless that's what they want me to think? How am I supposed to figure out whether Monotaro is truthful in his intentions? What if I'm just lying to myself in desperation for some light at the end of a dark tunnel?_

_Where_ _ do I begin to search for the _ _truth?_

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 2.4 - Red is the Color of Sacrifice**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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	17. Disarming Interrogation

❀ _**2.5 - Disarming Interrogation**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Prairie Marble...here we are again. You just love to get yourself into trouble, don't you? You continue to oppose me, you ruin our things, and despite all the opportunities and chances we give you- you have still refused to correct your behavior," Monokuma speaks calmly, prompting an unnerving silence to fall among the rest of us in the room. "And to think it's only our third day! Who knows what you're capable of after a few weeks, or even months for that matter!"

No one says anything for a moment, but I'm sure everyone else registers his words with equal alarm at the implications.

"'Months'? What do you mean _'months'?!"_ Kaede demands, turning a blue-purple shade before shaking her head in disbelief. "We can't stay here months, w-what about food and water?! We'll run out of it eventually, there are seventeen of us here!"

"I _know! _I guess that means you better start thinning out your numbers with a few clever murders, am I right?" Monokuma laughs, flashing us a sharp and malicious toothy grin.

_This guy will say anything to convince us to kill each other, won't he?_

"Back to the topic at hand though!" Monokuma suddenly spouts angrily, setting his gaze back to where I'm standing with Rantaro. "Your actions have violated a very important rule, Miss Marble! Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly forbidden! Which means-!"

_"__ERRRRH__! Wr-__rrong__!" _Kokichi blurts out suddenly, rolling his 'r's playfully as he grins Monokuma's way. The dual toned monochrome bear turns to face the Ultimate Supreme Leader curiously. To be honest, I'm actually a little surprised to see the bear is willing to listen, especially since he can basically completely plow over anyone's opinion with his authority.

"Hm? Wrong about what? She destroyed my last body and stole a weapon she was not allowed access to yet. That's two reasons for me to punish her right here and right now!" Monokuma points out, prompting Kokichi to wag a finger.

"She didn't break any rules though. She was just up to mischief! When I look in Ye Old Monopad," Kokichi pauses to stand up and casually pull his own monopad out from the waistband of his pants, flicking around the screen with a casual hum before shrugging with exaggerated confidence in his findings. "Nope! I don't see anything in here about stealing. In fact, it says everything's pretty much on the table! As for your destruction...well, that's your own fault. You shouldn't have been in the Exisal's path anyways! Prairie Dog attacked your yellow-bellied son, and there's no rule against attacking the _monokubs__, _now is there?"

_...Well, he's technically right in all that sense and logic, but somehow I doubt that matters. _ _Monokuma_ _ makes the rules here, so-_

"Hey, wha'd you call me?!" Monosuke notices after a second, looking from Kokichi to Monokuma and back. "Furthermore, why _don't _we have a rule forbidding violence against us if-"

"I guess there _isn't_ any rules about that! Well then..." Monokuma turns to look my way, anger from earlier completely doused as he smiles and pats his belly almost as if completely at ease. "Looks like you're off the hook for now, Miss Marble!"

_Huh? Just like that? But-_

"Oh, that reminds me!" Monokuma continues, clapping his paws together eagerly. "Have any of you started planning a murder yet?"

"T-The killing game will continue then...?" That blue haired girl with glasses inquires, prompting the conversation to segue away from me and back to the killing game's resurrection as a result of Monokuma's unwanted but more or less unsurprising return.

..._There's no way he's letting me get away with all this. It may not be in the rules, but __Monokuma__ can make any rule he wants! Why would he just drop it like that? I don't understand. Maybe he'll punish me later when no one's watching? ...but then again, why would it matter whether the others see my punishment or not? Is he really _not _going to punish me after __Kokichi__ pointed out the logistics?_

"Absolutely! And for your collective consideration..." Monokuma turns and jumps on the table, causing dishes and cutlery to shake with clatters as he gives us all a deadly glare with the mechanical red glow of his left eye. "Since none of you want to step up to the plate and start off the killing game, it's time for an _extra motive!"_

"Eh?!" Tenko cringes, sweat dripping down her face as she steps back from the table with the other students once seated down. Unsurprisingly, no one wants to be close to Monokuma. "There can be _two?"_

"There can be as many as we want! We make the rules here, REMEMBER YA BASTARDS!" Monokid howls, throwing an arm around Monodam when the green bears nervously goes to approach Monotaro. At the contact, Monodam goes unnaturally rigid and sweats as if anticipating the worst.

_If you make the rules here, then why are you bears letting me get away with this? I don't get it, is this some kind of joke?_

"If a killing doesn't happen within two days and two nights from now...all students forcibly participating in the killing game will _cease to live!_ I will gather large quantities of Monokumas, multiply, and this school shall become a bear wilderness! If you don't want to be mixing up body parts with one another, get to killing!" Monokuma orders with uncanny deadliness, so much so that my stomach begins to ache at the thought of it.

"A time limit?!" Gonta gapes, red eyes wide as he looks at Manokuma's place on the table. The heartless bear is snickering along with Monokid, Monosuke, and Monophanie. Unlike those four- and what with the silence being normal in Monodam's case- Monotaro stays strangely silent.

"So...everyone will die?" Ryoma questions, one of the more composed individuals of our lot. Peeking up at my side, Rantaro appears to be keeping himself together just as well by the looks of it.

"You can't do that! It's not fair!" Tenko objects. "We just got Prairie back after thinking she was dead and you want us to go and _kill _someone else?! _No! _That's disgusting!"

"Well, you all don't want to participate in this killing game, what else do you expect? This is the Killing School Semester, not _Boy Meets World! _I expect you to be killing one another no matter how many bodies you've already piled up!" Monokuma declares, crossing his arms over his belly with a haughty look.

"How long do you want us to suffer? How far are you willing to go?!" Kiibo blurts out, cyan eyes glowing to almost a similar degree as Monokuma's.

"Suffer..." Monokuma tests the word out, though his tone makes my skin crawl as I register a lilt in his voice as if the word were some kind of delicious delicacy. "Well, if you kill each other, you won't need to suffer anymore, will you? Puhuhuhuhu~!"

Kaito narrows his eyes from where he is. "You bastard...!"

_Well that makes things ten times more difficult..._ _Kaede_ _ wanted us all to rally together in the beginning, but working together- aka, _ _ **not** _ _ killing one another is no longer in our favor if we all die for refusing to kill._

"Oh, the 'First Blood Perk' is still available by the way! Act now to win!" Monosuke chirps much to my confusion. My brow furrows and I tilt my head with a puzzled stare. Noticing my reaction, Monosuke straightens up in excitement. "Ah, that's right! Ugly has no idea what we're talking about since she was dead during that time!"

_These guys are just milking every last joke..._

"Well, to get everyone fired up for the killing game, we have an offer- or a _motive-_ up where the first person that kills gets to leave the school and graduate into the outside world scot-free! No class trial! No need to plan a murder mystery! All they need to do is slice open someone's throat to start the game up!" Monosuke supplies with an upbeat laugh. "So, whadda ya say, Ugly? You want to do the honors? You'll get to leave this place if you do!"

"HA! Considering all you've done to PISS US THE HELL OFF, we won't let your stay here be easy! You should take this opportunity while you have the chance," Monokid comments after his brother, leering with a grin.

"Trust us, Ugly! _You'll regret not doing it later~" _Monophanie adds, giggling at the end and twirling in delight.

All eyes fly to me, but I doubt I need to say anything my expression doesn't already obviously convey.

"She makes the ugliest faces...that's the _true _horror of the killing game!" The pink bear turns to look at the other ultimates with a pitying sigh. "What a shame you're all stuck with her."

"Shut up already! Get the fuck out!" Miu snarls both in annoyance and anger that even makes Kaede and Shuichi jump a little in surprise.

"Whatever you chose to do...is up to you! Do whatever you want! Whether it's to die with your 'friends' or to be the sole survivor...the choice is yours! _Puhuhuhu__!" _Monokuma mirthfully laughs, prompting me to scowl when he turns to look at me unexpectedly. "Actually...this gives me some good ideas on what to do with you later, Miss Marble. Try not to die just yet, okay? At least wait a few trials when we thin out those numbers."

_I hate the way he talks about everyone else like they're just toys._

I don't even realize what I'm doing up until I hear the objections of other students breaking through the haze of my rage. I step back into my senses right as I launch my sneaker at Monokuma with a surprisingly impressive force. The dual toned bear dodges, but rather than including that as "violence towards Headmaster Monokuma", he just laughs some more and gives me a wave.

"Until next time, Miss Marble!" Monokuma laughs as I wrangle my arm from Rantaro's grip and turn to leave, speed walking to stretch the distance between myself and everyone in the dining hall. Before I know it, I rip off my other shoe and throw it over my shoulder carelessly, picking up speed in my socks as I run around a corner and make my way towards the stairwell as fast as I can manage. My footsteps are thankfully quiet as I race my way up, making sure to keep close to the wall of the stairs so no one will see me if they look up. As I reach the top of the stairs, I bolt for the first room I see- just in case someone _is _on my tail.

_I just need to be __alone_ _for a minute. I need to think._

I open the door and close it quietly behind me as I enter, turning towards one of several similar classrooms to find a hiding spot and spotting some lockers near the back. I'm just about to run for them when I remember something Kokichi mentioned the other day.

_"Hey, you know you suck at hide and seek, right?"_

I look back at the door and up at the corner just above the doorway as a thought enters my mind.

..._I can climb that._

With careful movements and maneuvers, I use the edges of the door frame to get my legs up as I press my hands against the wall adjacent to it with force. Just as I get myself propped up against the ceiling, I tuck the dangling part of my skirt between my legs and gather my long hair up on my back right when the door suddenly opens beneath me.

Thank goodness I thought to climb up before they got here!

I honestly expect to see Rantaro waltz in, but instead...

"Hm..." Kaede hums as she looks around the room, Shuichi at her side as quiet as usual. "I guess she's not in here, huh? It's incredible how fast she runs. I guess it's all the muscle from rock climbing."

"Uh, y-yeah. Rantaro, Kokichi, and Kiibo said she has a knack of hiding though. Do you mind going on ahead without me and checking the other rooms with everyone else? I'll check this room out some more just to be sure we're thorough. I'll call you if I find her," Shuichi suggests much to my frustration, making Kaede look back at him with a confident nod of understanding.

"Alright then. See you in a bit!" Kaede answers, giving him a small wave and a soft smile as she turns to leave the room.

...

Shuichi stands at the entrance a few minutes before he closes the door behind Kaede's departing figure, making sure the click of the door is silent.

_What's he doing? Why's he..._

The Ultimate Detective looks straight up at me, like he knew from the very beginning when he walked in.

Flabbergasted and caught off guard by the eye contact, all I can do is stare back at him from where I am, up until Shuichi shifts his gold eyes uncomfortably and steps aside so he's no longer beneath me.

"Um...that's probably not too comfortable for you, so why don't you come down for a moment?" He inquires politely, his voice as disarming as it was back in the dining hall.

"Why? So you can call everyone over? So you can interrogate me some more? I just want to be alone right now. Is that a crime?" I huff, despite the fact that my nerves are rebelling against my bad attitude. My arms and legs are trembling a little from exertion and effort, and Shuichi seems to notice by the concerned look on his face.

"I-If I meant to call everyone over, I would have done so already. I'm not trying to interrogate you either, I promise. But...I really do think you should come down, I don't think-"

My grip slips and I feel air rush past me for a moment, up until arms wrap around me so I'm half slumped but not completely turned into a pancake on the floor. When I realize who's holding me, I stand up and jump back anxiously with a red face of frustration and embarrassment. Shuichi looks somewhat embarrassed as well, but substantially less.

At the same time, I grab my hair and fluff it over my red face as Shuichi angles his cap to hide his face- both of us blurting out "I'm sorry" in unison.

Surprised, we look back at each other wide eyed...and break into a few giggles and laughs of amusement as a result of our ridiculous similarities. The tension in the air fades, enough that by the time we stop laughing, nothing seems wrong. Well..._almost _nothing.

"Uh, Shuichi? If you're not here to interrogate me...why did you send Kaede away if you knew I was in here?" I inquire tentatively, shuffling my feet and feeling a small wave of embarrassment at my lack of sneakers.

"I figured you wouldn't appreciate being found out by too many people too early. Besides, this lets me have a moment to talk with you...and to apologize," Shuichi explains sheepishly, making my eyes widen a fraction in surprise. Why would he want to apologize? What for?

"What do you mean?" I inquire, puzzled by his words and going through my memories for any reason he would need to do such a thing.

"Earlier before Monokuma reappeared, I asked you where you were and everybody got the wrong idea because I got quiet...I didn't mean for that to happen. I got lost in my thoughts at the wrong moment. The last thing I wanted was for everyone to antagonize you when you just got back to us, so I apologize for that," Shuichi continues, his gold eyes shifting downwards as he tilts his hat over his eyes to obscure his expression.

"N-No!" I blurt out, guilty he feels like he needs to apologize for the attitude of the others. "Shuichi, you didn't snap at me or do anything wrong, you asked a perfectly valid question due to the nature of our situation. It's okay, you don't need to apologize."

"But..." Shuichi looks up, despite me being substantially shorter. I shake my head to ward off any more of his thoughts, casting him a friendly smile.

"I presume you don't want anyone around still, right?" Shuichi asks after a moment, prompting me to nod. "By the way...do you know you hit Rantaro with your other shoe when you left the dining hall? Had it been anyone else, I'm sure he would have been annoyed, but he seems to have boundless forgiveness for you. It honestly baffles me how open he seems with you."

My cheeks burn red with horror at the news, processing his words anxiously. I hit Rantaro with my shoe?! ...Dear lord, I'm a _disaster._

"W-What do you mean, 'for me'? He's nice to everyone...and actually, he chewed me out earlier this morning for tripping Kokichi. I don't care what Rantaro says, that leech deserved it as far as I'm concerned and I don't regret it one bit," I grumble moodily, crossing my arms with a scowl at the memory of what Kokichi had done...and a slight shiver of disgust at what _I _had to do to get back at him. Shuichi laughs nervously at my words, but doesn't press the topic.

"Ah, well Kokichi aside, Rantaro is a bit enigmatic to the rest of us. He can't remember his talent due to his corrupted memory and it always feels like he's alluding to something more. When you're around though...it's like he changes a little. I don't know, maybe I'm looking into it too much, but I think you're good for him, you know? I-I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries by saying something like that..." Shuichi trails off, voice growing quiet as I give him a surprised but honest smile.

"Thank you. I don't actually know if I'm good for him in any way, but I appreciate the sentiments, Shuichi. At any rate, he's probably a better influence for me and my..." I duck my head a little and make a bit of a face as I cover my jaw with my fluffy hair in embarrassment. "...bad attitude...don't tell him I said that though, okay? It's embarrassing. I may not think boys are degenerates like Tenko does, but some of you have a nasty habit of blabbing the first thing that pops in your head. Honestly, the worst offender is definitely Kokichi, but at least I expect that of him and have enough time to prepare for it."

Shuichi holds up his hands defensively, laughing sheepishly.

"Don't worry, I-I won't say a thing. I don't want to be on the receiving end of your wrath or anything," the Ultimate Detective states before I see him off handedly playing with his fingers. There's this look on his face like he's hesitating from saying something on his mind. He's not actually afraid of little ol' me, is he? Sure, it's refreshing, but I don't want him to stop talking to me because I might explode on him. I'm not _that _bad!

"Shuichi, I-I'm not gonna bite your head off or anything, you can relax. What's on your mind?" I inquire, obviously catching him off guard as I lean back against the wall and watch as he looks up at me with a timid guilty smile.

"That obvious, huh?" Shuichi pauses as if gathering his words together before continuing with, "I know I said I wasn't going to interrogate you, but I do have a question I wanted to ask after what happened in the dining hall."

_Well, I guess I can't really fault him for asking. He _ _ **is** _ _ the Ultimate Detective after all- it's in his nature to be questioning everything in his case._

"Alright. You can ask me, I guess. It might help us in this situation...but in return, I want to ask _you _a question. Deal?" I inquire, noticing an edge of hesitation from Shuichi by my words. "Listen, I'd like to put all mu trust in you. I want to. But it's not smart since I don't know you...so this is as good of a deal you're going to get if you want me to talk."

Shuichi swallows but eventually nods, body stiff as I push off the wall and grab the sleeve of his coat to pull him towards the desks where we can sit. Once we both settle in the seats, I take a quiet deep breath to prepare myself- just in case it's something I _can _answer.

"If you can't answer something because of Monokuma, just let me know, okay?" Shuichi speaks first, prompting me to kind of smile a little.

"Oh, so there's multiple questions? I knew it," I giggle a little, although I don't get up to leave since the idea doesn't quite bother me as much after talking to Shuichi for the past few minutes. He really _is _disarming in a way. I feel totally relaxed with him.

"Alright, so first...before you said Kokichi cornered you because he was waiting with his door open to listen for when you would come out, right? Out of curiosity, why didn't you seek someone out if you were awake at that time? None of us would have been upset to see you were alive and well, no matter the hour," Shuichi presses gently, hands folded in front of him on the table in a somewhat professional manner.

"I wanted to. I wanted to see Rantaro, but...stupid Kokichi wanted to see inside my room, so I had to stay and guard it so he wouldn't break into it with his lock picking," I explain, noticing Shuichi cock his head to the side at my statement.

"Why didn't you want him seeing your room? Just for snooping and private reasons, or...?" He inquires, brushing some of his bangs aside to see me a little better.

At first I look up at him in confusion, but then I remember he came in last with Kaede...and most of the people- maybe a little more than half of them or something- never heard about the situation with my room.

"I'd like to blame it on the fact I was tired and slept terribly, but honestly...I was just e-embarrassed of my room..." I admit, feeling my cheeks start to heat up and pulling my hair over my face to avoid looking up to see whatever incredulous expression Shuichi may be wearing. "I-I know it's stupid, but I felt _bad._ My room is completely empty, cold, and made of cement- practically a dungeon! I just felt like I had no right to complain because it was my own dumb choices against the monokubs that made them treat me like this. I deserve it for always disobeying them..."

I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose, not really expecting much of a response out of Shuichi. Because of that, I'm thoroughly surprised when he opens his mouth with a much different tone than I've heard from him thus far.

"Now hold on a second!"

I look up at him, jumping a little in surprise when Shuichi stands up- gold eyes radiant and determined as he rests his gaze on me.

"What do you mean you 'deserve it'? You don't deserve any of this! You may be a little reckless, but your actions are not _dumb _choices. Prairie, we're in a killing game and all you're doing is _objecting _to it. How can anyone be faulted for wanting to live? You've been fighting even harder than the rest of us, so much that Monokuma sees you as a genuine threat. Don't let him fool you into thinking you're doing the wrong thing by fighting back," Shuichi exclaims, making me gape up at him quietly as I absorb his words.

A beat or two passes where Shuichi just stands there staring me dead in the eye...and then seems to return to his senses as a blush of embarrassment coats his features with a rosy glow. Looking extremely mortified by his passionate outburst, Shuichi sits back down stiffly with wide eyes drilling into the desk between us. He looks just about as taken aback by his bold reaction as I am, but...

_He's right. When it's put like that, he's absolutely right._

"...I wasn't expecting that out of you, but I get it. I shouldn't have tried to hide it, trying to sleep in my room almost gave me hypothermia on top of everything. Kokichi ended up rallying Kirumi, Rantaro, and Kiibo to help once he finally broke in, but it could have been worse if he'd have maybe given up or something."

I shake the morbid thought out of my head and look back at Shuichi with a smile.

"Anyways, that's the mystery of my room. Any other questions?" I ask, earning a nod from Shuichi as he seems to relax a little more.

"My next question is, uh, how you were able to take down Monosuke's Exisal. I mean, those gaps in the machine are very narrow- and to pierce it would take a lot of accuracy as well as a lot of strength to cut the wires on top of it. So how did you do it? Something like that would require someone with capable skills in combat..." Shuichi trails off when my expression goes blank at his words. "...? What?"

_He's right, but...I've attributed that instance to being a result of my intuition rather than any pre-existing skill. Am I giving my abilities too much credit? It didn't work earlier when I tried to figure out what _ _Shuichi_ _ and _ _Kaede_ _ were being so secretive about._

_Presumably, it might not be an ability that just goes and pulls answers straight out of the void. I can probably test it out in the game room some more after this- I just need to make sure no one else is around to see me do it._

"There are a few extra rules Monokuma gave me to follow since I know more than the rest of you. I can't answer that question, or they'll kill me," I explain, prompting Shuichi to click his tongue a little in disappointment but nod in understanding. "Sorry about that."

"That's fine, your safety is more important. That question was more of a curiosity anyways. Even if you couldn't answer, I still learned something in that Monokuma prohibits you from speaking about it," Shuichi comments with a half smile, to which I smile back at in relief. I don't know why I get so nervous when I have to reject answering a question Monokuma doesn't want me to answer...Shuichi's right. I shouldn't feel ashamed about the things that are out of my control.

"Last question and I'll leave you alone," Shuichi continues, now folding his hands as if he's about to ask something...touchy. I steel my nerves and straighten up, waiting for him to continue. "What happened in the dining hall just now...you and Monotaro were acting strange when Monokuma brought up that issue with the knife."

_Oh. He noticed. That's not good- I definitely can't tell him about _ _Monotaro_ _, it could put both of them in danger, whether the red bear acting out is a ploy or not._

"I...can't tell you, Shuichi. I'm going to be honest- it's _not _because Monokuma put a rule against it, but because I think it's the smart thing to do right now," I explain with a low voice, biting my lip with uncertainty. "I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong- smart or _beyond _stupid...but I want all of us to get out of here."

I lift my head and look at Shuichi, making sure I keep direct eye contact with him.

"Unfortunately, making sure escape is possible means I need to keep a few things secret for everyone's sake. Even if it does mean people are less likely to trust me," I confess, watching as Shuichi swallows nervously. Spotting it, I cock my head to the side slightly and frown in mild confusion. He's looking at me weirdly again. It's the same look he gave me back in the dining hall... "Shuichi? Are you okay?"

...

Shuichi eventually gives me a timid smile and manages a nod like his head weighs a thousand pounds.

"Uh, yes- I'm okay!" He speaks up, standing and giving another anxious nod. "Right well, I guess I'll, um, leave you alone now in that case. Thank you for answering my-" Shuichi continues, already making his way to the classroom door to leave.

I stand up abruptly, shock and offense forming across my features. Is he trying to skip out on me?! I didn't get to ask him my question!

_"Hey! _Shuichi, wait!" I say as I jump around a couple of the desks. "I didn't get to ask-!"

Shuichi turns to look at me as I approach him, but he opens the door before I can pull him back.

Just as I reach out for his arm, the door is opened and pulled out of Shuichi's lax grip. I stop in my tracks when Rantaro and Kaede appear on the opposite side of the door, surprise coating their features when they see me behind Shuichi a few feet.

"Ah! You found her! I was _wondering _what was taking you so long!" Kaede chirps, none the wiser that Shuichi knew I was in there from the start and in actuality sent her away to talk to me alone. Kaede turns to look at Rantaro with a smile. "Well, I guess you want to speak to her alone, right? We'll be off for now in that case. Let us know if you need anything else later, okay? We'd love to help."

"Yeah, and thanks for the help," Rantaro casually answers with that velvet deep voice of his, offering the other two a wave while I shoot Shuichi a look and shake my head in obvious disappointment. His eyes widen as if he's just realized something and then he winces, Kaede taking his arm to pull him along out of our way. I'm not sure if Shuichi had forgotten his end of the deal and _accidentally _started to leave, or if he was purposefully dodging the question. Whichever it was though, I'm upset regardless.

Kaede offers me a smile and a wave, and I give her my most convincing plastic smile in my arsenal. As soon as she's no longer able to see me around the hallway, I roll my eyes and turn to walk into the classroom where I'd been sitting with Shuichi originally.

_Great, lecture time with Rantaro...again._

As Rantaro closes the door and enters, my eyes spot my maroon sneakers I'd abandoned in his left hand. He was nice enough to pick them up for me.

_Funny, I _ _don't_ _ see him being as nice as this with any of the others in the killing game. Probably because no one else is reminding him of his sister._

Rantaro takes a seat in the desk in front of me, sitting on the chair backwards. With a soft sigh, he gets comfortable and sets my shoes on the floor. Once he's completely situated, he faces me and our eyes meet.

_Here we go._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 2.5 - Disarming Interrogation**_****❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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	18. Invalid Trust

❀ _**2.6 - Invalid Trust**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

..._Why isn't he saying anything? We've been in here for several minutes and Rantaro has been totally quiet this entire time._

"What do you want? At least _say _something, you're weirding me out," I blurt out after a moment, prompting Rantaro to cast me a smile and rest his elbows on the backrest of the chair he's sitting on improperly.

"..." Rantaro still doesn't answer, but now he's actively studying my face. I give him a leer of confusion at first, but it eventually evolves into puzzled embarrassment when he leans forward over the chair to get a better look at me. At this point, my cheeks are red hot and I can't help but shrink back a little in my seat and yank my hair over my lower jaw to help regain some of my composure. "...You're a smart girl, Prairie. There's no doubt about that. So it baffles me why you go and try instigating these fights with Monokuma."

Rantaro isn't taking a scolding tone with me...yet. But still, I'm irritated despite it. For the moment, I just sit there and quietly wait for some elaboration from the green haired ultimate. It's obvious I'm still getting scolded for the most part, but he's taking a different approach this time it seems.

"...Are you sure you ought to be playing with fire like this? You really worry me with this behavior of yours and-"

"Then _stop _worrying. Other than those times we met in the other resets, we're strangers to each other too, you know? You shouldn't be so concerned about me," I cut him off, hating how unaffected he appears by my interruption or sudden verbal aggression.

"I could say the same thing about you, although...I was a little surprised considering _who _you were concerned about and took the blame for back in the dining hall, but still. You didn't have to do that. I'm worried for the same reason you were worried about...him," Rantaro continues, much to my annoyance.

Obviously he noticed. But why doesn't he just give up? This is ridiculous...if he's not going to give up willingly, I'll _make_ him.

I stand up from my seat and Rantaro abruptly does the same, paralleling a memory of the time in the gym when I'd punched him in the face.

"Are you sure it's the same reason? I don't see you doing the same with everyone else. Heck, it sounds like they hardly understand you at all, going by what Shuichi told me," I reply, voice an annoyed hiss as my irritation becomes more and more apparent.

"And you think you understand me?" Rantaro inquires, following me when I turn to head to the classroom exit. He's easily able to keep in step with me, even as I'm able to quickly slip past the desks in the classroom with my smaller body. I can't help but laugh a little at his question, considering how obvious the answer is.

"If I understood you, we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?" I ask rhetorically, grabbing the door handle and pulling at the door...only for it to remain unmoving in the door frame. As it stays stuck shut, I tug at it harder and even lean back to use my weight as a source of leverage. When it becomes clear that it's not about to open anytime soon, my eyes eventually land on the locking mechanism I failed to see on the door earlier. Rantaro was tinkering with the door for a while before he sat down with me, wasn't he...?

I slowly trial my eyes around to look at Rantaro, who is holding up a key in his hand, one which is then tucked in his pocket once I've seen it. Something about it tickles the back of my mind, but I'm too frustrated with Rantaro to focus on it. I shove the oddity of the key in the back of my mind to deal with later.

"So now you're locking me in rooms on top of scolding me like a child, huh?" I demand, fully facing the green haired teen and crossing my arms with a sharp glare.

"Well, I had a feeling you'd try and run away. Prairie, I don't enjoy this either, I really just want to talk to you. If by the end of it you still feel the same way you do right now, then I'll leave you alone just like you want," Rantaro insists calmly, a pleading expression across his features.

"Why? Nobody _wants _to be forced to talk," I respond, facing the door again to pull at the handle in search for a kink that's deteriorated- like most of the school is itself. If I'm lucky, maybe the handle might be so weak it breaks off.

"Prairie, stop that already, you're going to strain something," Rantaro comments, behind me to which I respond, "Maybe, but I fail to see how that's _your _problem. If I'm self destructing, it's none of your business. There's no 'we' in self destruct."

The door resists my pulling stubbornly, up until I lose my grip and fly back into Rantaro. He seems to more or less expect it, catching me easily and helping me up despite the swats I give him for his help. He still doesn't seem irritated, but he does look disappointed with me at the moment. Thankfully, he's not the "I told you so" type, or I'd be even more infuriated with him.

"Then I'm making it my business if you're going to openly admit you're a danger to yourself," Rantaro huffs as I increase the space between us. I bump into the door again and Rantaro steps forward carefully, only stopping when I put up my fists and narrow my eyes at him. He wisely takes that step of his back in a retreat at the threat.

"So you'd punch me again then?" Rantaro queries, though unlike that other time, he appears somewhat amused by it.

"If it'll get the message through your thick skull, yes," I lie right through my teeth, hating how Rantaro sort of smiles and looks up thoughtfully as he runs a hand through the back of his hair.

"Alright, that sounded like a lie to me, but..." He starts off calmly, composure ever so steady while I seeth dangerously from where I'm standing at his aloof behavior. "Go ahead and punch me again if you want."

_...What? Is he doubting me _ ** _again_ ** _? Even knowing I've already punched him before successfully? Or did he not believe Kokichi?_

"You don't think I will?" I demand, temper igniting to more dangerous levels at the challenge.

"Oh no, I really do think you'll punch me. I still feel the last one, though before Kokichi said anything I had no idea it was because I got punched in the face," Rantaro admits with that small smile still on his face, thought he seems to sober up after a moment to explain himself. "I'm gonna let you do it because it seems like you have a lot of steam to let loose. It's not good to bottle it all up inside, so...I might as well be your temporary punching bag."

_Like it's good to be someone _ _ **else's** _ _ punching bag in that case?! What's with this double-standard on unhealthy behaviors?! This is the freaking part I don't understand about him, why is he always like this? Why is he such a big weirdo?!_

I raise my fist for a moment and watch Rantaro tighten his jaw, already prepared for the impact of my knuckles. Just as I pull my arm back to wind up the punch however...I pause.

_...Of course I don't want to punch him again. I hated it after I had punched him before the first time, there's no way I can do it again. But I'm still upset with him._

I lower my fist and look away, feeling my cheeks warm up in annoyance and embarrassment in the wake of my empty threat.

"I hate you."

"...If that were true, I think you'd punch me in the face," Rantaro comments after a moment, making the mistake of reaching out to brush some hair behind my ear.

I slap his hand away, right at my wits end with him.

_"God! _Why are you acting like you care about me?!" I burst out, prompting Rantaro to reel back, visibly surprised by my outburst going by the shock embedded across his gaping features.

"Wha-? _Acting? _Prairie, I'm not-" Rantaro tries to speak for himself, but I cut him off immediately.

"Stop it! The only reason you're nice to me is because I remind you of your sister _and that's it!" _I snap, feeling an awful jab of pain in my chest when I see this sudden stiffness ripple across his entire form, like I've hit a nerve or something. Guilty, I turn to the door again. "Just leave me alone. Don't pretend I'm someone I'm not."

My heart pounds as I pull the door a little more, eventually giving up on finding a kink and instead resorting to pounding my fist on the door to get someone's attention.

"Kaede? Shuichi!" I call out, since I doubt Rantaro will be nice enough to let me out after that look I saw on his face after I said what I said. Clearly his sister is a sensitive topic to be avoided unless he brings it up himself. Not that it matters much anymore though. With what just happened, there's no way he'll want to talk to me ever again.

I hear nothing on the other side of the door at first, but eventually the sound of footsteps make their way to the classroom door and-

"Sorry, those two aren't available right now, please leave a message!" I let out a breath of relief at who the voice is, since it's who I meant to have Shuichi and Kaede find if they were the ones that would have answered.

"Kokichi! Can you unlock the door please?" I ask, hearing an amused hum of interest from the teen on the other side.

"Hm. Isn't Rantaro in there with you? Why isn't _he _opening it?" Kokichi inquires, making me frown a little. Why does that matter?

"He wanted to talk to me, but we're done talking. Please let me out!" I press again, bouncing on my toes as my eagerness to leave rises.

"Why should I? I don't wanna lock pick anymore today. I worked my fingers off breaking into your room last night!" Kokichi responds, making the door shift as if he were leaning back against it. "Sorry, Prairie Dog, that's a _no _from me."

_"Leech!" _I shout at the door, slamming my fist on the door again. "Let me out!"

"No!" He shouts back in a mocking and annoying voice, breaking off into his trademark laugh.

I'm just about to open my mouth and convince him when I feel Rantaro wrap his arms around my waist, making me cry out in surprise and freeze up as I'm carried far back to the end of the classroom, where he sits me down away from the door.

_He's mad, he's definitely mad, maybe I shouldn't have said anything about his sister, he probably misses her and I made it worse by talking about her and-_

"I'm sorry, Prairie," Rantaro interrupts my troubled mind, making me look up in complete surprise and fall silent as I see my green haired companion staring down at me sympathetically rather than in a disappointed manner.

"...Huh?" I ask, bewildered by the change in his tune. _He's _the one apologizing? What? Why would he need to? Is there something he did that completely flew over my head like it had when Shuichi apologized for accidentally giving off the impression I was up to suspicious activities?

At my questioning gaze, Rantaro sits down on the desk next to me.

"Well, my mentioning of you reminding me of someone in my family...I mean, I didn't realize I'd told you about my sisters before, and I didn't mean to make you feel I only liked you because of your similarities to one of them," he continues, hitting the nail right on the head in that sense, but...

_'Sisters'? As in...more than one? Plural?_

"Prairie? What's wrong? You're sort of making a funny face," Rantaro speaks up again, green eyes studying me curiously.

"...No, nothing," I answer after a second, honestly confused as I think back to when Rantaro mentioned his sister in the first reset. I can't quite remember what he had said before, but I thought... "It's probably nothing, I must have misunderstood back then or I'm not remembering it right."

"Misunderstood what?" Rantaro presses after a second, making me look back at him to see that he's very curious about whatever I have on my mind.

"Um..." I start, looking down at the table when his gaze becomes too much for me. "Well, during the first reset when you were cleaning the cut on my arm, you mentioned I reminded you of your little sister..."

My hand drifts to the stitched "X" shaped gash on my bicep thoughtlessly on impulse. It doesn't ache anymore, thankfully. My pain threshold must be really good for both the burn and the cut to not hurt anymore.

"The way you said it, I could have sworn you only had _one _sister," I explain, meeting his suddenly blank expression nervously and immediately feeling like I've done something wrong. As soon as I see it on his face, I hold up my hands and laugh anxiously. "L-Like I said though, I probably got the wrong message or I'm not remembering it correctly!"

"...Does that stutter mean you're not mad at me anymore?" Rantaro suddenly asks with a playful smile, one that half of me notices sort of hides this critical look I can barely make out in his eyes. Considering it soon vanishes when my cheeks start to heat up at his words, I chalk it up to my imagination and instead look away quietly with puffed cheeks of annoyance. "Guess not, huh."

His laugh only annoys me more, giving me the slight impression he's not taking my frustration with him seriously.

"Anyways...I have twelve younger sisters," Rantaro drops casually, prompting me to whip my head back his way as my annoyance contorts into disbelief.

_"Twelve?!" _I blurt out, giving the relaxed but somewhat proud looking teen an incredulous look. "No way."

"Yes way. I have twelve sisters, and I'm the big brother to them all," Rantaro explains with a somewhat sad look in his eye, though it's gone as soon as I think I spot it, replaced with amusement when I stare back at him to see if he's lying. Twelve is extremely _excessive._

He takes a moment of my awe and contemplation to reach out and fix my bow after I find no disingenuity in his eyes, smiling more when I don't slap his arm away since I'm trying to wrap my head around the news.

"My god...your poor mother."

Rantaro turns away to sputter in sudden laughter, one that frustratingly makes my heart skip a beat when he looks back at me and shakes his head.

"No, no. They're all step-sisters. We all have the same father but different mothers, though it doesn't change how I feel about them. Each one of them are unique in some way, you know? I don't have any favorites..." Rantaro moves his hand to poke my nose, making me jump a little in surprise. "In that sense, you ought to have realized no matter your similarities to my sisters, you're also different from them too. Unlike you, the sister in question I was probably referring to is not as rambunctious as you. She's a bit lazy like Himiko actually, but maybe not as bad as she has it...also, she doesn't punch me or throw shoes at me."

My cheeks heat up again at the call-out, making me cover my jaw with my fluffy hair in embarrassment.

"Feel free to apologize whenever you feel comfortable."

"...no," I respond, still irritated with him since I don't quite believe his claims that he's nice to me for any other reason than my similar traits to his sister...one of apparently many.

"Hm. Look at that, you're also more stubborn. Nothing like any of my sisters, actually," Rantaro comments much to my mild offense. I jump to my feet and march towards the classroom door again, hearing Rantaro sigh heavily and glancing back to see him get up to follow me. By the time he's up, I speed over and grab the door handle in time as he catches my waist and lifts me up to try and carry me back to the end of the classroom.

"Kokichi, _get me out of here!" _I call out as I keep my grip on the handle to prevent Rantaro from taking me back.

"Prairie, come on, you're being over dramatic," Rantaro tries to calm me down, prompting laughter on the other side of the door as a result of his statement. My cheeks are like fire at this point, rage seething from my inner being's core.

"Ha! And you said _I _was the drama queen? Eat your heart out, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi laughs outside in the hall, clearly amused by my suffering.

Rantaro manages to unpeel my white knuckled grip from the door handle and hauls me back to where we were previously. As he sits me down, I shoot him a scathing scowl and cross my arms. The green haired guy just laughs off my glare in awkward embarrassment as he takes a seat beside me.

"How are you not done yet? You can't keep me here forever and you can't force me to like you," I point out, eyeing Rantaro suspiciously for his intent.

"I can't force you, you're right, but I just want to make sure you aren't mad at me because of any misunderstandings. Prairie, do you think I'd be trying this hard for your favor if I didn't like you or only liked you for your minor similarities to my sister?" Rantaro questions, making me slouch in my seat defiantly.

"...no, I guess not..." I reluctantly answer.

"I'm here because I honestly like you. I like how sweet you can be, I like that you value everyone here even when you get mad at them. Admittedly, your feistiness can be amusing at times- when you _aren't _trying to maul anyone. Not to mention your jealousy of my sister is somewhat charming in a way and-" Rantaro has to cut himself off to stand up and catch me when I launch myself out of my desk to try and make a break for the door again.

This time, my attempted escape is not out of anger, but horror and embarrassment. No one likes being called out as "jealous". _Nobody._

_"Kokichi!" _I call out again, this time louder and obviously begging for rescue- or if not that, the mercy of being put out of my absolute misery. Unsurprisingly, my pleas go entirely ignored by the useless violet waste of space outside the room.

"It's okay, it's okay! Come on, Prairie, there's no shame in it. I'm flattered you value my attention. It makes me happy knowing you like me too, you know?" Rantaro comments, making me hide my red face with my hair as I take a step back from him. "So...are we still friends then?"

Rantaro holds out a hand for me to take, which I drop some of my hair to look at dubiously.

...

"You exhaust me and I hate you."

Rantaro's expression is a smiling one- which goes stiff as I say my honest thoughts I have of him. Before he can respond in any other way though, I submit to my real feelings and push his hand aside to hug him instead and hide my face in his shirt.

"But I _guess _we're still friends," I add sheepishly, smiling a little when I feel him hug me back tightly with a laugh. "You know you're one of the weirdest people of our entire group, right? Who willingly offers to be punched to make someone _else _feel better?"

"Am I really? When we have people like Miu and Kokichi running around here?" Rantaro asks curiously, making me look up to nod firmly and prompting him to laugh more as a result. "Well, if you say so."

Rantaro takes my hand and leads me back to the desks I'd been using to converse with Shuichi, picking up my shoes and offering me them. I take them with a smile and sit down, pulling them on as Rantaro quietly watches me untie and retie the laces to fit my feet.

"About Shuichi, Prairie...you don't have to answer, but what were you two talking about in here before Kaede and I found you two? I mean, you were both in here for a while," Rantaro asks seriously as I finish tying my last shoe and look up at him from my seat.

"Oh. Well, at first he just wanted to apologize because he felt bad that he made everyone suspicious of me in the dining hall. He asked me a few questions about my room after that, namely why I didn't come out earlier and what was wrong with my room in the first place," I tell him, flattening my socks and my skirt as I stand up again and start walking with him to the door.

"Anything else?" Rantaro inquires, fishing the key for the room out until I put my hand on his arm to stop him at the realization of what's been bothering me regarding the key as it jumps out from the back of my mind.

"Wait a minute...Rantaro, where did you get a key for this room? Actually, since when did any of the classrooms have locks anyways?" I question now that it's been brought to my cognizance.

"It was just hanging right here by the door," Rantaro comments, tapping what appears to be a copper hook by the door frame as he unlocks the room door and opens it so we're able to see Kokichi just on the other side. Before the Ultimate Supreme Leader can open his mouth to get a word in, I speak up again.

"That's suspicious. This room might have something of interest in that case, especially with a locking mechanism that needs a key for _both _sides of the door," I comment, turning my back to the other teen purposefully to give the room a once-over.

"Well, putting that aside for now, I sort of have a weird question for both of you. Does the term 'Ultimate Hunt' ring any bells for you guys?" Rantaro asks both Kokichi and I, the former in question twirling a lock of his hair casually as he listens to us.

"Nope. What's that supposed to be?" Kokichi asks with an aloof yawn before noticing Rantaro's gaze glued to me when I don't answer. Kokichi looks at me as well until I respond, "I can't answer that."

Both boys give me unique looks of curiosity, but thankfully neither press the fact anymore. Although...why and _how _would Rantaro know about that? Rantaro shouldn't have the memory of even just the name of the Ultimate Hunt, it should have been erased with the last reset we'd gone through. There's really only one possibility why he would know it- however vague.

_So then...it's not just Shuichi and Kaede that know something the rest of us don't. They aren't the only one keeping secrets...Rantaro has secrets of his own as well._

Just like that, my heart gives this painful thud of betrayal. How quickly just a simple curious question in the killing game can completely invalidate an entire heart-to-heart conversation and shatter trust in the blink of an eye. Somehow, just knowing he's keeping secrets- especially _after _so many attempts to regain my favor- makes me feel even worse than I had felt under the pretense of thinking he didn't care about me at all for my individuality.

In all actuality, maybe it would have hurt less realizing this if he _hadn't _apologized and insisted he cared in the first place. It feels like a sucker punch to the face.

I turn away silently and start walking towards the stairs, only taking a few steps before hearing Rantaro speak up.

"Prairie?" He asks in obvious confusion by my sudden departure.

_No, I am _ _ **done ** _ _talking to you. _ _ **Very ** _ _done._

"Like I said before, you can't force me to like you. Leave me alone," I throw back over my shoulder, an obvious mood swing that doesn't appear to go unnoticed by either of the boys I leave as I reach the stairs and head back down to the first floor.

I don't stop walking until I get outside of the main school building where I can see the so called "Wall of the End", looming over me as a reminder of just how trapped we all are with one another.

_To do list: go to the game room to test my intuition or...climb. Get a better look around the school and a closer view of the weird sky that's been bothering me. Considering I don't want to run into Rantaro anytime soon right now, at least until I'm less irritated with the revelation of his secret keeping- climbing is my best bet._

I look down at my clothes with an annoyed sigh, now completely regretting the fact I have a skirt on. Skirts are cute and I like them, but there's no way I can climb with this on. To make matters worse, my other clothes are-

A yelp of surprise escapes me as something red and white catapults into me suddenly like a tornado, jumping off and landing in front of me as I register the familiar orange and black ultimate outfit I'm once again wearing.

"It's a different one from the other outfit! N-Now you have three things you can switch out wearing! Monophanie can't take it away from you either this time- because I asked Father for permission first!"

I look up to see Monotaro in front of me, looking eager to please and immediately shuffling his small red and white feet sheepishly once my eyes land on him. At the sight, I feel some of my original bitterness settle.

How ironic. Somehow the person that's supposed to be my friend made me feel bitter, but a person I should fear due to their assisted role in my imprisonment makes me feel better. Is this some sort of stockholm syndrome type of thing that's beginning to afflict me or something?

"...Y-You aren't mad at me, are you?" Monotaro surprisingly asks, voice so small that I bite my lip so I don't allow myself to _completely _drop my guard.

"No, I'm not. Thanks for trying to help, I do appreciate it. However...unless you want Monokuma to kill _you, _don't worry about me," I suggest, sighing and walking over to pat the bear's head in a short moment of cease-fire. Monotaro jumps a little at my touch and leans into my palm a little before I stand up again to continue my way to the wall. "I'll be fine."

Although I've advised Monotaro to forget about me, he still follows me when I walk through the courtyard- going around the strange cage structure and to the far end where we can look up at the impossibly tall wall of rock I've planned to climb.

_Well, here goes nothing._

"Good luck!" Monotaro blurts out as I remove my gloves and tuck them under my belt, flexing my only _slightly _raw left hand with the burn before I reach into my chalk pouch to coat my palms and fingers. I look back at Monotaro and manage a smile, even though I'm still wary of the bear's intentions.

"Thank you," I say, turning back to the wall.

With all that needs to be said spoken, I begin to scale the wall, hoping to god my muscle memory as the Ultimate Rock Climber holds strong and doesn't betray me mid free-solo.

It would suck to fall to my death this early, that's for sure...

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 2.6 - Invalid Trust **_❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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	19. Celebrity Status

❀ **_2.7 - Celebrity Status_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"S-She's climbing it?! But it's impossible!" I hear the slow familiar voice of Himiko maybe a few feet below, making me turn my head curiously to look down at the ground about twenty feet away.

There's several people watching me from the grassy courtyard, this including Himiko, Gonta, Tenko, Miu, and Ryoma.

_Impossible? No it isn't, I just have to trust my footing and balance is all._

"She can do it! Perfect Blitz is amazing!" Miu argues as I look back up to keep climbing, feeling my stomach churn just slightly in embarrassment at the idea of being observed in my endeavors. There's hardly a thing I can do to hide the red dust that coats my cheeks since my climbing sort of takes _all _my available limbs to do.

"She's so high up...it's much different seeing it in person rather than seeing it on a magazine," Tenko coos thoughtfully with a smile, none of the five below really making an attempt to actually try talking to me even though I'm not even all that far away from them.

"You think _this _is high? When you know the scales she's capable of climbing?" Ryoma questions curiously with ease, looking in no way bothered when Tenko sputters a 'degenerate male' remark his way.

"Gonta can climb too, but Gonta rather stay on ground. Better in case Small Prairie fall. Then Gonta catch with meat shield body," Gonta also sweetly adds his input, putting a smile on my face at his thoughtfulness. Something tells me there's no way I'd fall- at least not from my own mistake- but it's nice Gonta has thought of a way to watch my back.

"That's great and all, but check out her _ass! _WOOO! That's a behind worthy of a celebrity, I'm tellin' ya!" I hear Miu drop suddenly, making me pause momentarily as I hear both Tenko and Gonta gasp in a distraught manner. At that point, I can't help but speed up my climbing to increase the distance between me and the others.

I'll just pretend she didn't say that.

It doesn't help that I have my hair tied back in a messy bun with my orange ribbon, making it pretty much impossible to even duck my head to hide my now completely ruby red features.

"...you're embarrassing her," Himiko huffs, prompting an offended noise of confusion from Miu as she elaborates. "Look at her, Prairie's like a tomato up there, she's obviously embarrassed about having her well-rounded glutes called out."

_Then why are you making it worse by calling my _ _ **embarrassment ** _ _out and putting it under the spotlight? Doesn't _ _Himiko_ _ know you're supposed to let the source of the embarrassment die away without addressing it?!_

"W-What is she doing?! Why is she climbing the wall?! The monokubs said it was impossible, she's gonna hurt herself!" The sound of Kiibo's arrival makes me look down again, his cyan blue eyes meeting mine. "Prairie, get down, that's dangerous!"

Finally someone that talks directly to me.

"It's okay, don't worry about it! I've got it!" I try to reassure Kiibo, who shoots me an incredulous look in response.

"No! No it's not _'okay'!_ What if you fall?!" Kiibo presses, prompting Gonta to respond with, "If Small Prairie fall, Gonta catch her!"

"...okay, but once she goes higher, catching her won't do any good. In fact, trying to catch her at a fall from that distance would probably kill you too," Ryoma cautions the well meaning Gonta as I continue climbing higher and higher.

_I'm not coming down no matter what they say, but...this all seems to easy considering the _ _monokubs_ _ said the wall was impossible to climb. Were they referring how it's all a slab and involves very precise smearing to traverse what little foot holds and grips are present, or...something else? 'Cause I don't think they were talking about the metal part of the wall for some reason._

Guess now's a good time to test if it's working again.

I close my eyes for a moment and pause my climbing to wipe sweat from my forehead, making it appear like I'm taking a momentary break when in actuality...

_"Give up, Ugly! Not even the Ultimate Rock Climber like you can climb it!"_

...Nothing useful. Just a flashback.

_Maybe I should have gone to the game room first before climbing this...but I didn't want to run into Rantaro again._

I can still hear conversation below, but my mind doesn't make an attempt to clear out what's specifically being said, voices like white noise as I resume my climbing with a heafty exhale. It'll probably take a while- a _long _while- before I get to the top of the climbable portion of the wall. Even just a good several feet away from the midway point of the wall, at level with a few of the buildings, my arms and legs are burning from effort and strain.

At this point, I can safely admit to myself I really _am _the Ultimate Rock Climber. Looking down, most of the people from before are still watching from below, though it appears Kaito and Shuichi have joined them.

Since I'm mostly peering down to see the other Ultimates below, I almost overlook Monokuma sitting on top of the cage structure I'm about at eye-level with, blinking in surprise as I see him.

"Trying to find a way out despite all the warnings, huh, Miss Marble? How annoyingly fascinating! ...didn't I tell you try not to die just yet though? You call this obedience?!" The dual toned bear comments, standing up to stamp one of his soft feet in disapproval.

"I'm not gonna die from a little climbing, Monokuma," I respond, eyes narrowed on the bear as I scan some of the ground area to see if some of his less-than-pleasant kubs are around. It seems like Monotaro vanished once I'd started climbing, so he's not around anymore, but I can see Monosuke near the other ultimates with Monophanie, the yellow bear clearly annoying the others by what I can tell from their body language. "What do you want anyways? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Monokuma's stance relaxes as he puts his paws under his chin with a charming smile.

"Ah, Prairie Marble...I haven't taken as much of an actual interest in a killing game contestant as I had since the Ultimate Hope made himself known. People like you and him are one in a million, I tell ya. Nothing like the rest of the nobodies."

_The way he says it...is a little strange._

"What do you mean 'nobodies'? Like everyone who isn't an ultimate is worthless or something? Monokuma, the way you devalue human life makes me sick. They're people too," I growl, prompting the monochromatic bear to laugh.

"I'm not only talking about those talentless cretins! I mean everyone in the killing games too! Even ultimates are mostly copy-and-paste individuals that lack flavor...all except for you and the Ultimate Hope. Maybe...I _could _be looking a little too much into you. You'll probably die and I'll get back to the regular old killing game, realizing the mystery of you is as meaningless in the grand scheme of things as you are!" Monokuma giggles mirthfully. "We will see, won't we, Miss Marble? Go ahead. Keep trying. Keep climbing. The higher you climb, the harder you'll fall in the end. _Puhuhuhuhu__~!"_

My gut is a pit, swirling with discomfort at his playful yet unnerving words. Eventually I manage to get a grip on my feelings and ask, "Why us?"

"What do you mean 'why'? There is no 'why', Miss Marble. You were all just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Monokuma finalizes, giving me no chance to ask or add anything as he turns to give me his back and jumps along the cage bars to slide down where the other students are with Monosuke and Monophanie. Monokid and Monodam have also appeared at this point, leaving Monotaro as the only monokub not present.

_We were at the wrong place at the wrong time...hm. Rantaro said in the second reset that the killing game always consists of only ultimates. Isn't _ _Monokuma's_ _ answer supposed to be more along the lines of, "because you all are ultimates"? "Wrong place, wrong time" implies we were just randomly snagged when we were all thrown in the Danganronpa van..._

_Should I even be trusting _ _Monokuma's_ _ implications in the first place?_

_Presumably with no one having (or at least in regards to _ _Kiibo_ _, _ _Korekiyo_ _, _ _Kokichi_ _, and _ _Gonta_ _), it almost seems as if maybe save for Rantaro and I, everyone else was just snatched up and given an ultimate talent at random to fit the criteria of the killing game. It sounds outlandish, but it's not outside the realm of possibilities, right? I won't put all my eggs in one basket though, it could be something else. In the fourth reset, I remember the bears saying the Ultimate Hunt erased our memories and made us into normal people._

_I can't wrap my head around this, everything's so convoluted!_

"PRAIRIE! ARE YOU OKAY?" I hear Kiibo call up, voice much louder than a normal human might be able to muster. I look down where everyone is and bite my lip. Even if I tried, they probably wouldn't hear me from up here- not unless Kiibo also has a great sound receiver built into him. I could always flash a thumbs up, but...

Glancing up at the ways I have to go to reach even halfway up the climbable segment of the wall, I replay Monokuma's words in my head again.

_"The higher you climb, the harder you'll fall in the end."_

...

"CAN YOU HEAR ME, OR SHOULD I RAISE THE VOLUME OF MY VOICE?" I hear Kiibo again, smiling a little despite myself. Kiibo's really funny- even though he hardly ever means to be. I guess it's just a robot thing.

I look back at the cage structure Monokuma was once standing on and sigh, closing my eyes.

_Please don't fail me now. Information attempts are one thing- trusting my life on it is a whole 'nother thing._

Before I can chicken out, I kick off the wall as hard as I can to jump down to the top of the cage structure with my eyes closed. The sound of the other ultimates below gasping and shouting in obvious panic doesn't make me falter in the slightest, keeping my mind trained on my body's movement and trajectory. My eyes only pop open in honest surprise when I land with both feet on one of the slim metal bars easily, legs bent and feet firmly balanced on my landing.

_It worked! I made a nearly impossible landing! ...I really need to visit the game room to test my intuition out, this is insane._

"PRAIRIE MARBLE, ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE US HEART ATTACKS?!" I hear Kiibo shrill from below, prompting me to turn my head down towards them just when I hear the unintelligible snapping of Miu making a response beside him. This is closely followed by Kiibo's reply to her- with no volume change, mind you, "I KNOW I DON'T HAVE ONE, BUT I HAVE AN EQUIVALENT FUNCTION THAT'S SIMILAR TO IT. DON'T BE ROBOPHOBIC."

I break into a smile that I hide with my arm, giggling to myself as Miu visibly shrinks back at the volume of Kiibo's voice. Her bravado visibly evaporates from her at the clap back, even though I'm pretty sure Kiibo had no intentions to yell at her- only sounding so due to retaining that ridiculously loud volume. Kiibo barely spares Miu another glance, turning to me instead as if he didn't notice he scared the blonde inventor half to death.

"PLEASE BE CAREFUL!" Kiibo quips, this time earning a thumbs up of understanding from me. When I shift and hug the bar to start sliding down it quickly at a rather perilous speed however- "YOU CALL THAT _CAREFUL_?!"

As I near the bottom I start to slow my speed by squeezing the bar more, but Gonta races over to the particular bar I'm sliding down. Since I see him there, I abandon caution and just let him catch me at the bottom with a smile. I could have honestly handled it, but if Gonta wants to help, then I'll let him.

"Thank you," I beam to Gonta, climbing out of his hold as the other Ultimates head on over to join us. Gonta is visibly delighted by my comment despite how mundane it is, leaning on over to even help me down on my feet like I weigh nothing. For Gonta, that's probably how it actually is though, he looks like he could suplex a train without breaking a sweat.

_Should I just leave? _ _Kiibo_ _ looks like he's about to pull a Rantaro and scold me again like he did back when I nearly clocked him in the face with a door._

In the end, I stay rooted where I am and wait for my punishment with a small sigh.

"Aw...it would have been better to see her go splat..." Monophanie laments upon approaching Gonta and I, yet again spouting her totally unnecessary comments as per usual.

"Do you want me to use you as a kick ball, you pink parasite?" Tenko is quick to drop on the pink dual toned bear, though Monophanie just looks up at the Ultimate Aikido Master with a casual stare.

"We still have two Exisals," the bear reminds Tenko thoughtfully, only for Tenko to persist undaunted with, "And you monokubs still aren't protected by any of Monokuma's rules."

"Well, we're gonna fix that soon so don't worry about it!" Monosuke snaps defensively, clearly upset to hear that point brought up again. It must really bother him to know they're unprotected...I wonder how he'll react when he realizes Monokuma doesn't actually care about him or the other kubs.

It's during the time that the bears scatter and disappear snickering to one another that Kiibo stomps his way past everyone to get to Gonta and I, wearing a visibly agitated expression across his pale synthetic features. Had his body not consisted of so many mechanical components, I'd honestly think I was actually looking at just a really pale human.

"PRAIR-" Kiibo winces in realization when I flinch and grab Gonta's arm at the eardrum blasting volume of his voice, the robot flicking at some things on his neck before resuming his initial composure. "Prairie, that was the most _reckless _thing I've ever witnessed in the entirety of my existence! How could you do something so dangerous as jumping on an unreliable structure from such a high distance? What if something had happened?!"

He almost reminds me of Rantaro a little, though with slightly more aggression for my safety and...glossy eyes?

"If I could show emotion with tears, I _would! _We're all supposed to get out of here together and be friends- how do you expect we do that if you're throwing yourself into danger at every given moment? Rantaro isn't the only one that cares, you know?"

This should have been obvious, but it still sort of knocks the air out of me to hear it blatantly stated to my face like that.

"Kiibo, I get that you're concerned, but as far as Rock Climbing? She's totally safe up there, trust me! Perfect Blitz has jumped from distances much higher and more precarious than what she just pulled here," Kaito cuts into the conversation, resting a hand on Kiibo's shoulder in a show of understanding. "Don't forget she's the Ultimate Rock Climber for a good reason."

Kaito flashes Kiibo a blinding grin and a thumbs up before turning his attention to me. Just like that, my blood pressure jumps back up. Why do I feel like the scolding somehow isn't over by the way Kaito's looking at me?

"Although...you still do worry a lot of us. For other reasons of course, but Kiibo's right when he says we want to get out of here together. What you did for me back when Monosuke was going for me...I honestly can't think of any way to repay you and I can't help but think that me even being as grateful and thankful as I am might end up somehow enabling you even more."

Kaito reaches up and plays with his goatee thoughtfully, looking up at the wall I'd been scaling as if the answers to his questions are up there somewhere.

"...Ah, what the hell! You're a smart girl, you'll just think of a way to get out of whatever trouble you get into!" Kaito laughs boisterously all of a sudden, giving his words no other thought and opening his arms with a jolly smile. "Come 'ere and gimme a hug so I can thank you properly!"

"So much for not enabling her..." Ryoma mumbles from where he is, a tint of amusement coloring his comment as I eye Kaito nervously.

Kaito wants a hug? B-But...that's so much human contact with a boy I barely know...!

After a moment's thought, I chicken out and turn my back on Kaito with a completely red face, covering my embarrassing blush with my hands and ducking behind Gonta for protection.

"Moron...you don't just go asking for hugs from celebrities...it's creepy," Himiko accuses Kaito with a bit of a sharp look, prompting the Ultimate Astronaut to lower his arms in honest confusion as he glances her way.

"Huh? But I was only- _hey! _I'm not a moron!" Kaito is soon complaining, his expression incredulous and upset.

"Himiko, guys shouldn't be asking for hugs from _any _girls. Prairie _or _Kaede!" Tenko argues, though obviously for misandrist reasons than anything else.

"That's absolutely right! Besides, if you want to hug Prairie Dog, you can't ask her! You need to just go in for it like _this~!"_

"Punk, don't you DARE-!" Miu audibly starts to shout to someone behind me.

The sneaking scoundrel's familiar voice makes a chill of horror run up my spine when I realize _who's_ about to do _what_ behind me. I only manage to take one step before two arms snap around me hard and lift me up off my feet. A squeal in surprise escapes me as the person spins me around with a laugh, making me wriggle to free myself to no avail. They only drop me to run away when Tenko suddenly flies past Gonta and I- the fighting girl's expression dead set on catching Kokichi Oma this time.

I press a hand hard against my heart, quietly catching my breath from the scare. Stupid Kokichi and his stupid ideas!

"I don't think you just go _forcing _hugs from celebrities either..." Himiko slowly adds, though the hint of uncertainty behind her words prompts me to give her an incredulous stare of my own.

"You don't force hugs on anybody, Himiko..." Shuichi corrects the red haired girl, glancing my way and then averting his gaze when I give him a critical look.

_Okay, so whether what happened with him not fulfilling his end of the bargain was on purpose or an accident in that he forgot to, he's not gonna rectify the matter by pulling me aside to talk to me or anything then? Fine, whatever._

"Well, the show's over now guys. I need to do a few things before I try climbing the wall any higher," I explain, turning my back to them and heading for the school building. "If you're smart, you'll try looking for ways out too."

"Absolutely! We definitely will, but please don't be reckless on your end!" Kiibo shouts after me, still concerned about my bad habit presumably.

"I won't!" I lie expertly, looking around to make sure Kokichi isn't nearby to call me out on it.

I'm just about halfway past the cage structure in the courtyard when I hear footsteps scurry after me. At first I think it's Kokichi coming in to mess with me again, but stop myself from swinging a fist when I hear the person speak. It's a damn good thing she does too, or I'd have slugged an innocent.

"Prairie! I'll walk you where you're going!" Miu comments, falling into step with me with ease as the other Ultimates disperse and go their own ways- some in groups and others by themselves.

Once we're in the main school building, I slow to a casual stroll and look up at Miu curiously. She seems upbeat for someone in a bad situation like a killing game, probably since she's such a big "Perfect Blitz" fan. It's still a little overwhelming to be idolized unquestionably in such a way when I'm obviously nothing like Perfect Blitz, what with her being a bit brash and vulgar, but I'm sure I can get past it somehow.

"So I was thinking- do you have any plan to get past that stupid metal part of the cage? 'Cause I have this really crazy fuckin' idea on how to help if it's too sheer to climb," Miu jumps right into the issue, making me blink in surprise and nearly do a double take.

"Oh, u-um, I honestly didn't have one. I was planning to climb to the highest part of the rock segment and that was it. Just enough to get a closer look at the cage and eveything. If you have an idea for getting past the metal part I would definitely love to hear it though, that would help a ton," I laugh sheepishly, prompting Miu to beam and then jump up and down in excitement. After a second, she settles and lets a cocky grin curl across her features- one truly fitting for an inventor like herself.

"It's nice to hear someone in this shitty dump recognizes what I'm capable of! Not surprising since you're so cool and smart!" Miu laughs, puffing her chest out like a proud bird. With a grin, she turns to face me directly, making me come to a stop in response. "I have something I'm working on with shit I've found in the warehouse. Originally, I overheard you tellin' that bozo Kaito you were gonna scale that wall when you met him, _aaand__..._I decided to make somethin' to help ya out! I've been working on them ever since!"

"Wow, you're really handy to be able to use whatever's at hand for an invention," I gape, before something suddenly occurs to me. "Wait, you were working on it even when you thought I was dead too then?"

Miu blushes a little and presses her fingers together as if embarrassed, though she still looks rather proud of herself despite what I've pointed out to her.

"I figured _I _could just try and climb up myself- since I've rock climbed once with no problem...you know, you make it look so cool...but with you back, it would be much _easier_ for you to use them! They should be done by tonight, just pop in the warehouse- I'll give 'em to you there!" Miu continues, any embarrassment quickly vanishing as her pride returns.

Just like that, without waiting for any other response from me, Miu ups and scurries away, leaving me alone in the school building's main entrance as she heads for the warehouse to finish whatever device she's convinced will help me climb higher.

_Well, I'll need all the help I can get, that's for sure._

I look around to see if anyone's around to have seen the interaction, especially since I wouldn't want them telling Rantaro what I'm up to. Just when I finish a three-sixty of my surroundings, I deem the interaction to have no witnesses whatsoever. With that, I turn to make my way to the stairs that lead to the basement floor and-

"Hey, Prairie Dog!"

I let out a small squeak of surprise before slapping my hands over my mouth and narrowing my eyes on a rather smug looking Kokichi. Once I regain my dignity and composure, however...I do not engage. I just walk right past him without another word, pretending he doesn't exist.

"I said, _'Hey, Prairie Dog'!" _Kokichi makes another attempt, swerving right in my path a second time so I nearly bump into him. I stop, pressing my lips together tightly as I fight the urge to say something or call him names. No, ignoring him is definitely the best option- paying him any attention tends to usually encourage him more.

Rather than speak, I walk around him again and make a break to get to the stairs, only to have Kokichi zoom over and block my way with a mischievous smile.

"Say 'hi' and then I'll let you pass," Kokichi presses, obviously getting the gist that I'm ignoring him. Prideful and unwilling to give any leeway, I turn away ready to just leave and cross off game room testing for now. Surprisingly, Kokichi grabs my wrist and pulls me back so I turn to look at him. "Come on, it was just a simple hug, don't get your panties twisted over it."

My temper blazes at this remark, giving me an incentive to punch him into the next week at his blatant disregard for something any normal person would consider pretty much harassment- until I note an edge of trickery behind his casual demeanor. As soon as I spot it, the puzzle pieces come together to show me what Kokichi expects and _wants _my reaction to be.

He's working me up so I talk. About what, I don't know, though I have an idea that it's whatever Miu is plotting to help me climb the wall. That, or maybe he saw me speaking with Monokuma..._that _might be cause for him to want to know what the conversation was about.

_Well, he's not getting it out of me, that's for sure! I'm mad at him- not _ ** _just _ ** _for the stupid hug either. I don't care that he got _ _Monokuma_ _ to pull back on my punishment with a few clever points, _ _Kokichi's_ _ the worst!_

I try to take my hand out of his grip and fail, eventually just resorting to ignoring his blank-faced intimidating stare and letting him hold on to my wrist. Frustrated, I lean back by the stair rails and wait for something else to happen, desperately keeping my grip on my temper if only to irritate Kokichi. He seems to like setting me off more than he sets off everyone else...Though I can't figure out what exactly I've done to deserve such a treatment from-

"It was really cool seeing you jump from so high up the wall! Are you gonna do that too once Miu helps you out with that climbing gear she has planned?" Kokichi questions bluntly out of nowhere, jumping to a reasonable topic despite his tactless way of asking it.

_So then he _ _ **was ** _ _listening in on _ _Miu_ _ and I...ugh, it's a shame _ _Tenko_ _ didn't catch him and teach him a little lesson._

I look away from Kokichi defiantly- not even giving him the satisfaction of a huff or grunt of disdain on my part. How do I make him let go? Every time I try, he tightens his hold...

I make another attempt to pull out of his grip, but there's no letting go on Kokichi's end. He sighs over dramatically, as if totally bored by the silence. I have half the mind to tell him where he can stuff his boredom, but I keep my mouth shut.

"Don't be such a snore-fest, be the cool celebrity I know you are! Like this~!" Kokichi bounces back with a cheerful chirp, suddenly slapping a magazine lightly against my chest with a grin of excitement. _"Nee-hee-hee!"_

Annoyed, I take the magazine quickly to smack his hand away, reluctantly rolling my eyes and giving the magazine a dry look of disinterest. There's an ad on it by a brand called "Pink Elephant", the page depicting a satin black silk sheet with a fancy pink perfume bottle in the shape of a diamond smack in the middle of it.

"Flip it over," Kokichi suggests, making me give him a weird look but do as he says out of mild curiosity.

On the cover of the magazine aptly named Spla-Teen Vogue is a petite teenager in a pink bikini, pink bubbles floating across the photoshoot set which has a background of even more black silk. She has long straight hair, bangs curled in almost an Audrey Hepburn style just over her keen eyes. What she's wearing is somewhat uncomfortably revealing even for a bikini, causing my cheeks to glow red in secondhand embarrassment. At this point I end my silence with the violet, uh, apparent _pervert._

"W-W-Why the heck are you showing me this?! I don't wanna know what you're into, you creep, what do girls in bikinis have with being a 'cool' celebrity? Are you trying to imply something?" I complain heatedly despite my red face, eyeing Kokichi suspiciously as he stares at me quietly.

Once again, there's no expression on his face as he stands there with my wrist still in his hand. Nervous, I try to pull my wrist back, becoming more anxious when he actually grins as a result and tugs me closer.

"Hey, let's go bug Runturdo, he's downstairs!" Kokichi exclaims cheerfully, suddenly snatching the magazine out of my hand and dragging me down the stairs. I only follow at first since I _do _want to go to the basement, but as we go further down my stomach does little flips and flutters.

Do I really wanna follow him? Do I _really? _I'm getting some big red flags in my head after this encounter with Kokichi- especially considering that magazine he has with the scantily clad bikini girl.

We reach the bottom with no hiccups on the way down, Kokichi's grip on my wrist firm as he makes a beeline...for the game room. Did he know I wanted to go there? Or is it that he really _is _dragging me down to see Rantaro, who just so happens to be in the game room?

I dig my feet into the tile to resist Kokichi's pull after the thought, stopping the teen so he looks back at me with a pout.

"Hey, you can't do that, it's cheating!" Kokichi huffs, clearly not actually irritated with me from what I can see.

"I don't want to see Rantaro," I object plainly, only to earn a dry look from Kokichi. He waves off my objections and starts dragging me along again, eventually prompting me to give up when I realize it's probably better to let what's about to happen run its course. Besides, the sooner I do, the sooner this urchin leaves me alone.

Kokichi pushes open the game room door to an interesting sight, pausing alongside me as we see that one girl sourly eyeing a table in the room where Rantaro and Kaede are seated- the blonde giggling as Rantaro carefully paints her nails.

"I-It tickles!" She laughs, very obviously lost in the appeal of Rantaro doing her nails- as well as his attention.

"Just hold still a little longer, almost done..." Rantaro replies with casual ease, hyper focused on her nails so much that he hardly- if at all- notices Kokichi's and my own arrival in the game room.

He's just here hanging with two of the other girls...painting some nails.

...!

_Is he doing this to show he's as considerate and caring with the others to the same degree as he is with me? Did he ask _ _Kokichi_ _ to bring me here so I'd see this? No, no...don't jump to any conclusions, he's probably just making friends- plain and simple. He's a friendly guy...when he's not being enigmatic to the others, according to _ _Shuichi_ _._

"Ooo~! Looks like Rantaro already replaced you with Kaede," Kokichi laughs brightly to me under his breath, shooting me a sly look and promptly asking, "You jealous?"

My cheeks warm in embarrassment, even though it's mostly embarrassment for him bluntly asking. Of course I'm not jealous! I'm mad at him right now, dumb Rantaro can talk with whoever he wants for whatever reason he wants. Even if I _was _on good terms with him, I'm not his keeper and I don't care.

"...Nee-hee-hee! I'll assume that's a 'yes' since you're not answering me then. You don't want me to catch you lying, huh?" The purple leech comments, a playful but mischievous glint in his eyes.

My cheeks heat up more and I look somewhere else, using my free hand to fluff some of my hair up over my lower jaw. I hate hearing that- the last thing I want is to be reminded of when Rantaro commented I was jealous of his _sister, _especially when I'm not_. _I'm not jealous of Kaede, either!

Kokichi only snickers more when I try to back out of the game room, only to be tugged back in by his hold on my wrist.

"Done! The idea is that when you paint your nails in two colors diagonally, it creates the look that your nails are longer," Rantaro explains, screwing the nail polish bottle closed as Kaede immediately eyes and fawns over her newly groomed nails.

"Wow! Rantaro, you really _do _know how to make nails look so fancy and pretty!" The Ultimate Pianist gapes, smiling in obvious delight. When she casts him a doe eyed smile, I have to stifle the urge to roll my eyes.

It's not that I dislike Kaede, 'cause I don't. Quite the opposite actually- I like her and have nothing against her. It's just that right now she's looking at Rantaro like he's some kind of god that's risen out of the sea, and all _I _can think of is the fact that he's keeping things from everyone. From _me. _Did he think I wouldn't notice after he asked what he did?

"...! Prairie and Kokichi! Look, look! Aren't my nails cute? Rantaro painted the diagonal part at the top and Ts-" Kaede begins, Rantaro seemingly brightening up more when he looks over my way. I can't help but give an unappreciative glare the green haired teen's way, making him awkwardly smile at me before I turn my gaze away to look around at the games in the game room.

_Dumb Rantaro, quit looking happy to see me. The feeling's not mutual._

"Yeah, yeah, very cute- hey, listen! I wanna show you guys something really cool I just discovered!" Kokichi exclaims, dismissing Kaede's words in favor of once again bringing out that Spla-Teen Vogue magazine. I scoff and ignore Kokichi's grin of amusement my way, looking back only when he flips the magazine over cover-side up with the bikini girl in plain sight. With that annoying cocky grin of his, Kokichi slaps it down on the table between Kaede and Rantaro, allowing that blue haired girl to look over the blonde's shoulder.

"Kokichi, are you serious," Kaede growls, obviously irritated by the sight of the magazine just like I had been. No duh that any girl would detest a guy presenting an overly sexualized image of a model they're attracted to. My only question is why Kokichi is showing it like it's a shiny new toy...aren't those kinds of things supposed to be, I don't know, private? If anything, boys showing other boys- I guess I can see that as a possibility. But showing _girls? _That's sort of odd.

"How uncouth!" That one girl gasps, looking away with red cheeks when I glance her way. "Why are you showing us this right in front of-"

"I'm getting to that!" Kokichi states, just as Rantaro stands up.

_"__Kokichi__," _Rantaro's tone has completely morphed, and I'm honestly surprised to see him appearing somewhat angry as I turn my head his way.

"No, wait! Here's the best part," Kokichi stops him, pulling my hand to make me focus on him. He's grinning like a shark, gesturing to the magazine. "Who's that, Prairie Dog?"

_What? What does he mean, "who's that"? How should I know? I thought we went over me having amnesia!_

"Beats me, how should I know?" I respond, prompting the other three to gape at me quietly in visible shock and surprise. My eyes jump from that one girl, to Kaede, to Rantaro, and then finally back to Kokichi's grinning face for some kind of explanation. "What? A-Am I supposed to know her?"

Kokichi crosses his arms over his chest haughtily and turns his excited gaze to the other three, raising his eyebrows meaningfully. What is going _on? _Why do I feel like I'm being left out of a loop?

I rest my eyes back on the magazine, once again trying to find something familiar about the model on the front cover. I don't see anything though, no matter how long I stare. What little I can remember- which is next to nothing- feels like it comes from someone I would probably recognize if I were to see them. this girl sparks no familiarity in my mind. Sure she sort of looks like me a little, at least in regards to the blue eyes and brown hair, but...

"You guys are making me nervous with those weird looks," I complain, eyes flicking to Kokichi's grinning face. "Especially _you."_

"Well...come to think of it, I haven't seen any mirrors other than the ones in our bathrooms," that unnamed girl comments much to my surprise. She's not implying what I think she is, is she? That's not me, I think I'd recognize myself if that were the case!

"No, that isn't me!" I object, making their eyes fly back to me as I mentally scrape my mind to remember my features and prove them wrong. I can feel my cheeks heat up as I look back at the girl with the bikini, feeling my stomach bubble more and more the longer my eyes study her. She's about my age- maybe too young to be featured in an obviously exploitative way such as this. There's a light layer of makeup on her besides that stupidly small light pink bikini, hair half up in a ponytail and baby pink platform heels that are _way _too mature for her age. "I'd never wear something as _p-provocative _as this!"

Kaede makes a noise, one that sets off my mental alarm bells as I look her way. Just like her, the blue haired girl also looks like she has something to say about my claim, the two girls sharing sympathetic and pained looks with one another as I await their responses apprehensively.

"Maybe you wouldn't _now, _but before...this was pretty much normal and expected out of Perfect Blitz! You don't need to be so embarrassed, people love you!" Kaede tries to soften the blow, thought it doesn't quite do so if I'm to say anything about it. "In America where you come from, modeling like this mostly normal even for girls your age and such-"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see that one girl digging into her skirt pocket until I see her hand fishing out a pocket mirror. Inexplicably, my heart jumps at the sight of it and my entire body tenses up with anxiety. Just as she goes to bring it up to me, my arm whips out and I swat the thing straight out of her hands- sending the mirror flying with a squeak. Everyone watches the trajectory of the mirror, and right when it hits the floor a couple feet away, I find myself staring wordlessly back at the other four ultimates with similar sentiments of surprise at my audacious and unexpected reaction.

Needless to say, if I was panicking when I saw that mirror, I'm definitely panicking now.

"I-I mean, I don't even like you anyways!" I blurt out at the blue haired girl while everyone's still flabbergasted. I can practically hear a buzzard in my head signifying me making a incorrect social move by saying that. "Who asked you for a mirror?! _I_ didn't!"

Another buzzard noise rings in my brain as I look to the magazine on the table and snatch it up while everyone absorbs my shocking attitude from my panic.

"Um, d-don't try talking to me anymore! Have a nice day?!" I throw out in my panic, yet another buzzard going off in my mind as I turn tail and run out of the game room with Kokichi at my heels snickering like mad. _"__Hyeeeee__!_ I'M _SORRY!"_

"P-Prairie!" I hear Rantaro call out, obviously concerned by my behavior. I ignore him as I climb the stairs, only looking back at Kokichi when we reach the first floor.

"Don't follow me, you leech!" I irritably bark as we continue up to the second floor. Despite my orders, Kokichi follows me regardless with that bright grin of his.

"But being around you isn't boring! Plus, I don't wanna stay around Run-turdo and his girlfriends! Do I look like the type that wants my nails painted?" Kokichi laughs, right before suddenly grabbing my wrist and swinging me unexpectedly towards that classroom I'd been in earlier.

"They're not his girlfriends!" I snap, only feeling my cheeks heat up as he yanks me in and locks the door behind us with the key that's hanging by the door. Kokichi appears delighted by my outburst, which is definitely not a good thing.

"I knew you were jealous. But besides that..." Kokichi chuckles, turning to pocket the key right in front of me.

It isn't until I see this that my initial shock from my panicked attitude settles, switching to mild discomfort when I realize that Kokichi's basically just locked me in a room with him. How did I fail to notice him herd me in here? Was he planning this the moment I started panicking? Or was he planning it since Miu left me on my own to work on the climbing gear?

Kokichi laughs when he sees me visibly tense up- like he knows I've just noticed the situation he's put me in.

"The magazine was supposed to embarrass you and make you panic earlier, but I guess that little scene downstairs works too. Let's talk! Just you and me~! These are my favorite moments, you know? I like you," Kokichi chirps, while I squint at him and scrunch my nose. Those little comments at the end _have _to be lies...

...

"You don't have to lock me in a freaking roomto make me talk, you psychotic clown," I huff moodily, followed by him raising his eyebrows at me and responding with, "And yet earlier when I said, 'Hey, Prairie Dog', you gave me the silent treatment. You wouldn't even talk with Rantaro unless he did the same, so! _Nooo_ complaining!"

I glare at him by take a seat on one of the desks moodily. I think I hate the fact that he's caught my lie more than I hate being interrogated again. It's not my fault he's so unlikable.

"What do you want?"

Kokichi grins, thought this time his smile splits in a sinister manner, violet eyes glued to me like laser points of a weapon.

"First, let's talk about you and your goodie-goodie, _buddy-buddy_ friendship with the red monokub. That sound good, Prairie Dog?"

All of a sudden, I'm starting to realize this meeting with Kokichi is _not_ going to go the same way as the other meetings I've had with him. There's some obvious hostility behind his grin of the likes that I've never seen, aimed at me unlike his usual bantering and slightly dangerous jokes. Even though he's smiling, he's _not _joking.

_I didn't tell _ _Shuichi_ _ about what happened with _ _Monotaro_ _ and I won't tell _ _Kokichi_ _ either...even if he does end up completely losing faith in me. I'm not throwing anyone under the bus for my own benefit._

_Not today, not tomorrow._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.7 - Celebrity _****_Status_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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>   

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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>   



	20. Mary-Sue

❀ **_2.8 - Mary-Sue_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"So what? You saw me pet Monotaro and that's just a terrible thing? It was just a little pet," I carefully answer, sitting cross legged on the desk and looking at the magazine on my lap that I still have in my possession. I don't know exactly what Kokichi's seen or figured out regarding Monotaro, but he must have taken it as outright incriminating if he's confronting me about it like this. "Being a little nice never hurt anybody, it's not like I signed a contract with the monokubs or anything...besides, what if he's able to help us and-"

"You can't _seriously _be that naive, Prairie Dog. After everything, I thought you had bigger brains than that. Do I need to remind you what happened on day one? The fact that they're all hell bent on having us kill each other? Do we need to stroll on by your room to see the pretty art they've probably made now that your room plaque was cleaned off by Kirumi again?" Kokichi accuses, his expression a deadpan of disbelief. I'm not even sure if he's expressing his true emotions or if it's just another mask of his- but I let him get his thoughts off of his chest before I make a response. "But _nooo__, _I guess if a monokub is about to kick the bucket, we ought to prolong its presence so it can continue to torture us! Well, you know...unless you're pretending to be on our side when you're really not."

I frown, ducking my head a little since I know I don't have a bone in my body capable of letting even an AI like the monokubs- any of them- to be destroyed if I have the ability to do something about it. They're sentient and sapient too, it _changes _things. That doesn't mean I'm not trying to get us out of here though, especially when I definitely harbor no sympathies for Monokuma himself.

"I'm not pretending _anything_, I just can't help it," I admit, only to jump in surprise when Kokichi snatches the magazine off of my lap and starts flipping through the pages. Eventually, he stops on an article with yet another bikini modeling shot of that brown haired girl that's supposedly me- my stomach churning when he points at something on the thigh of the model.

"First of all, nice strawberry birthmark. Second, read it and weep!" Kokichi exclaims as he holds it up for me to see, causing a red hue to coat my cheeks at the sight of the familiar birthmark- smack dab in the same place on the model's thigh as it is on mine.

Half horrified of this find, I force myself to read the block of text on the next page beside the photo.

_'Superstar Perfect Blitz, still as stone cold as ever despite having the face as sweet as an ice cream sundae! News has broken recently the worldwide child star is long gone- Blitz having been caught by tabloids during one of her party raves in the city cheating_ ** **_on her boyfriend, with her supposed best friend's partner no less! __Aika Mirai__ has made no comment on the matter as of writing this, but Blitz has commented on social media, "[__Aika__]__ is my best friend and she wouldn't be bothered by something as measly as this. It's literally no big deal."'_

_'Unfortunately, both Blitz's own boyfriend and _ _Aika's_ _ have both denounced Blitz's flippant regards of the matter, despite both boys already being under social media fire for other unrelated reasons on top of this. As it appears, America's naughty little angel is once again unconcerned by public judgement, people calling this instance proof that Perfect Blitz willingly "goes through friends like tissues", to quote one user on Chirper.'_

"What the-" I start to mumble in disbelief, before Kokichi cuts me off to start speaking again.

"That's who you are, Mousey. You're a backstabber and you're proud of it. I'll bet all my money that the little act you've been playing is exactly that. You're self-sacrificing nature? Fake. Your facade about being a bad liar and this demure soft persona? Also fake. You can play everyone else, but I won't let you play me," Kokichi elaborates as I look to him in confusion. I put the magazine back down, closing it and setting it on a desk with the cover face-down.

"So wait...y-you also think I'm pretending about not remembering my past and that everything I've done thus far is me lying too?" I question, causing Kokichi to sort of smirk at my words.

"Maybe you did forget. Don't know, don't care! Either way, the difference between you and the person you used to be shouldn't be this drastic unless you're pretending to be a marshmallow. Even if you _do _have amnesia- your personality shouldn't have changed this much. You're like a completely different person. And considering your true nature, how am I supposed to be sure you aren't making deals with Monokuma and his off-brand kubs behind our backs?" Kokichi points out much to my frustration, grinning as if he wasn't accusing me of being a two faced traitor among them. Is he really getting a kick out of this?

"I'm not! You can't seriously be thinking my lying, do I look like I made everything up? Do I really look like a liar to you?" I push, standing up from the desk to look him in the eye as he examines my features.

...

"You look like a _very _talented liar."

I half gape at him, not quite sure what to do if he can't tell I'm telling the truth- or _refuses _to believe I'm telling the truth. So much for his claims to be able to tell when someone is lying- I assumed that also went towards being able to tell when someone was _truthing_too, but I was obviously wrong about that.

_I probably can't change his mind either...especially with whatever logic he's adopted regarding __amnesiacs_ _. When did he even find this magazine? When did he learn just how much of a terrible person I used to be? He wasn't acting like this last night or while we were eating in the dining hall...maybe he found the magazine while __Shuichi_ _was questioning me?_

He obviously isn't giving me any chance to win his trust back. If anything, he's outright telling me he _doesn't _trust me at all and nothing I say or do will get him to trust me.

Which probably means I can't trust him now either.

"I'm honestly regretting ever saying anything to Monokuma to stop him from punishing you. You're probably gonna get the rest of us killed. Or maybe...you're even planning a murder. Maybe Rantaro's?" Kokichi darkly contends, violet eyes narrowed on me for a reaction as his grin widens slightly. Of course he'd still enjoy pushing my buttons even now...jerk.

"Translation: you would prefer me dead. On just a hunch," I state, prompting him to laugh at my snappy tone.

"No, it's not a hunch! I'm definitely sure you're a liar only interested in saving your own skin," Kokichi reaffirms clearly, ever the upbeat one as I quietly seeth from where I am.

There's a hundred things I would like to say and do in response to Kokichi's stupidity- things Rantaro would definitely not approve of. That is, until I realize something.

_Kokichi's_ _not stupid. He's not the type that would just fall for anything- so why would he choose to outright take a magazine as fact anyways? Even _ ** _I _ ** _don't know what else happened that led to the instance described in that magazine gossip. Plus, I already told __Kokichi_ _I was a terrible person pre-amnesia._

_...Is __Kokichi_ _the one lying here?_

I let out a soft breath, feeling all the wound up tension in my body relax as I come to peace with the fact that when it comes to Kokichi, I can't be sure of anything- but I might be on the right track if he's lying about this entire conversation. What would accusing me of being untrustworthy and antagonizing me give him an advantage of? Making me fight harder to get us out? All he's doing is pushing me away even more, especially when I thought I was actually covering some ground (as little of ground as it is) in somewhat trusting him.

...Maybe that's it. Maybe I was getting too close for his taste. Maybe he just doesn't like me.

_Well, if he doesn't want me to be around him, that can be arranged. Why does his approval matter to me anyways? It never did to begin with. He's not obligated to like me. I don't need to be concerned about this._

"Is that all you brought me in here to tell me? ...If you don't like me, all you had to do was say it- not lie about how you don't trust me and _why _you don't trust me. Everything you've based your claims on is total crap," I huff, putting my hands on my hips irritably as I narrow my blue eyes back at him. Kokichi looks undeterred, smirking in an almost patronizing way that makes my arm twitch with the urge to punch him.

"How sure _are _you that I don't actually mean everything I've said?" Kokichi purrs, visibly amused by my efforts to figure him out.

"Because saying all that wouldn't benefit you if you wanted to know about Monotaro. I definitely wouldn't tell you anything about it after those accusations. And besides, what would you even do with the information? Tell everyone? That's not going to help you achieve anything..." I muse thoughtfully, eyeing Kokichi's fox-like attitude inquisitively. "We'd all still be stuck here whether I told you about Monotaro or not."

Kokichi doesn't answer or give any hints, just watching me casually as I try to decode his behavior. Maybe I can push his buttons and see how _he _reacts? Or would that be a bad idea? He does it to _me _all the time...

"On the other hand, I guess you could be telling me all this as a sort of last word before you kill me right now. Deals with the problem of not trusting me and gets you out of this killing game without sacrificing anyone else," I point out, before recalling a figure of speech I like in the back of my mind and adding seriously, "Feeds two birds with one bread ball!"

As soon as those words leave my mouth, Kokichi squints and gapes at me- much unlike the smug mask he's been wearing throughout the duration of our conversation. Bemused, I stop talking to give the other ultimate a puzzled stare. Why's he suddenly so quiet? I'm just making educated guesses for why he dragged me in here- if the reason isn't to make me hate him so I leave him alone. Him being quiet doesn't help my case!

Kokichi continues to stare at me, up until the point he sputters with laughter and nearly keels over holding his belly. For a second I'm totally unsure of what's going on. What's so funny about...

I replay my last words and the analogy I'd used in my head, feeling my cheeks start to heat up as I register what he's laughing about.

Frustrated and not at all appreciative of his laughter at my statement, especially when I was being serious, I make an effort to resist covering my red face with my hair.

"W-What the hell is _that?" _Kokichi still laughs, thought he straightens up a little to meet my totally flushed face as he catches his breath. "It's _'kill _two birds with one _stone'?!"_

I pout sourly, biting my inner cheek before grumbling out a response I think might only set him off even more. "I hate that. It's unnecessarily violent and shouldn't be a figure of speech. I think feeding birds is nicer than killing them."

When Kokichi starts laughing even harder, if it was possible, I finally cave in and grab my hair to cover my face as I march on over to one of the classroom lockers past him. He's still laughing by the time I slam the locker door shut, prompting me to lean my shoulder against the side of the cool metal wall. I'm ignoring him again and that's final.

I can hear when the violet spawn of satan calms down enough to catch his breath, my face no longer red as I too relax in my safe haven within this locker. I don't feel like coming out and dealing with him though, so I play with the end of my hair to pass time. Hopefully he's gotten bored enough to go away and open the door...you know, so _I _can leave too.

_What if he leaves but locks me in here as a joke? He better not._

Rather, the locker door opens and light spills inside of my sanctuary, illuminating Kokichi's annoying face as he sighs in amusement and grins my way.

"...the _worst _hide and seek player," he comments with a helpless laugh, making me narrow my eyes. The teen says nothing else for a moment, so I push gently off the side of the locker...and turn to give him my back out of enmity. "Hey, I'm still talking to you, young lady!"

I don't even roll my eyes, instead just resting my head against the cool metal. What more does he want? I thought he was riling me up so I leave him alone. I'm doing that. Why is he being so pushy?

I turn back to face him and lunge a step forward, making him bounce a step back with a grin- until he looks to realize I wasn't aiming for him when I grab hold of the locker door and shut it once more. I hear him laugh on the other side, jumping back to the locker though making no attempt to open it back up.

"Sorry I was meeeaan earlier! I just wanted to see if you were as dumb as Gonta, you know? But you're actually really brainy, which sucks. How am I supposed to get you to do my bidding if you're not as gullible as he is?!" Kokichi demands with a childish huff, one that sounds like he's mimicking me out of mockery.

I open my mouth to snap at him, but then close it. Nope, it's better to ignore him. What's that about Gonta though? Oh, I'm definitely gonna make sure Kokichi gets ZERO time with Gonta, he's not a toy!

"Oh wait." My heart scrunches up in my chest at the sound of him pretending to remember something. He's not about to say what I think he's gonna say, is he? "I almost forgot! You think I'm cute, clever, and charismatic! So you'd _definitely_ do anything for me, riiiight?"

"I didn't mean any of that and you know it!" I finally bark from inside the locker, only for Kokichi to unexpectedly whip open the locker door so that I nearly bang my head against the back of the metal wall from the startle.

"Sure you did!" He chirps, suddenly stepping into the locker and making me squeak in horror when I realize he's about to invade my personal space again. "Aww, see? Prairie Dog's getting all red and flustered again~"

"BECAUSE I HATE YOU AND I HATE THIS!" I snap, fire igniting as I boldly slap my hand against his face and waste no time pushing his cackling figure out of my locker. "Go away, you urchin!"

I slam the door shut on his face once more, hearing Kokichi dramatically sigh in what is obvious discouragement.

"Nngh, you're such a spoilsport...it's not like I'm gonna _do _anything to you. I would never, believe me! I'm telling the truth!" He claims, to which I respond, "I don't care if you're telling the truth, _leech! _I'm sick and tired of seeing your stupid face and having my chain yanked!"

"Well, that part about my stupid face is definitely a lie...but if that's what you want, that's what you want. I'll leave you alone then," I hear Kokichi mope dramatically.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I want, drama queen. If you wanna talk to me again, you're gonna have to wait one business day," I growl, glaring at the closed locker door and crossing my arms as I moodily puff up my cheeks.

Kokichi chuckles but I hear his footsteps moving away from the locker, crossing the classroom casually to get to the door out of the room. As soon as I hear the door being unlocked, I finally open the locker door and peek out- ready for the joy of sweet freedom from Kokichi's clutches. Looking at the door though, I'm just in time to watch Kokichi shoot me an outright devilish grin of mischief as he slams the door shut- followed by the telltale click of the lock as I speed on over to the door and try to open it.

"Are you kidding me?" I call out when the knob holds fast, my dry complaint answered by Kokichi's laugh.

"Hey, Mousey-mouse? Just so we're on the same page, _I was telling the truth when I said I don't trust you. _For different reasons than what I dropped already, mind you. Toodles~!"

I can hear Kokichi running down the hall already, so he's no doubt not coming back. That's that then, huh? He just wanted to poke and prod at me to see what else makes me tick...so that it's easier to manipulate me? Yet he still meant it when he said he doesn't trust me- but in that case, _why _doesn't he? He said it has nothing to do with what he'd brought up earlier...

_Thinking about it now likely won't do me any good. I can make a million guesses with only one right answer, so it's better if I worry about it when I can try and get_ _Kokichi__ to tell me what it is about me that makes me so untrustworthy._

When I look back at the hook by the door in hopes maybe there's a second key, my hopes die and I turn to drift towards the desk where I'd left that magazine. Sure, there's an article about me, Perfect Blitz, in it, but that doesn't mean the model is _me _though. Right? It's probably just a coincidence we have such similar birthmarks!

...

No, it's probably me. There's no point denying it.

_What was I thinking letting people photograph me in a bikini as small as this? Just knowing people all over the world have seen this much of me- possibly multiple times- makes my stomach roll..._

Frowning, I don't even notice I've ripped the cover of the magazine off until I'm halfway through ripping my modeling picture to pieces, dropping the shredded contents in a waste basket near the door before I go through the rest of the magazine in search of more embarrassing photos to destroy. Once I get to the article and second image of myself, I rip out the pages- tearing up the photo but keeping the snippet of text about that cheating scandal.

I may not like who I was before this fiasco, but I can't ignore the fact that it's still me. Maybe I'll find answers that will help us if I understand myself...and if I'm lucky, answers about my intuition.

As I finish going through the magazine and find nothing of interest, I toss the infernal thing on a desk and sit down after to stuff the folded snippet in my pocket. I wonder why I forgot everything...maybe something horrible happened and I blocked my memories of it entirely? Who knows.

The sound of the door unlocking makes me sit up a little as I look to see who would walk through that door. Rantaro? Shuichi or Kiibo? Or maybe Kokichi's decided to come back and show some mercy for once in his life?

_"Ow! _dumb root," I hear a female voice huff, right before Kaede Akamatsu steps in shaking part of a thin gangly vine off of her left foot. Once in, she looks around and eventually sets her lilac pink eyes on me with a smile of relief. "Oh, there you are. Kokichi tossed me this key coming down the stairs saying he'd dumped your body in here...I mean, not that I believed it, but I couldn't help but worry a little."

I laugh humorlessly, nodding in agreement. "I don't think he's bad, but he definitely has trust issues...he was trying to work me up and I still have no idea why. He said it was to 'see if I was dumb so I could do his bidding', but I think he's doing it for some other reason. He also said he doesn't trust me. I-I swear, Kokichi is all over the place and although I can't see what he's trying to get at, I'll figure it out eventually. There's a method in his madness, and I'm gonna find it so I can use it against him!" I huff, joining Kaede's side as she watches me with a resigned smile of amusement.

"You're really wanna get back at him, huh?" Kaede asks curiously, following me out of the room and making sure to avoid that vine that had caught her sock upon entering. I grin and look back at her, though my smile is a little somber now as I finger the snippet from the magazine in my pocket.

"Yeah. Although he unfortunately has more ammo on me than I have on him. That magazine he had featured an article about me apparently as a backstabber."

Kaede freezes and looks up at me, visibly speechless by my confession. I observe her reaction for a beat of a second before the reason for her expression suddenly clicks in my head. Embarrassed, I half gasp and wave my hands a little in panic as a flood of heat rushes to my face.

"N-Not _that _kind, I'm not literally stabbing people in the backs, Kaede!" I blurt out, half horrified she'd even remotely consider it to be within the realm of possibility. "I was _that _bad as a celebrity that you'd think I'd assault someone? ...O-Or did I actually-"

At the start of my rising panic, Kaede cuts me off. "No! It...it just caught me off guard. Sorry, I swear I wasn't implying anything by that. Trust me, you've been in plenty of celebrity scandals, but you're not a murderer or even remotely close to one! At one of your concerts, you even stopped a fight that had started in the crowd and-"

I stop in my tracks and give Kaede the most outlandish look in my arsenal, prompting the blonde to pause as well upon seeing my expression.

_'Concert'? What does she mean by concert? A climbing one? A modeling one...? Can those kinds of things be concerts?_

"Prairie...you forgot you're a singer too, didn't you?" Kaede eventually responds, much to my inherent shock. Half of me wonders if I've stepped into the twilight zone, but after a few seconds of no change in Kaede's demeanor and no sudden laughter or claims of 'just kidding', I come to the quiet realization Kaede is dead serious. After all, why _would _she joke around about that? That's Kokichi's thing.

"...I'm sorry, l-let me get this straight...I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber," I comment, watching Kaede nod. "I'm known around the world for free-soloing ridiculously high and precarious rock faces and I'm a model for reputable bougie brands on magazines." More nodding on Kaede's end.

I don't like where this is going.

"I'm a scandalous drama inciter and I also..._sing. _In concerts. Adding more to my fame basically."

"You're also a great actress and a-" Kaede adds, causing me to garble loudly to quiet her next words. She falls silent, as if noticing my total discomfort as I try to digest these new downright ridiculous revelations.

...

"So in other words, I'm a Mary-sue and I don't actually exist, okay- gotcha," I respond, scratching at my head as if to claw the news out of my cranium. This is ridiculous. No way any of that is true, maybe it's just in magazines or something, right? Just fake gossip?

"No, Prairie, you're just naturally talented in a lot of different things! I mean, you're not the ultimate singer or actor, you can just _do _those things, but you're definitely the Ultimate Rock Climber! Ultimates aren't limited to just their one ultimate talent, you know?" Kaede explains, reaching over to plop the key she still has in my hand.

"I-I'm _unrealistic. _They probably auto-tune my voice in music and CGI my face in movies to make it look like I can do those things," I dismiss her claims, watching Kaede laugh in disagreement. "Don't even try to use concerts as proof- I present to you _'lip syncing'."_

Kaede giggles even more, this time in honest amusement at the way I'm criticizing myself and obviously trying to discredit my history.

"Okay then, if you say so. What about acting in live theaters for plays? You did _that _too" Kaede adds, watching as I lift a finger...and then lower it when I can't come up with anything. There's no way though- I refuse to believe I'm somehow _multi _talented- that sort of thing only happens in fiction. I'm no Mary-sue.

_You're not. You're also a backstabber, a cheater, a bitch, and apparently an exhibitionist on top of everything. Remember?_

I sigh after a second, running a hand down my face in exasperation.

"...I know you're having a rough time understanding your past, what with being on the wild side, but I don't think you should focus on just your scandals. Perfect Blitz was still good despite your jaded and sometimes hubristic outlook. As a genuine fan, I can say you helped a lot of people with your fame. You still did your best to give back to a lot of us- and you really are an inspiration for a good reason. Try and focus on that, yeah? Magazine articles like _this _don't define you and are usually biased. They only focus on negative things- and don't know how to balance good press with bad press," Kaede explains, reaching over to fish out the snippet I'd folded and had sticking out of my pocket.

I can't bring myself to snatch it out of her hands. Instead, I just watch her skim the material and eventually smile my way warmly.

"By the way, you and your best friend planned this fiasco because you caught both your boyfriends cheating. You and Aika never really cared about public judgement, so you guys concocted this scandal to snub those boys' reputations completely. You didn't stab anyone in the back, and those boys deserved it if you ask me. Hardly affected yours and Aika's reputation since the two of you were still close in the eyes of the press following the issue," Kaede snickers, right before tucking the snippet back in my pocket and clapping her hands together. Her eyes light up and she seems to get lost in thought, prompting me to smile a little at the look she harbors.

"What is it?" I ask curiously, eager to hear her thoughts. Admittedly, hearing her words really sort of makes me feel better about my messy past.

"Your antics with Aika...you two were so mischievous- it reminds me of the quirky first movement of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik!" Kaede pretty much swoons, to which I squint and try to figure out why she's suddenly bringing up classical music.

"Huh?" I ask cluelessly.

Kaede glances my way, grinning wider as she explains with an impassioned look in her eyes, "You know, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? The composer?" Kaede explains, undeterred by my confusion. "The Serenade Allegro in Eine Kleine Nachtmusik!"

_She thinks classical music is common knowledge? Maybe composer names are, but song names not so much. But besides that..._

"But isn't that an orchestral piece and _not _a piano piece?" I question, watching Kaede laugh and straighten up proudly.

"_I _can play it on the piano," she mildly gloats with a good-natured grin, managing to summon a smile on my face at how sure of herself she says it.

"I-I'd love to hear you play sometime. The piano is such a pretty sounding thing...hey, how long have you been playing anyways?" I continue the conversation, following at Kaede's side as we continue to head for the stairs.

"Since I was pretty much a baby. I couldn't live a day without playing," Kaede laughs, before looking at me with a huge smile. "Hey! When we get out of here, I'll teach you how to play! Haha, it'll add to your list of skills you already have."

My cheeks stain red at the reminder of my apparent talents and her proposition, giving me the mind to gently let her down on the offer until a thought makes itself known in my mind. An intriguing thought at that.

_What if my intuition has to do with gathering information...? And being able to process even the smallest or largest of assets helps me learn things quickly? Maybe it's how I'm so good at all of those things?_

"...I'd like that," I concede, surprising Kaede as we reach the stairwell when I stop to give her a warm hug. She hesitates for only a moment before she makes an endeared noise and returns the hug with equal affection. "Thank you for making me feel better after Kokichi tried to stomp all over me."

"Oh, I don't mind! Although, why would he lock you in a room anyways? That's kind of weird," Kaede comments, prompting me to let go of her as red seeps into my cheeks and I look away with an awkward laugh.

"That's cause I was ignoring him in the beginning...I-I thought I could bore him into bothering someone else, but obviously it backfired. As soon as he got me panicking about that magazine with you and Rantaro in the game room, he pretty much herded me into that room to make sure I'd talk to him. W-What a leech..."

Kaede's laugh immediately lifts my spirit, but rather than go down to the first floor just yet, we lean back against one of the walls and relax for a moment. It's actually really refreshing hanging out with her, she's so...normal. It's nice to be around someone that isn't as eccentric as the others.

_Reminds me of when I'm around Rantaro._

I quickly shake that thought out of my head.

"Hey, can I ask you something? Nothing that has to do with the killing game, I promise. I figure that if you're able to tell us anything important, you would," Kaede says with a smile, kicking lightly at a little dandelion that's sprouted between some tiles as I manage a nod on my part. "Why don't you like Tsumugi?"

"Tsu-who?" I ask dismissively, before my brain makes the connection and I let out a small humorless laugh. "Oh. Her."

_Can my answer just be, 'cause I just don't? Or do I need a logical reason? Well at least now I know her name. Now I won't need to refer to her in my head as, "that girl" anymore._

"I don't like her. She was rude when I first tried to introduce myself and she wasted my time," I respond after a moment, feeling my cheeks tint a little red at the way I justify my dislike of her. Now that I'm hearing myself out loud, I sound _super _petty...not that it'll change my mind about Tsumugi

"Ah, I'm guessing she ignored you too then, huh?"

I look up at her and cock my head to the side. So it wasn't just me- she ignored Kaede too! Rude.

"She didn't mean anything by ignoring us, honest. It took both Shuichi and I poking her face before she finally answered us when we found her," Kaede defends the blue haired girl not among us with a smile, though she eventually seems to realize my mind is already made up on Tsumugi- likely due to my dry expression. "You...don't care about her intentions, do you? You're still gonna hold a grudge on her?"

"...Yep. I don't want anything to do with her and nothing you say will change my mind. Sorry," I admit, prompting Kaede to evidently nod. "Speaking of not liking people though...earlier Kaito mentioned that everyone ganged up on you. What happened while I was out?"

"Um...I tried to rally everyone together to get us out through a potential exit on the first day. I got a bit too pushy and some of them are still upset with me over it. I-I don't blame them or anything. The tunnel is sort of impossible to get through and dangerous on top of that. It's booby-trapped from start to finish, we think," Kaede sighs, looking away in discomfort.

_They found a potential exit and no one bothered to let me know about it till now?_

My brain focuses on this unnamed exit, but I push my thoughts on it aside to instead rub Kaede's shoulder sympathetically.

"Well, I'm sure you meant well," I console her, prompting a mildly sober but optimistic smile to appear on her face. "Don't worry, they can't hold a grudge against you forever. You're too nice for people to dislike you."

Kaede's expression shifts to surprise and she presses a hand over her mouth as a flattered laugh escapes her.

"Prairie, what a sweet thing to say! ...Um, you know, Rantaro and Kirumi actually asked most of us not to mention the fake exit to you. It seems they're convinced you might do something reckless, so promise you won't go looking for it? Please believe me when I say it's hopeless, there's really no reason to try going through it anymore," Kaede asks, eyes pleading as she takes my hand in hers.

...

"Alright. I won't," I answer, knowing full well I don't intend to keep my word...and dodging the promise with a warm, pleasant smile that distracts Kaede enough to eventually release my hand. She's much too trusting...I feel bad I'm going to betray that trust later when I look for that exit she was talking about. "I think I'm gonna actually use my time to look around the basement for now. Weird question: Rantaro's not down there anymore, right?"

Kaede grins again, though she's unable to resist a glance down at her nails at the mention of him again. "Um, no, I don't think so...but you'll probably have to pass him on the way down the stairs."

I let out a huff of offense. "Dang it. Gah, whatever, I'm still going. If he stops me or tries to, I'll smack him around a little or someth...what's that weird look for?"

The Ultimate Pianist rubs her hands together like a raccoon, cheeks flushing slightly red as she asks, "H-How are you able to be around him so much like that? I mean...doesn't he make you a little nervous?"

Confused, I purse my lips and frown. Is she scared of him since he's "enigmatic" or whatever to everyone else? Does she think I ought to be wary of him? Sheesh, I'm peeved at him right now, but that doesn't mean I think he's dangerous.

"I know he's sorta 'mysterious' in a _ooo-woo enigma man _type of way, but other than him getting on _my _nerves, I promise he isn't dangerous or anything like that," I reassure her, only to frown in more confusion when she shakes her head and laughs.

"No, no! I don't think he's dangerous either. I just, um...I mean, I'm just surprised someone who's nervous around boys like you can handle being around the best looking guy here. Like haven't you noticed how handsome-" Kaede starts until she notices my face start to burn a cherry red shade, prompting her to cut herself off with an awkward smile to instead continue with, "Let me guess, I shouldn't have brought it up and now you're not okay because you're thinking about it."

I nod, my face practically hot enough to be a furnace.

"Whoops. Sorry about that..." She adds, though it looks like she too is thinking about it since she blushes and looks at her nails some more with a shy smile.

"God, I hate him," I growl, biting on my own nails freely with no one to reprimand me. "I-It should be illegal to have a face like his."

I sigh as Kaede snickers, the blonde half turning towards the stairwell to begin descending down.

"I'll see you later, Kaede. Stay hydrated~" I chirp, trying to regain the reigns of my jittery emotions as I watch Kaede head down.

"See ya!" She responds, ever the ray of sunshine as she turns away to find something else to do outdoors. There's a bit of a pause in her step before she turns to look at me again, suddenly appearing guilty as if she's just remembered something less than favorable. "Um, one more thing. I might have told Rantaro something to help him get you to, uh, talk to him. Nothing bad, but...don't look at him when you pass him down the stairwell, okay? Trust me on this."

"Unsurprising...he really needs to give up already," I answer as she continues down, leaving me to my own thoughts.

_What did she tell him? And why is he still trying to be on my good side? I thought he understood he can't force me to like him...especially since he's hiding something from the rest of us._

Not that I know whether Monokuma is threatening him to keep quiet like he's threatening me though...and come to think of it, I have secrets of my own I'm not sharing as well- that being an elaborate explanation about Monotaro. I let extra information of it slip to Kokichi, but Rantaro doesn't know about it for the most part. To him, it probably just looks like I was protecting Monotaro for no reason.

After a couple of minutes of trying to rationalize my irrational irritation with Rantaro, I eventually let out a breath and stop stalling the inevitable. I head down the stairs to the first floor.

_Just don't look at him, like Kaede told me...now that I think about it, I could have tried asking her that question I asked Shuichi. Then again, if Shuichi was unwilling to share it with me, Kaede would have wither avoided it too, or declined answering as well._

_Besides that nonsense though, I need to find this potential exit Kaede was talking about. Booby-trapped or not, I might be able to-_

"Prairie."

The familiar deep velvet voice calls my attention with such casual ease that due to being lost in my thoughts, I look up.

I shouldn't have. I'm already kicking myself for it when I see Rantaro leaning by a wall with a pleasant, relaxed smile. There's something in the hand of this teen with the disastrous face, something he tosses up and down as if it were just _any _mundane thing to be handled with disrespect.

That _thing..._is a round, delicious looking ripened nectarine.

Just like that, my breath catches in my throat and the world stops around me. It's almost like a missing puzzle piece returning to my bland, boring life as I look upon it- turning my monochrome world to one of vibrant color. I can practically already _taste _the delicious fruit in his-

"You want it?" Rantaro asks, suddenly much closer than he was before. It isn't until I realize the reason I'm closer is because I've drifted over on my own accord in my entrancement with the fruit he has.

I jump back and give him a foul look, feeling my cheeks heat up _before _I've even uttered the lie.

_"No!_ N-Nectarines are gross! Nice try," I snap, trying not to look at the sacred fruit he holds in his hand. Rantaro, still smiling, nods a little in understanding. Then he cocks his head to the side and reaches out to wipe a wetness I'm mortified to realize has dribbled slightly out of the corner of my mouth.

"So I presume you're drooling because you're absolutely disgusted. Right?" Rantaro inquires, visibly amused.

...

I don't even respond, instead turning and making a break back to stairwell quickly before I say something I'll regret- like forgiving him just to get my hands on the juicy, sweet ambrosia of a treat he's trying to bribe my favor with. Once I reach the stairs, I pause and look back longingly, only to shoot the relaxed, smiling degenerate an indignant look when he gives me a casual wave where I've left him.

I continue down the stairs at that and shake the nectarine Rantaro has out of my head to focus on whatever I was going to the basement for. I won't let that nectarine he has distract me!

I absolutely won't!

..._What was I coming down here f- oh right. Testing my intuition._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.8 - Mary-Sue_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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	21. A Prize for a Price

❀ _**2.9 - A Prize for a Price**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Ten minutes later and all I can think about is that stupid fruit- so much so that I can't focus on any of the tests I've attempted because my thought process always u-turns back to Rantaro's nectarine. It's totally and obviously a trap. The nerve of that guy...

_Where the heck did he even get it? I don't see any fruit trees around here and I could have sworn I didn't see any in the kitchen._

About an hour later, it becomes glaringly obvious I'm not going to be able to focus on anything if I don't get my hands on the nectarine Rantaro has. Until the fruit was put in my line of sight, I'd had no idea just how much I loved the taste of it- one that is still burnt fresh in my mind despite the fact that I can't actually name the last time I'd even had one. Now that I'm thinking of the fruit and aware of the memory of its flavor however, I can't get it out of my head.

Staring at every game I tried, I was subconsciously drooling. Sometimes I'd forget to close my eyes and even when I did, the only thing I'd see were images of the nectarine I'd abandoned with that smiling heathen. It's a pretty frustrating issue...

But I have a solution! One that needs no interaction with Rantaro, at that.

I'll just find a nectarine of my own! He had to get it from somewhere, he didn't just pull it out of thin air. And since it's a food item, it's likely that it came from the kitchen and I just missed it when I examined the area before.

_I'm gonna get myself a nectarine without_ _Rantaro's_ _help, and that's that. I won't let him hold anything over me!_

I climb back up the stairs two at a time, trying to appear composed and undeterred by Rantaro's presence in the first floor hall. He's still got that nectarine at hand, but now he seems to be relaxing with a book. I can't tell what book it is, and when I realize I'm looking at him like I told myself I _wouldn't, _I turn my head away swiftly to continue my way to the kitchen. Good thing he didn't notice.

"Your face is much UGLIER than usual, UGLY!" Monokid blurts out, standing on the dining hall table with another new cardboard guitar at hand. No one else is in here but him, and I narrow my eyes on the kub when I hear the familiar endearing name they love using for me.

"Is this the only place where we can get food in the school?" I ask straightforward, passing the table so the blue monokub hops down to follow after me into the kitchen.

"You're actually THAT worked up over a dumb wannabe peach?!" Monokid snorts, guitar propped up over his shoulder like a tool rather than an instrument. "Yeah, the shit you fleshies need to survive is all here! You could probably get snacks from the student store monomachine though. Actually, I'm pretty DAMN sure nectarines come out of the monomachine only! You have to have tons of lucky though to get one- which YOU definitely lack, UGLY! _**HA!**__"_

_Why wouldn't nectarines be found in the kitchen?! And what's his _ _monomachine_ _ he's talking about?_

I decide to dig into the kitchen, practically tearing it apart in search for even a _tiny _nectarine at least. When I find nothing of the sort, I look around at the mess I've made in the kitchen and make a whining noise of distaste.

"See? Wha'd I tell ya, ugly! ...Now clean this shit up," Monokid giggles, looking like he's enjoying watching me suffer in my endeavors to find my desired treat.

The fact that my mouth keeps watering when I recall the nectarine flavor is starting to get annoying the longer I don't find one of my own. However...besides the fact that trying to get one is a lot more work than just submitting to Rantaro's trap, it would be a _prize _to see his face if I were to just randomly walk out with my own nectarine. It'd definitely foil his efforts to bribe me into talking to him, that's for sure.

..._I'm such a hypocrite. I shouldn't be so critical about __Rantaro's__ secret. Maybe he's finding it just as stressful to keep his secret as it is for me to keep mine- despite that I'm being forced into silence by __Monokuma__. Besides, it's not like I dislike him so much. I _want _to be around him._

Or maybe I'm being wishy-washy just to make an excuse to get the nectarine from him.

"If you were smart, you'd suck it up and just get it from your green boyfriend. You're NOT gonna get your grubby hands on one yourself, ugly," Monokid comments after a little while of watching me clean up, the bear sitting on the counter and strumming the badly tuned rubber band chords of his cardboard guitar.

I huff as I lift a bag of flour up that I'd placed beside him earlier, hauling it back into the pantry and dumping it in its rightful place.

"I'm definitely not doing that," I simply answer, turning to grab containers and organize what little is left of the mess. "What time is it anyways?"

"Don't care! I don't sleep!" Monokid barks delightfully, causing me to pause and look his way once I have what's in my hands set aside. Oh, how _helpful _his presence is...jeez.

"Why are you even here anyways? I would think you'd be bored hanging around someone ugly like me," I point out, prompting Monokid to jump to his feet on the counter and suddenly slam his cardboard guitar down on my head.

At first, I flinch in shock when it makes contact with my skull. The next second however, I realize the guitar didn't actually hurt me- rather collapsing into a bent piece of an unrecognizable cardboard amalgam around my head.

Monokid is still holding the end of the cardboard guitar, but he doesn't look all to satisfied with the result of his supposed assault.

Actually...he sort of looks rather upset.

"That was my **_LAST GUITAR-!"_** He suddenly cries out in realization, eyes actually tearing up as he looks at what's left in his paw and then turns his distraught gaze to me. " I blame YOU for making me do that! I'll never forgive you, _UGLY!" _

...I don't even know how to respond to that, considering there's literally no change in how he views me. What, so he could hate me more than he already does? Truly unexpected.

While the blue kub holds the remains of his last guitar sadly in quiet respect like it's a friend crossing into the afterlife or something, I finish cleaning up the mess in the kitchen and walk to the dining hall again. Glancing back over my shoulder, Monokid jumps down from the counter with much less of a spring to his step as he somberly follows me out.

_Who knew robots could get depressed...I better not bring that up to __Kiibo__ though, or he'll call me _ _robophobic_ _._

Walking out of the dining hall and back into the hallway, I'm unable to resist taking another peek at Rantaro.

He's still reading that book of his, though now he's reclined on a fluffy patch of mossy grass using one of the building lights in the corridor so the words he's reading are legible. He looks...almost picturesque like that, with my precious nectarine set on a napkin right next to him. Thank goodness he hasn't eaten it himself yet.

_No! Who cares if he eats it! I'm gonna get a better one anyways- a nectarine with more juice, more mass, and a more scrumptious flavor!_

My eyes flick back to Rantaro's face, only to see his green eyes already settled on me much to my surprise. He smiles a little and waves, but seeing this as yet another effort to drag me in with his charm and the nectarine, I whirl around and give him my back as I head over to one of the doors I see I'd originally missed during my time I'd been initially exploring the school. My face is on fire, and I make sure I don't turn back Rantaro's way where he can see my embarrassment of being caught staring at him.

Monokid is still following me, so when I enter this room I have to hold the door open a bit to let the depressed blue bear hobble in after me slowly with his wrecked guitar still at hand.

"Hey, is the monomachine that big thing at the corner?" I ask, not even hesitating to jump over the counter once the door to what appears to be the student store shuts behind us. The machine is pretty large with a glowing exterior and a few flashing lights, looking like a sort of toy capsule machine that takes coins to dispense prizes. Some of the capsules have items, others have slivers of paper- one which I can just make out to read as _Astro Cake. _"So...I can get a nectarine from this thing then..."

"Your chances are slim. You'd have a better chance winning the lottery for a laser treatment to fix your ugly face," Monokid still has enough spunk deep down to automatically remark- much to my annoyance.

My fingers trail over the coin eater, making me frown. What sort of coins does it take? I don't know any American coins this size...well, maybe a half dollar coin, I guess, but somehow I doubt a capsule machine would take an uncommon coin like that. Maybe there's yen of a similar size? I can't even remember what yen looks like.

"It takes monocoins, ya bastard. Here, these are from dad. Who's somehow willing to give you coins rather than get me- his _son-_ that cool guitar up there," Monokid gloomily mutters as he jumps on the counter behind me, dumping out a black and white pouch on the counter surface that jingles with the sound of coins. Quite a couple of coins, at that.

When I open up the pouch, I'm pleased to see ten coins for my spending pleasure, yellow-gold coins with the engraved features of Monokuma right in the middle. Monokid sits with his back to me as I begin to pop in the first coin into the monomachine. It'd sure be lucky if I got it on the first coin...

"Come to think of it, maybe I should grind up some coins for the guitar too- even if it IS just as rare of a monomachine item as the nectarine," Monokid speaks out loud to himself as a capsule pops out of the monomachine. I open it up to see what the paper, a ticket looking thing, says before pouting a little.

"Don't bother. You can have mine," I comment, dropping the ticket for the mini electric guitar right in the blue kubs lap much to his surprise. By the look on the monokub's face, you would think he'd just witnessed some kind of religious miracle or something.

I toss the useless plastic capsule shell in a trashcan nearby and try a second coin in the monomachine. This time when I turn the lever to dispense my prize, there's an audibly heavier clank as the capsule rolls along the spiral neon tunnel and hits the metal stopper at the outside rim of the machine. Retrieving the capsule, I can see there's an actual compass within it. I decide to set it aside on the counter where Monokid no longer is for now, looking near the opposite end of the room where the blue monokub is feeding the ticket I've given him to a machine on the other end of the wall.

Next coin in the monomachine drops another item within a capsule- this time a small pocket mirror like the one that plain cow tried to offer me in the game room. Following that is a ticket for a wearable blanket, which I can't help but jump and grin at the sight of. Now I can stay somewhat warm in my cold room! Honestly, with how late it's starting to get, I was a bit concerned over what I was going to do about the whole "my room is Antarctica" issue tonight. Honestly, it'd be too embarrassing asking to share a room with someone else.

_Maybe I'll get something else useful next?_

I insert a fifth coin and out comes a capsule...with something I can't quite identify. It's sorta fuzzy. Sorta..._meaty._ I can't help but give it a scowl as I try to figure out what it is until-

"That's a _monkey's paw!" _Monokid helpfully supplies, suddenly appearing beside me with his shiny new guitar. While he strums it wildly, or _tries _to since he doesn't quite know how to use a legitimate guitar, I continue to stare at the capsule contents a moment longer before I drop the entire thing in the nearby trash without a second thought.

First of all, _gross._

Second, there's no amount of money someone can pay me to keep that thing around me.

The next two items I get are somewhat useful, though not the nectarine I'm praying for. The ticket for the high-end headphones I appreciate, and with the sewing kit maybe I can alter my clothes if I learn a little bit of sewing.

I have three coins left and I'm quite literally waiting for a miracle at this point. I have three measly chances to get a nectarine and then it's all over.

I take a deep breath and put a coin in the machine, turning the lever and...out comes a ticket for something called a proxilingual device. Of course, this isn't interesting to me in the least bit at the moment, so I set the capsule with Monokid and the rest of my things behind me and pop in my next coin with bated breath.

A capsule with something that resembles a pocket watch pops out, resulting in another failure to retrieve a magnificent nectarine. I'm sweating a little, feeling Monokid pull himself over my shoulder with his new guitar strapped to his back. He doesn't say anything to mock me or belittle me as I slowly pop in my last coin and turn the lever for the last time.

...

"Aw, _come on!" _Monokid and I blurt out, him in outrage and me in dismay as I slump down to the ground and throw the capsule with the chalk bag the monomachine deposited over my unoccupied shoulder. Sure, it's a fitting item to have received, but it's not a nectarine. Of my ten coins, I didn't get the thing I wanted the _most._

_Which means..._

Suddenly realizing what I must do and hating every bit of the thought, I eventually stand up and reach over my shoulder where Monokid is- lifting him up off of me and setting him down on the bar with my things so I can jump over the counter again. On the other side, I look back at the capsules and the bear, sucking in air for bravery and nerve. I pace a little, hyping myself up and exhaling heavily before inhaling deeply again to ground myself.

This is it. I _have _to do this. I need that fruit.

"Okay, I'll just, um...go out there and demand he hand it over for being a prick and trying to bait me!" I state, turning back to Monokid as he goes through my capsules and opens them up.

"Yeah! And if he doesn't wanna, BEAT IT OUTTA HIM! You show that pretty boy who's BOSS!" Monokid agrees with fire, pumping a clenched fist up in support much to my surprise. Honestly, I wasn't expecting him to cheer me on about it, but with another exhale and a nod, I turn and march right out of the room- verbally prepared for battle.

I know exactly what I want and exactly what I'm going to say to get it.

Turning down the hall as a woman on a mission, I can see Rantaro still laying down- now resting on his side as I steel my nerves to approach him. Every step closer makes my heart speed up. My hands feel clammy, a testament to just how nervous I am to talk to Rantaro again, _especially _with how rude I'd been after doing a one-eighty on him earlier.

I take the last few steps towards him, his dazzling green eyes quietly flicking up towards me as I come to a stop and force myself to casually sit down beside him on the grass away from most of the tile in the hallway. A terribly sweet smile appears on his face as I try not to look at the nectarine beside him, my brain mentally fumbling with all the plans and commands I'd planned moments before now that I'm looking at him.

"Hey," Rantaro first greets me, somewhat making me blank out even more before I manage to swallow down my nerves and reply simply with, "U-um, hi."

...

As a few moments pass, Rantaro's look ebbs towards something a bit knowing, which I'm not too surprised of. Obviously he knows I really want that nectarine- even though I tried to deny it earlier.

"How can I help you?" He casually inquires, an innocent look as he dog ears his place in his book and sets it aside to sit up and face me.

_Now's my chance! Order him to give up that treasure, he clearly doesn't understand it's value and doesn't deserve it! He-_

"You still want it?" Rantaro asks gently, suddenly holding up the nectarine to me with complete ease. I could snatch the thing from him if I wanted to...

So it's no surprise when I make an attempt and he quickly sits up on his knees to hold the sacred fruit just out of my reach. Impatient for the fruit and somewhat hurt that he's keeping it from me but offering it with the clear intent of _not _handing it over, I whine a little in abject dismay.

"I want it," I admit pitifully, hating how successful Rantaro has trapped me with just a stupid fruit. Clearly Kaede knew my favorite fruit- food- or whatever, but how did _Rantaro _get one?

Why did _he _have to be the one to get it and not me?!

"Alright. Now we're getting somewhere," Rantaro comments, raising a single brow. He's a little less playful now, his expression becoming somewhat serious. "If you want it...I'll give it to you."

I brighten up and stand to reach for it again, only for Rantaro to stand up to his full height and hold it away despite his words. Confused by his continued refusal to give me the nectarine, I look back at him. Something clicks in my mind and my stomach rolls uncomfortably.

_He has terms, doesn't he? Darn..._

"...F-Fine, what do you want?" I ask, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. I can't help but avoid his gaze as I hide my cheeks with my fluffy hair, only for Rantaro to clear his throat so I eventually force myself to look back up at him.

"I think you owe someone a big apology. And it's not me, if you're wondering," Rantaro alludes, green eyes narrowed on my smaller frame knowing I won't dare argue with him when he holds such a highly prized item over me. Or that's probably what _he _thinks.

_Who? _ _Kokichi_ _? _ _Kaede_ _? Or is he talking about..._

...

_"Her? _No! I'm not doing that. I don't like that cow," I simply remark snidely, dropping my hair and crossing my arms moodily. Just the thought of looking at Tsumugi irritates me, enough that I momentarily forget what exactly I'm trying to win from Rantaro.

"Why not?" Rantaro inquires, staring at me expectantly.

"B-Because!" I snap, upset that no one else seems to notice how unappealing that girl is as a person. Not even Kaede noticed it, even though she was put through the same aberrant rudeness as myself. Sorta makes me wonder what Shuichi thinks of Tsumugi...not that I can even ask him, since he won't even look my way after avoiding my questions in the classroom. "She's rude. And I don't like her."

"Prairie, just because somebody is rude doesn't mean you should also be rude yourself. We had this talk earlier regarding Kokichi, I _know _you're better than this," Rantaro sighs, prompting me to huff and look away from him defiantly at the scowl he's aimed my way from my petty behavior.

"Sorry I can't meet your standards," I quip, rolling my eyes since I know he doesn't like it.

"It's not that I have standards. You're just behaving like a child," Rantaro bluntly drops with little mercy. Before I can bristle up and blow the cap on my temper though, he tosses the nectarine up in his hand a bit to remind me of its presence. Seeing it makes me grab the reins of my rage and calm myself as I glare up at him sourly. "You know, Tsumugi was hurt by your words earlier. You broke her mirror too. While I understand you were anxious, what you said to her was in no way necessary."

"...sorry," I say, though it comes out bitter anyways. I can't bear to look at Rantaro anymore.

"You don't sound very sorry. And like I said before, it's not me who needs the apology. Don't you care that you hurt her feelings?" He presses, prompting me to shrink back a fraction until he reaches out to move my chin so I look up at him again. "Instead of holding a grudge, please try talking to her. In a civilized manner like I know you're capable of. If you still don't like her afterwards, then fine, but at least you apologized for your behavior. You won't have to say anything else other than a courteous 'hi' to her every now and then. If you at least do that, I'll gladly give you the nectarine and I'll stop bugging you from now on."

...

I pull my face out of his hold and yank out my monopad, scrolling through the map until I find where Tsumugi is.

_Hmm...seems like she's alone in the gymnasium. Well, I guess here goes nothing._

"Alright. I'll apologize to her. I just need to-_ stop smiling like that. _I still don't _want _to apologize, I'm only doing it because you have a somewhat valid point!" I snap, eyeing his bright and sunny grin of pride aimed at me with a scowl I throw back. "I still hate you."

"That's fine, I don't mind," Rantaro answers without missing a beat, prompting me to somewhat lose my composure as I peer up at him in mild confusion.

"W-Why not?" I stammer bemused.

"Just 'cause," Rantaro avoids the question with that grin of his, right before bending back down to retrieve his book and stick it in his back pocket. "Anyways, let's get going then."

Rantaro offers me his hand just like he had the first few times when we'd met. Automatically, I start to reach for it on impulse and stop just as my fingertips touch his palm- suddenly yanking my hand back and spinning around to head for the student store in a feisty brisk march.

"I-I can walk _myself!" _I complain, hating how heat floods up to my cheeks at the soft chuckle I just barely hear from him. "I'll be right back, I just need to go grab something!"

I speed walk away in embarrassment, entering the student store where Monokid still sits. He looks happy, admiring his new guitar as if it were a fine piece of art.

"Didja get it?!" He asks, to which I bite my lip in thought and nod after a second.

"Er, kinda-sorta. He's giving it to me if I go apologize to Tsumugi in the gym," I explain, noticing Monokid somewhat pause before continuing to look at his guitar. Maybe he doesn't like her either- _finally _someone that understands my issue with her! "So, I'm just gonna go get it over with."

I walk over to the counter and pick up the hand mirror Monokid had extracted from the capsule, surprised to see all the items I've won already on the counter for me. Seems like Monokid thoughtfully processed all the tickets for me in advance. Although...what do I do with them? There's too much stuff to bring along with me to the gym, and I don't want to trouble Rantaro to help me carry them.

Before I can open my mouth to ask Monokid what I ought to do with them, he bluntly answers, "Don't sweat it, I'LL take the shit to your room! No problem for me!"

Just like that, the blue monokub jumps and pulls the guitar over his shoulder so the strap holds it across his back, scooping up all the items in a bag he snatches up from under the counter and turning to look at me once more.

"Remember, for any other tickets that ya get later, you need to feed them to the ticket feeder over THERE!" Monokid comments boisterously, gesturing to the end of the counter where I'd seen him getting his guitar earlier.

"O-Okay. Thank you," I answer, popping the mirror in my pocket as Monokid quickly bounds away and meeting Rantaro outside with a sigh on my part.

Neither of us say anything as we walk down the hall towards the gym in silence, the only sounds being the crunch of grass and stone as we walk. I can hear a couple of voices outside the building, but they're much too far away to properly identify or understand coherently.

I push open the doors once we reach the gymnasium, immediately spotting Tsumugi's figure in the middle of the stage at the back and feeling my body come to a stop. It isn't until then that I realize just how badly I've messed up. What if Tsumugi rejects my apology? What if she breaks the mirror I'm going to give her?

I look back at Rantaro in slight discomfort, but he just smiles at me and gently nudges me forward towards her.

"I'll wait for you here and give you girls some privacy," Rantaro explains, leaning against the door frame casually before I resign myself to turning around and continuing my walk across the gym where Tsumugi is. What looks like a long trip almost feels like only three steps, as I soon find myself right in front of Tsumugi's reserved disposition by the stage- prompting the girl to turn and blink in surprise when she sees me.

_...It'll feel weird to talk to her from down here, so I'm just gonna-_

I pull myself up on the stage easily, standing up to face her. Tsumugi's taller than me now that I'm paying attention to her, thought despite our last encounter she doesn't look too upset to see me. If anything, it almost looks like she's...extremely happy?

So I'm a bit caught off guard when she bows to me off the bat and blatantly blurts out, "I'm sorry, Prairie!"

_...Wait, I thought I was the one here to apologize?_

"The reason you're upset with me is because of our first meeting, right? When I ignored you? I've been thinking about it and at first when Kaede explained how it was rude, I didn't quite understand...but I do now. I'm _so _sorry I ignored you when you made the effort to try and introduce yourself to me. I was still really nervous with waking up here and not knowing anyone or what was going on, but that's still no excuse. I...hope we can start over properly this time. But only if you want though!" Tsumugi word vomits, looking at me for my decision as she eventually silences.

I sigh again, this time in relief. I think this is a good sign she isn't going to break the mirror I've brought for her.

"No, you don't need to do that. There's nothing for _you _to apologize for," I inform her, bowing back to her. "M-My grudge on you is petty and shouldn't exist whatsoever. I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier. I'm sorry I broke your mirror and insulted you unprompted. It was uncalled for and childish of me."

When I straighten up, I'm somewhat pleased to realize most of my irritation with her has faded into plain curiosity.

_...I guess I could give her a chance. She's probably not so bad if she's actually like this. Although in previous resets, she had never ignored me due to the stress, so maybe this is one of those slight personality shifts I've been noticing in a few of the others- where they were slightly unlike their current selves or nothing like how they are now. Not like these differences have been all that bad or anything._

"Starting over sounds like a good idea," I agree, holding out a hand to her and smiling warmly. "I'm Prairie Marble, the Ultimate Rock Climber."

Tsumugi brightens up considerably, visibly elated by my agreement. She has to slap her cheeks in excitement afterwards though as if making sure she's not dreaming. Once she's gotten a hold of her excitement however, she grins and introduces herself properly as well.

"My name is Tsumugi Shirogane. I'm the Ultimate Cosplayer!" She introduces herself, which immediately explains why that Yōkai costume was "unfit" for her expert taste when Monokuma waltzed in with it earlier today.

"Huh, that's an interesting talent," I comment thoughtfully, before remembering the weight in my pocket and reaching in to pull it out and hold it out to her. "By the way, I-I sort of owe you this. To replace the one I broke...sorry again about that."

Tsumugi takes the mirror from me, smiling up at me and pocketing it after a second.

"Thank you! It means a lot to me that you'd go through the trouble to replace it," Tsumugi chirps, right before taking a lock of hair and sort of twirling it around her finger. "By the way...I was wondering if maybe later on, you wanted to try cosplaying out with me? I'd love to put you in a Sailor Jupiter outfit, you would look _so good_ dressed up as her! Your hair is totally like hers!"

"Sailor...Jupiter..." I mumble, scrunching up my eyes in thought as I stare at Tsumugi's eager face, eventually relaxing and smiling when I remember what the source material is. "Oh, from Sailor Moon? Y-Yeah, I guess I don't mind, but-"

I blink for half a second and Tsumugi has whipped out a measuring tape, startling a small squeak out of me as she drags that tape around multiple parts and and angles of my body with little restraint. As soon as she starts, the measuring nightmare ends- enough for me to relax once she lets the tape measurement wind up and snap its entire length back into its chamber.

"Alright! I can't wait, I need to get started on this now, I'm so excited that Perfect Blitz gets to model my work!" With a gleeful squeal, she scurries out of the gymnasium, passing Rantaro and giving him a happy-go-lucky wave he calmly returns as she disappears into the school with a quirky leap of excitement on her way out.

_That's it then, huh?_

I take a seat on the edge of the stage and sigh as Rantaro eventually makes his way in, casting me a smile as he crosses the gym and stops in front of me

"Whatever happened, Tsumugi seems pretty happy as a result," he comments, looking rather satisfied for still being hated by me.

"Yeah, I sort of said she could, um...dress me up if she wanted. Don't worry, I'll regret it later," I explain sheepishly, drumming my fingers along my knees as a blush of embarrassment rises to my cheeks. Rantaro laughs a little before reaching out to push some hair behind my ear.

"Well, a promise is a promise. Here you go, it's all yours," Rantaro states, right as he hands me the nectarine and the napkin he has. He gives me a bit of a more somber look, though it seems like he's trying to hide it from the way his eyes only express it rather than his entire face. "And just like I said before, now that you've apologized to Tsumugi, I'll leave you alone for good-"

I put the nectarine down and hop off the stage, surprising Rantaro by his stiffening posture with a hug that catches him off guard. He hugs me back after a moment, saying nothing about my actions.

"...I'm sorry for being so troublesome," I mumble, feeling him lift a hand from my back to run it through my hair.

"I know. And don't worry, I know you're doing your best. You did good right now with Tsumugi, after all," Rantaro answers, his tone much warmer than ever. "Hey, I was going to check out the library earlier when I ran into Tsumugi and Kaede in the game room, and I still need to go in. Would you like to keep me company?"

I push back from him, looking up at him in consideration before a small smile eventually breaks across my face and I nod in agreement.

_Not to mention...maybe I can test my intuition in the library too. And now I won't be distracted so much since I have the nectarine now._

When Rantaro holds out his hand to me this time, I take it in mine without hesitation or shame, following him out of the gym after grabbing my beloved nectarine prize.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 2.9 - A Prize for a Price**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)
> 
>   

> 
> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)
> 
>   

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)
> 
>   



	22. Rebound

❀ **_2.10 - Rebound_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

When we get downstairs, a few odd things about Rantaro's behavior jumps out at me immediately, even though I'm occupied with eating my nectarine in my free hand as I observe him.

First and foremost, as we hit the basement floor, he doesn't go and lead us to the library like I would imagine since that's where his business is. No, he takes us to the game room first- going to the door and looking back at me with a smile of mild sheepishness like he knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"Ah, just checking to make sure it's only us down here. We'll just be a second or two," he explains without actually elaborating, prompting me to raise a brow but remain quiet as a result.

I follow Rantaro through the game room and into the AV room, watching him intently as he scans for any other people and pulls us over to the door that leads back into the hall of the basement floor. Using one hand, Rantaro tries to slide it open, but it only opens barely a fraction before it clicks into place and refuses to open any more.

"Hm..." Rantaro hums to himself, releasing the door and promptly leading us back out to the game room and then the hall. At that point, I decide I've been silent long enough and decide to say something.

"Rantaro, why should only us need to be on this floor?" I ask after a moment, right after swallowing a bite of my nectarine. "I-I mean...if I didn't already know you weren't a suspicious guy, I'd swear up and down you were making sure there's no witnesses around to see you murder me..."

The green haired teen pauses mid-step and turns to look back at me, expression somewhat dry until he sees my mildly uncomfortable expression and realizes I'm not joking around about my statement.

"Prairie, _no, _there's no way I'd ever do that," Rantaro reassures me with an obviously embarrassed smile of his own.

"I-I know, believe me. But...the fact that you don't explain it sorta looks suspicious," I elaborate, causing Rantaro to sigh and put his hands on his hips. I take another bite of my nectarine to hide a bit of a wry smile. Poor guy has _no _idea how enigmatic he makes himself appear, huh?

"Am I really that suspicious looking to everyone?" He inquires, as if still dubious about the claim.

Chewing, I nod to him in confirmation and watch him look away thoughtfully like he's quietly analyzing his usual behavior. As he does that, I step closer and lean my shoulder against his side with a soft comforting bump.

"You're very oblivious. Just so you know...telling everyone you're 'not a suspicious guy' only makes it seem like the opposite is true. E-Especially since you're so secretive and keep things from everyone," I drop casually, gently pushing off of him and walking towards the library when he looks my way so he isn't given a chance to see whether I was dropping shade or just stating simple fact.

Note: it was definitely shade.

_I'm so troublesome. Why does Rantaro even bother with me? I need to cool down, I can't always be getting irritated like this._

"So what do you suggest I ought to do then?" Rantaro inquires as he catches up with me, thought it's obvious by his tone that no matter what I say, he isn't going to change his secret keeping habit- at least not right now. Clearly he's noticed, or suspects I threw a verbal jab at him.

_...I need to let it go. He's not hurting anyone by keeping a secret or two. And it's not like he's getting upset with_ _**me** __for the secrets I'm keeping._

I'm completely relaxed now, stopping just at the front door of the library closest to the stairs and turning to look at him with a harmless playful smile that teeters between the border of mischief and innocence.

"Not whine if people tell you you're suspicious and creepy," I answer coyly, watching as the air of sternness around him twists with mild hints of confusion and eventually settles into a smile. He probably noticed I cooled down real quick, or he thinks he imagined the jab. Either way, disaster averted!

"You're adding to it, no one's ever said I'm creepy," Rantaro accuses, to which I playfully answer without missing a beat, "That's funny, because I could have sworn I just did right now."

...

I let out a squeak and giggle when Rantaro suddenly pokes my side, making me pull my nectarine back as I jump out of his range of pokes and scurry ahead into the library to escape him. It's the only assaulting poke he gives me thankfully, the green eyed teen flashing me an innocent and laid back grin before following me into the library and scanning for any others like he'd done in the game room. It's just us in here though.

_When I dropped the jab about Rantaro keeping secrets, he didn't try to actually deny anything. Was that on purpose?_

I peek at Rantaro curiously for a second, turning away quickly and walking deeper into the dusty gothic-esque library before he can look back my way and ask if I need something. I'm nearly finished with the nectarine Rantaro gave me, nibbling on the juicy leftovers as I stroll on over to one of the shorter shelves and sit on it. I look back at Rantaro, earning a smile of mild amusement as he walks past me towards the back of the library to get on with whatever he's here for. He paces around the back wall thoughtfully, as if he's looking for something in particular.

By the way he moves the books around, I assume he must be looking for a particular book. Watching quietly, I simply finish off my fruit before cleaning my hands and wrapping the nectarine pit in my napkin.

Rantaro has taken out his monopad and is looking through it as I walk to the stray trashcan to dump my napkin. Returning to him, Rantaro switches off his monopad and tucks the device in his pocket without a comment.

_Hm...I guess he must have something he needs to keep a secret in his __monopad_ _as well._

Decidedly, I say nothing about it and watch him move the books some more...until something jumps out at me. Rantaro seems to notice it right away when I do, though he doesn't seem to realize I've caught wind of the same discovery.

Namely that the middle shelf at the back of the library happens to be the only shelf that doesn't have books stacked up on top of it, unlike every other one.

My eyes drag down- enough that they eventually land on a particularly suspicious gap in the middle of a couple of books. Curious, I go ahead and reach in carefully, finally garnering Rantaro's attention when he notices what I'm doing. I feel around momentarily before my fingers come in contact with a sort of mechanism, prompting me to frown a little as I gently feel for how it works. It's a sort of latch function, with wires that connect to the very back of the shelf.

"There's some sort of mechanism here," I comment, fingering the latch hesitantly. What if it's a trap that activates when I pull it? The wires in the back aren't very comforting, and I wouldn't put it past a place like this to set up horrible traps for us.

"Let me see," Rantaro inquires, prompting me to slip my hand out of the way so he can reach in and-

My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when the bookshelf suddenly starts to open with a dreadful rumble, scraping the floor as I jump back a few steps with Rantaro.

_So...was this what Rantaro was looking for in the library? How'd he know there was something around here of interest in the first place?_

"And you call _me _reckless. That could have been a trap and you just yanked it all willy-nilly," I accuse, though other than an embarrassed laugh, he doesn't dwell on my callout.

I look back at the door behind the moving bookshelf, eyeing it up and down suspiciously. It's a door, one that is a split of color of black and white much like Monokuma. To the right of the door is a card reader, and peering at it reveals dust hidden in the groove to slide the card. Has it not been used in a while?

It's while I turn to mention this to Rantaro that I notice in his pocket...he has _two _monopads that appear identical tucked in his pocket. I frown a little and then look up to see him already observing me. He seems tense, like he's waiting for me to say something about it. No doubt there are quite a few things I want to say- like why he's got two and who he got the second monopad from- since each of us got only one per person.

...

I sigh in the end and turn back to look at the card reader again. "Anyways-" I start, much to Rantaro's visible surprise out of the corner of my eye.

"You're not going to ask?" He asks boldly, obviously wanting to know why I'd dismiss it- or whatever _this _is.

I pretend not to hear him, dismissing his query as well.

"What kind of a place like this needs a hidden room no one knows about?" I change the topic, tapping the scanner curiously and eyeing how the dust in the reader stays in place. A blow of air at it cleans it out though, one that makes me smile a little. Nice and Tidy.

_I'll chalk it up to that despite how Rantaro suspected something would be here- and was correct- he's at least on our side and working to help us all. I trust him._

"Well, there's really no reason for this sort of measure to be taken to hide a room that Monokuma obviously uses. An easier way to make it hidden and inaccessible would be to make the entry- bear sized- so humans can't get in. I can only imagine that..." Rantaro trails off, turning my way as the realization dawns on me via his implicating analysis. "Tell me I could be wrong, because I hate where I'm going with this."

I bite my lip and shake my head. Unfortunately, he's right on track with his logic, despite how unpleasant it is.

"Sorry, but...I think you're right," I answer, looking back at the clearly _human _sized door before us. "There's a person in our group that's in with Monokuma, and they probably use this door. And from experience with dealing with Monokuma, they'll probably eventually learn we know about the hidden doorway and use it against us."

My voice is low and secretive as I explain, prompting Rantaro to nod and glance around the library in obvious search of cameras watching.

"I remember the monokubs mentioned that when Monokuma was talking about punishing you in the dining hall. Monophanie said that he has eyes everywhere, but...there's no way he could have caught proof of Monotar- I mean-" Rantaro fumbles a little, causing me to reach out and rub his shoulder.

"You can say it, don't worry. Monokuma already knows what happened after all. I just don't want the others to think _I'm_ some kind of traitor for being nice to the monokubs. Kokichi is already suspicious, I think...and he's enough of a handful," I explain, removing my hand with a small smile.

"Right..." Rantaro relaxes, smiling back at me and resuming his statement. "Anyways, without cameras, he wouldn't have caught what happened with Monotaro. I don't know where they are placed, but they have to be set up around the school if he caught him."

I nod in agreement, before glancing back at the card reader thoughtfully.

"Hey...since he's the Ultimate Detective and whatnot, do you think Shuichi's already found the hidden door too?" I question, noting how Rantaro somewhat stiffens up when I mention the reserved gold eyed teen. He turns to face my way and takes one of my hands- smiling nervously. He looks like I'm gonna get mad at him again.

_No promises._

"Prairie, you trust me, right?" He asks, a charming smile now gracing his handsome features.

I almost want to say no just to spite him for trying to charm me with his "pretty-boy" face. Instead, I obviously glance at the monopads in his pocket and at the hidden doorway behind me.

"Unfortunately, yes," I answer, watching Rantaro laugh sheepishly before rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment.

"Ah...okay, that's good enough I suppose." Rantaro pauses and his features become serious. I feel my back and spine straighten up as a result. "Can you do me a favor and keep this a secret between just you and me?"

_A secret between the two of us? Like how __Kaede__ and __Shuichi_ _both are hiding something from the rest of us?_

"Well, only if you promise not to do anything stupid. I'll keep my mouth shut if you're careful," I state, watching as his familiar smile returns to his face. Unfortunately, it's not the genuine smile I know and like seeing from him.

"I promise," he lies.

...

"I'm not sure if I should be offended you think I'm that dense, or simply take it as it is," I huff a little, noting how his smile never wavers and how his hands tighten just slightly around mine. It doesn't hurt or anything, he's clearly just implying the importance of my cooperation.

"Please."

I frown more, but eventually conjure up a good answer for him.

"Fine. I won't tell anyone," I reply, prompting Rantaro to sigh a little more in relief before I add, "and I still hate you."

He laughs and suddenly pulls me into a hug, despite that I let my arms hang slack and don't hug him back.

"Do you always hug people that say they hate you?" I complain, already attempting to wriggle away from him before he finally releases me so I can grab my hair and hide my red cheeks.

"Depends on the person that hates me. Especially when I know they don't really mean it," Rantaro answers, offering me a meaningful look.

_Of course I don't really hate him, but when he's being unreasonable and a hypocrite by putting himself in a risky position and then scolding me when I do the same-_

"Let me know the day you meet a person that doesn't mean it then," I comment, simply turning to walk back around the library. "I guess I'll leave it to you to study that thing. I'm just gonna find something to read and then hang out in the game room."

"You're not staying?"

_Gah! Why's he got to ask me that so directly?_

I turn back to him, eyeing him curiously.

"Do you really need me?" I ask, watching as he smiles somewhat sheepishly and simply answers, "For moral support, yes."

With a sigh on my part, I turn and shrug, relenting out of the kindness at the bottom of my heart...despite how embarrassing it is that I'm complying so quickly.

"Alright, I'll stay and read in here, I guess..." I comment, looking back in time to see him smile before turning and observing the hidden door and card reader. Once I'm sure he's completely occupied, I focus on my own attention on all the books around me.

_Okay, let's find something to test my ability on. Maybe a puzzle book? Would regular books even be found in here? Or-_

I come across a distinctly large selection of books- ones that look like textbooks- and immediately start scanning for something useful.

_...! A sudoku puzzle! Okay, that will work, _I think to myself, opening the book up as soon as I yank it out of the shelf. It's one of the smaller books- one that's paperback and has a convenient pencil taped to the spine of the book. With it at hand, I sit on one of the low shelves closest to where Rantaro is tinkering with the card reader- surprising since he doesn't quite strike me as the techie type. Or maybe he's looking for a hidden button, or some sort of hint that will grant him entry? Who knows, I'm sure he thinks he's got it handled though.

I peel the tape on the spine of the puzzle book and open it back up to the first page.

_Alright, where to start then._

I tap the back of the pencil against the book and then quickly shut my eyes, scribbling what first comes to mind without having looked at the numbers. Once I open my eyes again, I'm actually somewhat surprised by what I see.

First of all, I wrote every number in a box accurately- none of the writing too far to any side or coming out past the borders of their respective boxes. On the other hand however, the numbers are a total mess. At least in comparison to the numbers already pre-assigned to a few of the boxes, since if those other numbers were different, the puzzle would have been completed properly.

At the top corner of this attempt, I write "Test #1: Not having looked at numbers."

_Okay, now is this all possible to complete in the same amount of time if I check the numbers beforehand?_

I turn to the next page and glance at every number for a moment, closing my eyes once I've looked at all of them and letting my hand with the pencil scrawl across the page. Once the squares are presumably all filled with a number (a guesstimate on my part, which I guess is part of these testing attempts in itself). I open my eyes...and gawk momentarily.

I glance up to see if maybe Rantaro's noticed the insanity going on here, only to see him absorbed with the moving bookcase. Turning my attention back to the puzzle, I quickly scan each row and column in search for a mistake, despite already sensing there _isn't _one. Once again, every number is neatly smack dab in the middle of a square, and this time the numbers are all aligned without a hitch. No repeat numbers, no mistakes.

_Is it possible to do it with my eyes open though, or is it just when there closed that this occurs?_

In my third attempt, I do just that. When it becomes clear my overthinking hinders the results and my attempts on a fourth test at just writing random answers with my eyes open blows, I pause and lift up my pencil to stare at the two failures.

_Now...how many puzzles can I complete using test number two's method right now?_

I flip to a fifth fresh puzzle and peek at Rantaro to make sure he's still busy, turning my body just slightly to give him my back where he can't see what I'm doing. Last thing I need is Monokuma popping in and berating me about it. Then again...there's a big difference between me hinting and simply _using _the ability. Not to mention, if he bans me from using it altogether, _he _won't learn anything about it either.

Pencil at the ready, I begin with scanning the page for the numbers and close my eyes once I've looked at them all. Without immediately checking for the right answers, at least not yet, I move to the next page and repeat the process And then again. Another time...a fifth time, a sixth time...

By my seventh attempt going through a puzzle, I'm hyperaware of the fact that my speed in writing has slowed down from the first five and even sixth attempt using this method. By the eighth try, I notice this slightly dizzy feeling in my head and this pain that begins to form at my forehead just between my eyes.

"Prairie?" Rantaro sounds somewhat concerned, making me look up from rubbing my forehead in confusion. When did he appear next to me?

He wipes something from the corner of my mouth unexpectedly, causing my eyes to widen a little when I see a red tint of liquid coat his thumb- enough that I start to scramble off of the shelf until Rantaro stops me by lifting me up and sitting me back on it.

"Hold on, stay there for a moment," he requests calmly, giving me a once over by moving my face up towards the light to look at my eyes. "Open your mouth for me."

I do as he says, although looking up at the light only makes my head hurt more. While doing this, we both jump when we hear the shelf suddenly rumble again, looking back to see as it swings shut to hide the hidden door. Presumably it's to make sure it closes so no one finds it open. It wouldn't be very secretive if you went in and forgot to close it, after all.

Rantaro eventually dismisses it and tilts my head again, making me open my mouth for him to see if anything is wrong.

_I'm still somewhat dizzy, but I don't feel like it's getting worse...maybe it's some kind of rebound from using my ability often?_

"Y-You know what?" I eventually speak up, pulling my face from his gentle hold and wiping my mouth to make sure nothing's there. "I'm fine, just tired. I didn't sleep all that long, remember? Maybe I bit my cheek or tongue and just can't feel it or something. I'm just gonna head back to sleep a little more and I'll probably feel better after."

"So then...something _is _wrong?" He asks, to which I shake my head.

"No, I'm just tired," I insist, watching as he somewhat frowns and eyes me curiously. He studies my features for a few more beats before sighing and moving aside for me to jump off of the shelf. Before I can make any move to leave on my own, Rantaro takes hold of my free hand.

"I'll walk you. After all, your room still isn't much of a room to be sleeping in, so you can use mine for now," Rantaro comments, leading me calmly towards the exit when I make no objections to his statement regarding the use of his room.

_I don't want to sleep and I'm not tired. I just need somewhere to keep doing more tests in private so I don't worry anybody if the blood from my mouth really __**is **__a result of my abilities. Especially if I end up passing out...and of course, __Rantaro's_ _room isn't really a good option either. I don't want to scare him if he comes back and finds me face down on the floor._

"Thank you," I answer anyways as we leave the school building, somewhat mildly surprised to see that most of the students that were originally outside earlier are now mostly gone. The only two around are Gonta and Korekiyo, but they're both absorbed in their own personal pursuits to notice Rantaro and I when we pass either of them. Hard to tell if what they're doing is being done together or separately, or if they're doing separate things and simply keeping one another company. Either way, it's sort of nice to see some of the students getting along in this place where we're supposed to...murder each other.

The green haired teen escorting me back to the dormitories gives me a charming honest smile, squeezing my hand in a show of friendliness as we reach our destination. He opens the door for me and I step in from outside with a small smile.

As I look around, I see only one person hanging out along the stairs. Just my luck someone would be around in here loafing around since I was planning to bail from Rantaro's room the second he left. Sadly, of all people, it had to be _him. _As if fate had decided I simply hadn't seen _enough _of him already.

"Aw, my two favorite people~! Already bedtime for you lovebirds, or what? It's only five thirty!" Kokichi teases, making me shrink back around Rantaro's other side as a shield from the violet menace's piercing gaze. Why does he need to call us that? Just 'cause we're holding hands? It's not like that, family and friends hold hands too...sometimes.

"Prairie didn't sleep enough so she's catching up on it," Rantaro calmly answers, looking more or less unbothered by Kokichi's prodding and teasing. "That's all, right?"

Rantaro glances my way at that last part, making me nod in affirmation as he leads me to his room door at the bottom level. Kokichi peers down at us from where he's seated, legs swinging playfully off the edge of the platform as he watches us unlock the door and enter the room.

I feel like the air all returns to my lungs as soon as we're out of sight inside Rantaro's room, the green haired ultimate giving me a smile as he lets go of my hand from the doorway.

"Sleep well, Prairie," Rantaro leaves me with, making me nod and answer, "I-I will. Thank you."

The puzzle book in my hand must not be significant enough for him to be concerned about, because he doesn't even give it a glance as he shuts the door and locks it behind himself. On the other side, he tests the door knob for a moment as I tiptoe over to the door. Pressing my ear against the surface, I listen for the sounds of his departure, hearing Kokichi make a comment or two that Rantaro responds to. Whatever they're talking about, I've got no clue, but they eventually stop talking to my relief and one of them leaves the building.

_If I'm to guess, Rantaro has to have been the one to leave since he's just discovered that secret door with me in the dining hall. There's no way he'd just leave it where it is without giving it a thorough look._

I count to ten...and then unlock Rantaro's room door to step out. I do it ever so carefully, making sure not to make any noise. The second I open the door however, I make a face seeing Kokichi's legs still swinging off the edge of the platform.

Sadly, I don't really have the luxury of 'time' on my side to wait till he's gone though, so I take a deep breath...and let my door close behind me with no attempt to muffle the sound, clinging to the puzzle book and pencil and reaching back to the handle to make sure it locks behind me. Kokichi's legs stop swinging at the sound of the door.

"Huh?" I hear Kokichi as I walk out and hurry on over to the stairs, hating how his eyes narrow on me in obvious amusement as I climb the stairs. "Ah, I see! You _lied_ to Rantaro! Ooo, if only he knew you have him wrapped around your little finger...I approve!"

I give him a slight glare pausing at the end of the top of the platform and then speeding up my walk to get to my room.

"I'm not taking advantage of him. It's not my fault he insists on getting my approval," I huff, followed by Kokichi responding, "Sure it is! It's your fault because you're so cute."

I half choke on my saliva, trying not to appear affected by his silver tongue of lies as I fish out my keys and turn away from him to open my door quickly and rush in. I slam the door behind me just in time as I catch sight of what my room looks like, nearly forgetting to lock the door and fumbling as I eventually do.

My eyes bounce from the dresser to the vanity in the room and to a shower tucked at the very corner in the back- but mostly...!

Taking a running start, I jump on the massive fluffy bed in relief and giggle a little when I bounce on it from the force of my jump. The bed is even bigger than the beds the _others _have! What?! How did this get here? How did _everything _get here?!

_Was it __Monotaro_ _again? Or...maybe...?_

"See? She loves it! Even if we WEREN'T able to put a crapper in!"

Sitting up on my knees, I turn to look towards the source of the voice with a smile. Standing on my new dresser a few feet away from where I am on my new bed is Monotaro and Monokid, both of which look rather pleased with my rooms transformation and my reaction to it.

"We wanted to have it done before you got back! What do you think?" Monotaro asks, bouncing eagerly on his feet almost like a puppy eager for praise.

"This is incredible! And it's not cold in here anymore, this is perfect! H-How did you manage to convince Monokuma to allow this?" I ask, awestruck by the unique design of the room's pastel orange walls and the light oatmeal colored carpet. It's like it was literally _personalized _for me_, _quite unlike the other rooms that are dark and very lacking in color, at least when I'd seen Rantaro's room and Kokichi's room.

Both bears share a smile, one that makes me cock my head slightly to the side.

"Well, BAISICALLY-!" Monokid starts, until Monotaro grabs his arm.

"W-Wait! We don't know who's watching, even in the rooms...!" Monotaro stops him with a low voice, prompting Monokid to flinch with obvious realization and fall silent with a nod of understanding. "At night as soon as the announcement ends, meet us in the first floor boys bathroom."

I can feel my cheeks heat up at Monotaro's words, jittery at just the thought of walking into the bathroom of the opposite gender. Did I hear him right?

"The _boys'?_ W-Why not the girls? What if I run into another boy in there?" I ask, causing both male monokubs to wince before Monotaro answers. "Er...we have reason to believe the girls' bathroom is bugged and _not _the boy's bathroom. D-Don't ask, you really don't wanna know! And whatever we can do, it's safer to do in _there."_

"We KNOW it's a lot to ask but...TRUST us!" Monokid exclaims, making a futile effort to lower his voice like Monotaro. Before I can add any input, Monokid and Monotaro bound towards my bedroom door, swinging it open easily only to pause dead in their tracks at my doorway when they find who's standing on the other side.

Kokichi grins and puts his hands on his hips, staring down almost expectantly at the blue and red monokubs that freeze before him. I can feel my stomach swirl a little, already noticing how his eyes sweep around the room, land on me, and then fall back on the kubs to piece together the mystery.

...

"So NEXT TIME we see you messing with things you have no business MESSING with, you're _really _gonna experience the wrath of us monokubs, ya hear UGLY?!" Monokid suddenly booms my way, making me flinch in surprise before nodding rapidly when I realize he's just trying to save face.

Before anyone can say anything else, the kubs bound away quickly, Monotaro rushing away less than composed in comparison to his brother as sweat pellets form across his head.

Now it's just me, looking out at Kokichi from my bed as he lingers at my doorway. When he turns his gaze back to me, there's a grin on his face- less fake and more along the lines of threatening and cautionary.

"With all these gifts they're giving you, how could you _not _trust them?" Kokichi muses rhetorically. "Although, I wonder who's the one really being used. You or them?"

He doesn't wait for an answer on my part, surprising me by reaching in to close my door and toss me a wink as he locks it behind him. Once it shuts, I'm left completely alone in my remodeled room, pondering Kokichi's last words and shaking off the icky feeling of the implications. I wouldn't say I'm _using _the monokubs, we're supporting each other, right?

_You don't even know if you can really trust them though. They might just be nice so they can destroy it for you later and really throw you into despair._

While that might be true, something in my gut keeps telling me it's not like that. I may not be able to trust a lot of people around here as much as I would want to...but I can at least trust _myself _right?

That's all I can do to sleep at night, I suppose.

_Monokid_ _and __Monotaro__ said tonight as soon as soon as the announcements are finished to go to the boys bathroom. Then I guess once I finish testing my abilities, I can head on over to see __Miu__ in the warehouse like she asked so I can see what that invention she made is. Hopefully it's nothing that'll kill me...I don't really know what kind of things she makes, and I don't know what's her rate of success in inventions._

I think back to the library and the blood that appeared when I was mid-testing, but after a quick brush off of the incident, I open the puzzle book to the puzzle I left off on and close my eyes.

Ninth puzzle complete. My head is swimming even more than before, and despite the clear warnings that I might be best not continuing, I push myself to finish a tenth puzzle nevertheless. Opening my eyes to collect the numbers for an eleventh, I notice my vision is blurry and somewhat reddish pink. Ignoring it, I close my eyes and finish the puzzle, opening my eyes to turn the page to the twelfth puzzle.

I can barely see the numbers now, and something drips on the book and my hand as I close my eyes and force myself to write the numbers in. Before I can open my eyes for the thirteenth puzzle, my ears suddenly pop uncomfortably, contorting into a slight pain that I try to ignore. I can feel more dripping on my sleeves and taste an intense salty copper-like flavor- an unpleasant amount of it- collecting over my tongue and in my mouth.

Once I realize what's exactly happening and how bad it is, I shove the puzzle book off my lap abruptly without finishing the thirteenth puzzle.

_Oh my god, no, _I think, hastily moving to climb off of my bed only to misjudge the distance to the edge in my panic and roll off headfirst into the ground in an uncomfortable heap that does nothing good for my imbalance and confusion as it shifts to nausea and-

Opening my eyes to try and see past the rise of stinging red fluid leaking- yes, _leaking- _from my tear ducts, I race to the only place in my room with a drain. Swinging open the shower door when I find it, I hunch over and expel the contents from my stomach.

As I finish the upleasant chore, I push back from the shower and wipe the sweat collecting across my forehead. My head has started to pound a lot more than the time I used it for the _Kagome__,_ _Kagome_ game with the monokubs...I guess the rebound is different depending on what you do. Maybe analyzing a puzzle is more work than simply listening for which monokub voice is going where in a circle around me.

I carefully lay down on the plush carpet, resting my head over a mat at the mouth of the shower doorway just for a moment to let my nausea settle and for the spinning to stop.

_I just need to close my eyes for a moment...I need to go see __Miu_ i_n the warehouse and then...then the_ _monokubs__ in the metal part...of the wall...to climb..._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.10 - Rebound_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)
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>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)
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>   

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)
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> 
> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)
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>   



	23. Worse Than A Deal With A Devil

❀ _**2.11 - Worse Than A Deal With A Devil**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Hey, Prairie! You know, you should just give up. You'll never make it to the top with how you are anyways. I mean, look at yourself. You're small, you're slow, and you bruise easily. Leave this stuff for those who are better equipped for it."

"How did you even manage to screw up so badly anyways? It's like you didn't even want to try! Why are you still here if you don't wanna put up the same effort as everyone else? You make the rest of us look bad!"

"Just quit while you're ahea-a-a-aa-d-d-"

...

_What exactly is this memory? They're just voices...but of who? And why do I have to remember such negative remarks? I'd rather remember the good things._

_..._

"Don't listen to those crapsacks! Just do your shit as you always do, you'll be fine! And if they don't like it, then they're gonna enjoy the taste of my heel when I slam it down their throats!"

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I laugh sleepily, dreaming still half-asleep and not quite alert to the waking world yet.

"Hehe...I like that voice..." I mumble drowsily in a slow drawl, mouth feeling like cotton and limbs heavy like weights are attached to them.

At first I just lay there as I start to come to. Then, as the world comes together around me, I completely awaken in a jolt and flinch with a yelp of pain when I attempt to open my eyes. They're stuck shut with something crusty, prompting me to panic momentarily until I feel the shower mat just under me where I'd been laying.

_That's right, there's a shower in here now! I can wash my face in there!_

Shifting on my hands and feet to stand up, I accidentally bonk my head against something hard and hollow unexpectedly with a force that vibrates down my shoulders and spine.

_"Ow!" _I grunt, grabbing my jaw to stop the rattling feeling of my teeth before I stick my hand out to touch the cool sleek surface of the shower with little surprise.

Still feeling minor fatigue and harboring a small headache, I carefully pat around to open the shower door and search for the water valve to run the water. Finding a single dial for the shower, I study the mechanism and eventually pull it out slightly from the tile wall, causing a rush of warm water to hit my head and shoulders from how I'm leaned into the shower. I squeak a little in surprise, but just as I'm about to step in completely without a care for my fully clothed state, I remember something.

_Wait. I'm pretty sure I threw up my last meal in here before I passed out. Maybe I shouldn't step in completely until I can see where I'm putting my foot._

I lean in and let the warm water pour over my hair and face again, feeling it trail down to soak my clothes carelessly. Although my head is still pounding, the feeling of water across my face is pleasantly refreshing enough to soothe most of my other aches and agitated nerves.

Finding a bar of soap in my blind state by feeling around the shower again despite my odd angle leaning in, I'm able to scrub my face clean enough that I can open my eyes after a bit. The first thing I do of course is look down, but other than the pink tint from cleaning my eyes, nose, and mouth, it seems like whatever I'd deposited in there earlier had mostly drained away since the drain cover hadn't been put in.

With the shower clear to step into, I do so and eventually notice that the water at my feet is still turning pink even though I've cleaned most, if not _all _of the blood off of my face. Come to think of it though, my ears feel as if they've been somewhat plugged ever since I woke up...maybe it's that-

I reach up and stick my pinkie in my ear, evidently shivering in both mild horror and disgust when my ear unplugs, followed by a deeper red color draining from my ear and cascading down my suit to the shower floor. I even bled from my _ears?_ Well, no wonder my suit is splashed with an obscene amount of blood. What a mess...

I peel my entire soaked suit off and toss it in the corner of the shower with a plop, running my hands through my hair and throwing my hair bow on top of my wet clothes pile. I'll have to wash the blood out of those clothes later, I guess.

_God, I didn't think the backlash would be _that _bad. I only ever tried using it a few times, but I guess this is what happens if I abuse the ability. I should have known it would have some sort of drawback._

Once I've cleaned my ears along with the rest of my body, I step out of the shower and grab a towel from several on a shelf next to the glass door. Wrapping it around me, I pluck a brush from atop my vanity and walk on over to my bed with an exhale as I sit.

...

For a moment, I just sit there and do nothing, holding my hair brush as if allowing myself to process what had happened before I'd passed out.

_So basically, I shouldn't overuse my ability after the first signs of the rebound, and everything I _do _end up using it on needs to be absolutely worth it._

I lift my brush and finally start running it through my wet locks, causing collected water to drip copiously on my towel I sit there. Doing something so normal like this is nice in a way. Makes me sort of forget the whole "stuck in a killing game" issue if only for a moment at least...

But of course, it's only for a moment.

_Didn't I need to do something tonight?_

Seeing the blood speckled sudoku puzzle book that had caused me grief abandoned on the floor near where I'm sitting, I stick out my foot to nudge the book with my toes a little, only to notice the pencil next to it and begin making a stupid effort to wrap my toes around the yellow painted wood writing utensil. Nothing important comes to mind even while doing this and brushing my damp hair simultaneously, despite the nagging feeling in the back of my mind.

Just when I'm about to get my toes around the pencil...

_ BING-BONG, DING-DONG! _

The sight of the monokubs as they appear on the screen of the announcement system in my room immediately causes the nagging thoughts to form into clearer and more cohesive reminder, making whatever's being said on the screen to become white noise in the back of my mind.

_I need to see __Miu__ in the warehouse and I need to meet up with_ _Monotaro_ _and __Monokid__ in the first floor's boy's bathroom!_

All of it comes to me in an instant and I understandably panic when I remember the time.

I drop my hair brush on the bed and run to the door to swing it open, only to realize my horrible mistake when the door hits someone on the other side.

The person grunts and mutters a curse under his breath as he is nudged forward with an unpleasant sound from the door hitting his head, rubbing a hand on the back of their layered green haired head. They start to turn-

-but I slam the door closed just as fast and violently as I had when I originally opened it.

Heart slamming against my the walls of my rib cage, I lean back against my door in horror for a moment before I'm running around my room to whip on my cleaner ultimate uniform from my nearly empty closet the bears provided me with.

Once I'm dressed, I go to my door and pause as a blush of shame finds its way to my cheeks at my embarrassment. Poor Rantaro. Kiibo was right, I shouldn't swing doors open so violently like that.

My cheeks are still red-hot under the hand I'm holding over my face since my hair is still wet. After a second, I sigh evidently pull my hair up in a bun, wrapping my coral orange ribbon around it to hold my hair despite how vulnerable and naked I feel without my locks down to cover my blushing.

I eventually manage to get myself to open the door carefully this time, cheeks still flushed when I see Rantaro standing against the rails of the second floor platform with an expectant look on his face and his arms crossed. My face only heats up more when I see him, and I struggle to not slap my hand over my face again.

"I-I'm sorry!" I blurt out off the bat skittishly. "I opened the door still in my towel 'cause I realized I lost track of time, and I told Miu I'd meet up with her tonight, but I couldn't apologize immediately because of the t-towel and because it was super embarrassing- and then I felt bad for just slamming the door shut on you, b-but I couldn't just open the door up in my towel again, and even though I closed the door so you wouldn't see anything and so I wouldn't be embarrassed, I'm embarrassed anyways- so there was really no point if my sanity was going to be destroyed anyways, a-and-" I babble incessantly in horror, words tumbling out of my mouth like a broken sprinkler and becoming more and more convoluted as I try to explain myself.

"Prairie, _it's okay!" _Rantaro suddenly states clearly over my babbling, smiling when I suddenly slap my hands over my fire red face with a whine of shame and clearly trying not to laugh at me when I stammer another pathetic "I'm sorry" despite his words.

Normally I'm sure him finding my embarrassing behavior funny would probably irritate me, but this time I just hug him since I slammed that door on his head pretty hard from what I remember...

"It doesn't hurt anymore, don't worry. Actually, it was more surprising than painful all things considered...especially since I rather clearly remember leaving you to nap in _my _room," Rantaro points out, prompting me to push away from him and reach back to open my room door wider as I fan my face with a hand in an attempt to get my temperature back to a reasonable level. As soon as he sees the dramatic interior decorum change with his own two eyes, his brows raise in surprise.

"Y-Yeah, so...it doesn't have a bathroom like everyone else's, but it's better than what it was before at least," I comment, stepping aside so he can enter and half a look-see for himself. By that point, my blush has thankfully settled, and I let out a breath of relief that Rantaro isn't so irritated by the fact I abandoned his room without telling him or leaving a note.

_I probably_ _**should **__have left a note, huh? I hope I didn't scare him too much with my disappearance..._

"Hm. It's nice...and not cold," Rantaro notes with a satisfied expression on his face as he steps over to my bed and presses his palm down on it, checking the material likely to make sure it's a reasonable material for sleep. "It's good they fixed it, I wasn't sure if I'd have to plan for you to sleepover in my room or convince one of the girls to let you bunk with them."

_A what...? A-A sleepover with Rantaro?! He considered that an option?! But he's a _ _**boy!** _

My expression and the heat radiating off of my face must obviously clue him in on what I'm thinking, because Rantaro smiles in obvious amusement when he turns to see my face.

"Ah, that first one was a joke. Sorry. I wouldn't put you to do something stressful like share a room with me when I know your problem around boys, don't worry. I was actually considering bunking with one of the guys so you could use my room," Rantaro admits, much to my embarrassment considering he can read me so well. That or I wear my heart on my sleeve...

"Right! Of course!" I squeak with a nervous shiver, before adding a small thanks and looking down at my gloves sheepishly to play with the brass knuckles attached to them aimlessly. Anything to let the awkward air out of my lungs without passing out.

"Bad joke. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Rantaro apologizes, this time having the sense to look more apologetic and concerned despite his mild amusement from before.

I'm just about to spout another filler comment when I notice something by his feet out of the corner of my eye.

It's the blood speckled sudoku puzzle book and my pencil, both still abandoned on the floor exactly where I'd discarded them...with all my anecdotes regarding my ability testing. There's nothing explicitly written or hinting about the ability in there, but a rise of panic fills me with dread before I settle myself down so as to not look suspicious or anything to any eyes that may be watching.

Ever so innocently, I look back down at my gloves and fidget with them thoughtfully, well aware of Rantaro's attention on me regarding the slight shift in my behavior. Clearly I don't look embarrassed anymore...

_Maybe if I just leave him in here to find it himself? I'm not breaking any rules if I didn't talk to him about it. Him finding and discovering it on his own should be a reasonable loophole in __Monokuma's_ _rules! I hope...!_

...

_Okay, I'm doing it. I'm leaving._

"A-Ah, I gotta go! I'm keeping Miu waiting, so can you just lock up behind yourself when you're done? _Thankyoubye__!"_ I quickly blurt out after a moment of trying not to fold under Rantaro's curious stare, whirling around once I've gotten the words out. Without hesitation, I simply race out the doorway and leap off the second floor platform, landing on all fours and continuing to the exit of the dormitories on the double so Rantaro has no chance to catch up to me.

"Wait a minute- _Prairie!" _I hear him call after me, but I speed out of the door and simply cross my fingers nervously in hopes he finds the puzzle book interesting enough to go through so he reads my few notes in it. Even if he doesn't understand it now, maybe he will later. That's all the hope I need to keep going for now.

I can see a few of the other ultimates out in the courtyard despite it being night, but I just speed past them and slow down once I'm walking through the doorway into the school. Before I can make a beeline to the warehouse, I pause and bounce my leg impatiently.

_Now that I think about it, I'll meet with the __Monotaro__ and_ _Monokid__ first. I don't know how long they'll be waiting, and if they'll leave since I've wasted enough time as is._

I pick up my jog and hit the end of the hall where the stairs are, climbing them and reaching the top in a slight pant before-

_"Watch it."_

A squeak with an embarrassing volume flies out of me, causing me to flinch back a step and nearly fall down the stairs until a hand snaps out and catches me by the front of my suit.

Maki Harukawa looks anything but amused as she tugs me from the edge of the stairs, a serious and no-nonsense expression etched across her rather pretty face as she stares at me. I can already feel my face heading up with embarrassment yet again, and I quickly cover my cheeks with my hands.

"Thank you...and sorry," I sheepishly say, shyly sliding past her after a beat of a moment in which she doesn't respond. Since she clearly has made it known that the conversation is over, I just continue past her.

_Wait. Oh no. She's not leaving, she's literally just chilling up here for no reason other than to be alone. That means Maki will see me going into the boys' bathroom, won't she?!_

_..._

_Damn it...I'll just run in and make it seem like it's an accident! Yeah, that's clearly my only option- though it doesn't diminish the embarrassing fact that I'll be going into the boys'' restroom._

Red faced, I scurry the rest of the way to the bathrooms and open the boys' bathroom door for refuge in the lion's den.

"Ugh," I huff under my breath, letting the door close behind me and allowing relief to fill up inside me. The feeling is wonderful, liberating, and much needed after all that tension since I woke up from passing out.

Of course, everything good inside me turns to black tar when I hear a toilet from a stall flush.

I practically launch myself into the supply closet a few feet away, opening the door and slipping in as quietly as possible as Kaito Momota exits one of the stalls, stretching and cracking his back as I shut the door and pray to every known deity that he doesn't find me in this predicament.

Typical of Kaito's nature, he whistles a jolly tune to himself as he washes his hands, seemingly oblivious to the fact that someone else entered the bathroom- yet he happens to be the only one still _in _the bathroom. I can't see what's going on in the bathroom anymore, but I can definitely hear when he's done washing his hands and grabbing paper towels.

...

_"Ahem."_

My heart quite nearly stops at the cleared voice.

"Don't worry. This didn't happen, and I definitely did _not _see Perfect Blitz enter the wrong bathroom," I hear Kaito comment seriously on the other side of the door to placate me, though it's a vain effort. I slap my hands over my mouth and forehead in absolute shame with a pathetic sound akin to a dying cat. "Anyways, I'll leave you to it!"

_Maybe getting murdered via the killing game would actually be a blessing at this point...I'll never be able to look_ _Kaito_ _OR Maki in the eye ever again!_

I hear Kaito exit the bathroom, but I decidedly stay in the closet for a few more seconds before I'm finally no longer petrified and can step out into the bathroom again.

Monokid and Monotaro stand outside of the closet door together, both visibly mortified just by looking at their expressions, likely since I was caught in the wrong bathroom.

"We were hiding under the sinks," Monotaro eventually comments, answering more like a robot than ever before.

"But anyways! We locked it behind him, so there shouldn't be anymore surprise visitors from now on!" Monokid explains with a grin, paws on his hips. Both bears step back to let me exit more of the closet, allowing me to shut the door behind myself. "Now, we wish we could tell you everything we know, even if we don't know the mother load of information, but there's only so much we can tell you. Our AIs have limitations on what we can speak about and we're forced to deny things if we're thrown accusations! It's ANNOYING! But we'll try and share what we can whenever possible here! We'll lock this boys' bathroom at midnight every night and meet you here if we have news or not- anything to try and help!"

"Um..." I twiddle my fingers a little, wondering if it's even a good idea to ask and bring it up, but eventually I concede since I just _need _to know. I need something to validate my choice in trusting them, especially with Kokichi's multiple warnings. Sure, he can keep pretending he's only looking out for his own skin. Whatever helps him sleep at night. It can't just be that though...admittedly however, that might just be me in denial of his selfishness.

"What is it?" Monotaro inquires, bouncing on his heels again.

"I just...I can see you've both changed your minds about me, and I'm grateful, really. _Extremely _grateful. But aren't you worried? What if Monokuma does something to you two for being so nice to me? It's not like he doesn't already know, I guess, but...I'm worried anyways. I don't want something bad happening to you two on account of me," I explain, causing both bears to stare quietly as they wait for me to finish. "I'm not really worth it."

...

Monokid suddenly whimpers out of the blue and I blink in surprise as tears start to flow freely down his robotic face. For a moment I'm concerned, but then I can't help but wonder how the monokubs can tear up and cry while Kiibo can't. Poor guy.

"See? I told you she's super sweet! If I was biological, I'd get cavities!" Monotaro exclaims, before Monokid quickly wipes his tears clean and calms himself down.

"We'll be fine! Let US worry about ourselves, we just wanna get you and your friends OUTTA here in one piece!" Monokid exclaims brightly, prompting me to smile a little before I figure it's time we get to business. Both bears seeing my expression shift, straightening up attentively as a result.

"I only have four questions for now. Things I know I need to ask since I'm limited on time and don't know how long Miu is willing to wait for me in the warehouse," I explain before tapping my cheek in contemplation. "I suppose I wouldn't be able to ask _who's _the traitor among the students, right?"

"What traitor? Traitor?" Monotaro blurts out, seemingly almost startled by how fast it escapes him.

"Never heard of 'em! Whatsa 'traitor'?!" Monokid also joins in, clearly out of protocol going by their behavior. Both bears share a look, obviously frustrated by their AI's problematic state.

_Actually...the fact that they have a system that denies things might be useful in some way. And it might be possible to overwrite the limitations with __Miu's_ _help, although I'm not too sure how willing she would be to help me fix a __monokub_ _._

"S-Sorry..." Monotaro dejectedly apologizes, making me smile and pat both of their heads.

"Don't be! By having automatically denied it, you at least confirmed that I'm right in believing there _is _a traitor among us," I point out with a cheeky smile, watching as the bears perk up eagerly.

"Really? YEAH! We're HELPING!" Monokid cheers, giving a peppy jump as a result.

"Okay, first actual question: the person that uses the secret library door knows that Rantaro and I found it...right?" I ask, watching as the bears hesitate for a moment. When neither immediately blurt out a denial about the secret library, Monokid lets out a laugh.

"They know! GAH! It's great being able to answer one upfront!" Monokid admits, arms folded behind his head so the spikes of his shoulder gear pokes lightly into the underside of his jaw.

"Yeah, but honestly...we don't know how they and Monokuma know it. I don't know where the cameras are- I haven't seen _any _around," Monotaro comments, sobering Monokid up as well.

"Hm. Now that ya mention it, I dunno either. Monophanie made a comment about not noticing cameras too, but maybe she knows more than she lets on. We can probably try an' fish somethin' outta her," Monokid responds with a paw on his hip, scratching at the strap of the mini electric guitar across his chest.

"Alright, next one. Does Monokuma really not understand my...abilities? Or is he messing with me?" I inquire, noting how both bears tense up at my query before sharing a look and suddenly huddling closer towards me in a hush-hush manner.

"He really doesn't. You fascinate him because of that fact, so please be careful! He's been following your every move ever since the Kagome, Kagome game...also _sorryaboutthatbytheway__!" _Monotaro explains, quickly tacking on the apology at the end in clear sheepishness that soon melts to relief when I give his head a little pat in understanding.

"We're not exaggerating, by the way. I think he might be obsessed with you a little," Monokid adds uneasily, much to my own discomfort. "Obsessed" is a strong word...

"That answers that, I guess...anyways, there was a tunnel to a possible exit Kaede mentioned. I know she said it's booby trapped like crazy and impossible to get through, but I'd like to know where it is. I want to give it a shot myself using my intuition," I state confidently. "Rantaro may not want me to know because he knows I'll try and go through it, but I can't just _not _try when I have an ability that could help me get through the entire thing."

Monokid and Monotaro look at each other, one of more concern by my admission.

"Technically we could'a told ya that outside of the bathroom, but...well, it's behind the school where the boiler room is. Under the manhole and shit. There's a ladder that ya gotta be EXTRA careful going down and you should reach a tunnel with a sign that reads 'EXIT'," Monokid concludes. "Just don't get yourself killed, ya hear me? Or else we'll be SAD!"

I smile at Monokids honesty, nearly sinking in the trust blindly before snapping out of it when I replay Kokichi's lingering warnings.

_"Although, I wonder who's really being used. You or them?"_

Admittedly, Kokichi is really making me think critically, so I'll give him that. I still need to be careful...I can't totally trust Monotaro and Monokid, no matter how much I want to. The circumstances of the killing game prevents me from it.

"I'll be careful then, I promise," I tell them, right before clearing my throat. "Last question for now. Why is it impossible to climb the wall? I figure it's not the distance that makes it impossible."

"Oh, well the metal part of the wall is electrically charged. From what we know, Monokuma says he loves seeing the stubborn ones get, uh, zapped when they try and climb it. No one's ever managed to get past it because of that, and the electrocution does kill according to Monokuma. A-Are you...really gonna climb it?" Monotaro inquires, voice getting soft towards the end until I shake my head and watch him blow out a puff of relief.

"Not after _that _news. I'll need to figure out if there's some way to get around the electricity issue before I go climbing it," I say, right before putting my hands on my hips and sighing. "Well, that's all for now then. I'll have to go talk to Miu about the electric wall and see her invention to help me climb that segment, though I'm not sure if I'll be able to use it if I can't find a way to turn off the electricity running through the wall."

"Hopefully you can! So we'll meet here again tomorrow at midnight, okay?" Monotaro concludes, to which I nod in agreement and start making my way to the bathroom door.

"We'll leave in ten minutes so your friends don't get any wrong ideas about ya' working for Monokuma or somethin'!" Monokid agrees, giving a wave of his paw.

"Alright. T-Thank you again, you two. I really appreciate this, you have no idea how much I do," I comment, smiling somewhat bittersweet since I know it's impossible to put all my faith in them when it's not just me who's life is on the line.

"Be careful!" I hear Monotaro call after me.

With that, I push open the door and step out, hearing the door shut behind me and reaching down to pull out my monopad so I can scan all the rules again. Supposedly, wouldn't it also be possible to drag everyone into the boys bathroom to explain things? Hm...probably not. Monokuma isn't dumb, he would know and he would likely stop us so we don't hole up in there.

Why he'd let _me_ go in with the traitor monokubs though, I've got no idea. Maybe it's him making a mistake by thinking I won't be able to do anything?

"Um...?" I jump almost two feet in the air, turning around to see Gonta jump a step back as a result with an embarrassed expression. "Oh! Sorry for scare! Gonta see Small Prairie come out of bathroom and decide to greet! Makes Gonta confused though."

I relax after seeing him, smiling before replaying his words in my head. "Confused? About what?" I inquire curiously, trying to keep my embarrassment in check without my dry curls for protection.

"Oh, Gonta told bathroom for boys' only for boys, and girls' bathroom only for girls. Gonta no really understand either since there is box stalls inside anyways. When Gonta see Small Prairie come out from bathroom for boys, Gonta relieved Gonta not only one confused!"

_Augh_ _! He's got the wrong idea!_

"No no no, Gonta! I-I'm not confused, I just walked into the wrong bathroom and didn't realize it was the boys' until after! Please don't tell anyone you saw me coming out of the boys' bathroom, Gonta- it's embarrassing! If this gets to _Kokichi_, I'll die!" I beg pathetically as I grab his much larger hands in mine to win him over with my lie. It's not a good feeling to know I'm lying to his face, especially with how much of a sweetheart he is, but I have no choice. I certainly can't tell him the _truth_.

"O-oh! No worry, Small Prairie! We no tell, promise! Right, Kokichi?" Gonta cheerfully comments, just as Kokichi suddenly steps out from behind Gonta's massive frame with a scary downright horrifying grin one would probably find in the depths of hell.

I let out a mortified squawk at his appearance and turn tail, bolting straight down the hall without a second thought as blood rushes to my face in a horrible flush that overheats my face and keeps it red all the way to the warehouse. As soon as I open the door and jump in, I slam the door shut behind me without hesitation.

The sound echoes through the warehouse, and out pops Miu from behind a low shelf with a small shriek at my noisy entry.

"H-Hey! What the fuck's the big idea- _oh!"_ She cuts herself off when she turns to see me pressed back against the door to catch my breath, prompting the Ultimate Inventor to relax with a giddy smile. "Finally! I almost thought you weren't coming or somethin', you sure took your sweet damn time! Were you sucking face with that green tower, or-"

"That _stupid _leech!" I eventually blurt out with barely contained anger as I try to pace my heavy breathing from the run.

"Eh? Leech..." Miu repeats thoughtfully, before it seems to click in her head by the expression of horror she makes after a second. "You were sucking face with _Kokichi__?!"_

"Wha- _no!_ No way I'd ever have my face anywhere _near _that leech! Ugh, that stupid jerk found me coming out of the wrong restroom...it was a stupid accident," I explain, feeling my red cheeks settle somewhat as I come to terms with the embarrassing situation. "Nearly everyone else knows anyways, so there's no point in denying it anymore."

Miu seems curious, eyes shining as she walks closer to where I am beside the entrance. When she seems to notice the mild irritated look still on my face, she puts her hands on her hips and bites her lip in thought.

"Well, if Cockichi squeals on you anymore, let me know! That fuckin' twerp better back off, or it won't just be Tenko beating the ever-loving shit outta him! Don't worry, karma'll light his ass on fire eventually!" Miu brightly exclaims with that laugh of hers, where it sounds more like she's saying the "ha-ha-ha" rather than it being just a natural laughter.

I wince a little, though I can't help but snicker a little at her nickname for him as my irritation mostly dissipates. Still, I almost forgot how crude this girl was with her vulgar manner of speaking. Admittedly, she may be crude, but she's more-or-less well meaning.

"That being said...sorry I took so long getting here. I took a nap and overslept on accident," I apologize sheepishly, lying yet again much to my own displeasure.

"Ah, don't worry about it! I oversleep all the time too!" She quickly says in agreement with eager eyes before looking back at the shelf she was once behind. "I finished the shit I was making for you climb already! Just added a few finishing touches- but it's ready to rock your fuckin' socks! You wanna take a look?"

"Sure," I agree, following her as she jumps a little in excitement and takes my hand to lead me on over. Am I just a person with hand-holding potential, or are people forgetting I'm seventeen just like them?

_Ah, I can worry about that later._

"Ta-da!" Miu stops and releases my hand to gesture to her work with a grand sweep of her arm as she poses beside it, a blinding grin across her features. "Feast your eyes, Perfect Blitz! There wasn't a lot to work with, but just like how my body is naturally magnificent, my _genius_ brain made some equally magnificent climbing gear!"

"Wait, are these _magnets?_ Like they'll cling to the metal of the wall?" I ask, getting down on the floor and eyeing the strange contraptions she's created. It's welded in several areas with finesse and expertise, portions bearing wires between hand magnets and feet magnets of each side.

"Yeah! This shit uses _electro_magnetism, actually! I saw this guy make something like it on the internet, but the fuckwad didn't polish it well enough in my opinion. But anyways, it should help you climb the wall by clinging to the steel! It's a system that has a button that controls the magnet's release on either the left arm and leg, or the right respectively. Also, I added a fail-safe so that shit doesn't release from both sides if you press both buttons, so it'll only release both if you press both buttons two times in succession. Pretty fuckin' cool, right?! It can hold up someone like Gonta, so that means it can hold you up too!"

"Yeah, it's cool! B-But...how did you manage to make it with only the stuff in here? Electromagnetism sounds sorta complex for what's provided in here..." I explain, curiously looking around at the more-than basic assets.

"Don't worry about that, it wasn't too hard for a goddess like me! It just really comes to me easy, which is so damn great!" She chortles, clearly delighted by her creation. "So when are you planning to climb? Now, or what?"

I shake my head, sighing when I remember the problem brought up to me by Monotaro and Monokid.

"I had to change my climbing plans, so I'll probably do it tomorrow if I can find what I need to find in time. Apparently, what makes the stupid wall impossible to climb is the fact that the metal part is electrically charged- so I need to find a way to cut the power of the wall so I can climb it without getting fried," I answer, standing up after inspecting the backpack attached via wires to the electromagnetic climbing gear.

_Miu_ _ as an inventor with electrical and engineering knowledge might have some idea how to find the power source for the wall, right? It couldn't hurt to ask..._

"Hey, do you know where Monokuma might have a generator for the walls power supply, Miu?" I ask, prompting the blonde to perk up more and tap a finger on her chin.

"Well...I can think of 3 possible places. On ground level somewhere around the courtyard, underground either in a basement or bunker type of thing, or if we're unlucky as fuck, it's outside past the shit wall on ground level or underground," Miu gives her input, grimacing at the last point.

Outside the wall...well, that would be the worst possible thing if we can't find it in here- 'cause then I won't be able to climb the wall, and Miu's hard work would have been in vain.

_Maybe if we get everyone to go look around the enclosure for a generator? ...no, that's a stupid idea. Getting help means Rantaro knowing- and I'm not sure how reasonable he'd be regarding me climbing the wall. Even if I _ **_am_ ** _the Ultimate Rock Climber._

"Alright, well we should hide it in here for now until I can find that power generator for the wall. Once I know I've cut the power, I'll come back to get the climbing gear," I say, receiving a hum from Miu as she considers my words and then nods her head in agreement.

"Alright, Blitz, you can count on this bitch here!" She chirps, pounding a hand to her chest and making me wince before I respond. "Ah, j-just call me Prairie please."

Miu looks surprised for a moment, even taking a small step back before I notice color coat her cheeks when she gives me a big smile.

"Oh! Sure! You got it!" She manages after a second, eyes half dazed as her imagination seems to drift off for whatever reason.

_I just asked her to use my real name...everyone else is calling me Prairie. It's not that big of a deal really, but I guess super-fan _ _Miu_ _ thinks otherwise? I don't know. Whatever the reason, I'd rather not be called "Blitz", that's all._

"One last thing: try not to let Rantaro know I'm gonna be climbing the wall. He might try and stop me or stop you if he figures it out. He means well, but...bottom line, he can be an idiot when it comes to what I can handle," I add mercilessly, making Miu's expression harden in understanding as she nods again.

"My lips are as sealed as the Queen of England's p-"

_"Good! __Righty__-o!"_ I cut her off, eyes wide and cheeks red when I realize what she was about to say, prompting Miu to give me a critical look before she grins smugly my way.

"You may be more of a prude now, but just so you know...I learned all the shit I know from _you~!"_ She laughs, a charmed expression etched on her face as she turns to pop the electromagnetic climbing gear in a box together with her tools and hoists the box up in her arms with a grin.

Her statement about her learning her crude ways from me is somewhat disturbing, but the news soon dissolves in the back of my mind when I watch her tuck the box behind another on a high shelf and then make her way out of the warehouse. I follow out behind her quietly, looking back to make sure I remember exactly where she hid the box..

"See you later, Bl- I mean, _Prairie!"_ Miu corrects herself in time, turning and making her way to the school exit. At the doorway out she glances back at me one last time, to which I offer her a last wave so she leaves with a gleeful grin.

_Alright, I've dealt with the most important stuff...now to find the generator that powers the electricity of the wall. What if the same generator powers that booby trapped tunnel too? And it's all it takes to get out of here?_

_...No, something tells me it wouldn't be that easy. Not that taking out the electricity in the wall will be easy either._

"Puhuhu! You're ever the pain, aren't you, Miss Marble?"

Frowning and feeling my muscles lock up defensively, I look back to see Monokuma behind me in the hall, standing under one of the lights with his ever present half-grin laden with hunger for despair.

"What do you want?" I ask sourly, tone taking on a sliver of disgust until he pulls something out from behind his back. My heart skips a beat, but I try not to look too surprised to see it.

"It" being the sudoku puzzle book I'd left in hopes that Rantaro would find it.

"Miss Marble...do I look like I was born yesterday? I ask this in not a literal way of course, but in an intellectual sense," Monokuma says more than asks, eyes narrowed on me like a laser. I try not to let anything show in my expression, nervous of what breaking one of the "ugly" rules results in. Not that I _did_ break any rules though...not that Monokuma's explicitly aware of. "Did you think you were being sneaky? Playing dumb like that? Very nice try."

Monokuma tosses the blood speckled book at my feet across the space between us, letting it hit my feet before he gives another laugh.

"A pain, but an _interesting_ pain, that's for sure! How about we make a deal, Miss Perfect Blitz?" Monokuma suggests, grinning just a smidgen wider.

_A deal? Something tells me that any deal I could make with him would be rigged in_ **_his_**_ favor. Why would he want to make a deal anyways?_

"What makes you think I'm dumb enough to make a deal with you?"

"Puhuhu! Well, if you want to climb the wall so badly...maybe it's in your best interest to at least listen," Monokuma thoughtfully comments, an innocent lilt in his statement. "I'll turn off the electricity to the wall if you do!"

I shut up at that, glaring at Monokuma distastefully. Sure, I guess I might as well listen, but he's mental if he thinks he's already got me hooked. At least this means I won't need to search for the electric generator now.

As if noticing my compliance to listen, Monokuma continues where he left off.

"Okay then! I'll look away this time and won't punish youfor your little fiasco with giving your green boy-toy hints. He won't get in trouble for what he saw- in fact he was too dense to understand your anecdotes! And _you _won't get in trouble for giving the hint! BUT!" Monokuma pauses as if to make the deal more dramatic. Rather than wait, I make an exasperated sigh that seems to somewhat irritate the dual monochrome bear. "In return..."

This time Monokuma's expression becomes frightening, enough that my heart skips a beat as I register an oncoming injunction I already know I'm not going to like.

"If you see a murder is to occur, you are _forbidden__from__interfering__or__attempting__stopping__it."_

I give him a long stare, hating the deal entirely. Here he is, offering me something I know I need...and then giving me something I can't possibly agree to. Monokuma expects me to just stand by and cover my eyes if I happen to come across a possible murder? I'm not a monster like he is, I could _never _do that!

...but that deal.

Why would he want me to agree with something like that? Does he think I'll agree to it just to save my own skin from punishment? I'll gladly play another Kagome, Kagome game or something if it means not agreeing to that. Besides, at least the electricity to the wall will be off for me to climb it tonight.

"I'll pass on that deal, thanks but no thanks," I curtly answer, causing the bear to snicker in dark amusement.

"Oh! Okay! I guess I'll just go turn off the electricity quickly and switch it back on then!" Monokuma says brightly with a grin, causing my temper to spike slightly.

"What? But you said-" I object, before Monokuma holds up a paw to cut me off with a laugh as he clarifies, "Yeah, I said I'd turn it off- but I didn't say I'd _leave_ it off! I'll only do _that_ if you agree to my terms, Miss Marble!"

I narrow my eyes and take a step towards him.

"You snake..." I growl under my breath angrily. "There's no way I'd _ever_ agree to something like that. If I see a murder being planned, I'm gonna be all over it to make sure it _doesn't_ happen. I'll cut the power to the wall on my own! I don't need to make a deal with a useless piece of scrap metal like you!"

"Aww! You're so cute~!" Monokuma laughs, holding his round belly with a charming smile of awe as I glare daggers at him. Hearing it from Kokichi? Annoying and embarrassing. Hearing it from Monokuma? It makes me absolutely sick. Someone one like _him_ doesn't get to call me anything remotely close to "cute". "I'm not trying to antagonize you, Miss Marble! Not too much, at least. Don't take it so personal is all I'm saying. Relax!"

"You're mental," I huff, my face twisted in a snarl that I probably couldn't wipe off even if I wanted to. "What sort of game are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing any game other than the _Killing Game_, of course! It's amusing to see you squabble and run around all alone in your efforts to save everyone from their inevitable fates. Ah...I'm going to miss you when they murder you," Monokuma comments off-handedly, causing my throat to lock up and my back to straighten when I replay his words in my head.

What did he just say?

Did I hear him right?

He just said "when they murder you"...

"_They_"? Someone's going to try and murder me? Or is he talking about the time limit with the Exisals?

Wouldn't he say, "when they murder all of you" if he was talking about the time limit? That was definitely him singling me out as a victim...

"Well! If you change your mind, you can find me in the cage garden! If you agree to the deal, I'll make sure the power to the wall stays off so you can climb it! Of course it goes without saying that you won't be able to tell anyone about what you see on the other side...but at least you'll have some more answers!"

I'm still too petrified to say anything. What would be the point of agreeing to any deal _now_ if I'm really going to get murdered?

_Relax! Read the context clues! If he's offering me a deal where a term is to not stop a murder I see, it might not be that I'm going to get murdered _ _ **yet. ** _ _He_ _ might just be talking about someone currently having a desire to murder me...which is not at all comforting either._

_...or maybe he's saying I need to agree to not stop **my own** murder._

"What's wrong? Bear got your tongue? _Puhuhu__~!"_

...

I'm not going to stand by if I see someone planning a murder, even my _own _murder. But...I need to get up that wall. I don't think I have the luxury of trying to find it on my own. Something tells me he's giving me a chance to agree later because he knows I won't be able to find the generator.

"Fine. If there's a murder, I'll just close my eyes or something," I answer with a grimace after a second, prompting Monokuma to smile wider so that his sharp teeth on his left side catch the light and gleam as bright as his red eye. He looks like a cat that's just caught it's prey, which makes my stomach churn a little as a result.

"Great! In that case, I'll turn off the power to the wall! Feel free to climb it tonight or tomorrow night! We need our entertainment!" Monokuma laughs, much to my quiet irritation.

When it comes down to it, it's _always _about his entertainment, isn't it? Why does that matter so much to him? If hosting these Killing Games is so boring for him, why doesn't he just quit? No one else is watching us but him! ...possibly. I did theorize it earlier that other people could be watching us, I guess. That might be a reason why entertainment matters, but there's no way to prove something like that.

_Danganronpa._

Hm...they kidnapped us. An organization. We could be entertainment for them, right?

"Don't forget though! _Tick-tock!_ I won't be extending the time limit if you wait too long to climb it or _take _too long! That time limit motive still holds up, and if there isn't a murder the day after tomorrow before the end of the time limit, everybody dies!" Monokuma cheerfully explains, right before his smile becomes sinister again. _"Even you, Prairie Marble."_

Monokuma turns and bounds away with that last warning, leaving me to reflect on the conversation- and our deal at that.

_What did I just agree to, and will I end up being the one that regrets trying to trick _ _Monokuma_ _ again? I never said I wouldn't stop a murder, after all..._

_Just that I'd close my eyes._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 2.11 - Worse Than A Deal With A Devil**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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	24. Ascent

❀ **_2.12 - Ascent_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I turn and march back into the warehouse after Monokuma's confrontation, returning to the shelf where I remember seeing Miu hide the climbing gear she invented and shoving the Sudoku puzzle book in the back of my belt where I don't have to carry it with my hands. Getting on my tiptoes, I pick up a box and haul it out of the way to grab the box Miu shoved in, carefully pulling it out of it's slot on the shelf and making sure it doesn't take me down with its weight if it happens to be too heavy.

_"Prairie_ _Doooog__~"_

I stiffen up, pausing in my efforts to slide the respective box off the shelf so I can glance back over my shoulder. Unsurprisingly, it's of course Kokichi. After all, he overheard my conversation about meeting up with Miu in here earlier, so why _wouldn't _he check it out? Someone as nosy as him doesn't let things like these slip his notice.

_"Go away," _I huff as our eyes meet, turning away from the leech with the much-too-innocent deceitful grin that's usually plastered to his face. "I've had enough of you and I refuse to deal with you anymore."

"Oh, really? If that's true, why are you talking to me? Shouldn't this be the part where you give me the silent treatment again?" He asks curiously with a sweet tone just as I finally pull the box from its slot on the shelf. Thankfully, it's not as heavy as I expected it to be and I sigh in mild relief. Maybe it's dumb of me to not have thought Miu would consider making it lighter so I could climb with it. She may be vulgar, but I've got to give her credit where credit is due.

As for Kokichi, that dumb leech ought to know I've realized _ignoring him _clearly doesn't work. We danced that tango last time, so I'm simply going to put my foot down and firmly state my stance rather than pretend he doesn't exist.

"Just make like a tree and leave," I add, putting the box down and flinching with a small squeaky yip of surprise when Kokichi throws his arms over my shoulders from behind and slumps against my back with a dramatic sigh.

"But Mousey-mouse, trees don't mooove...!" He whines annoyingly, barely resisting when I quickly shrug him off of me, take a few steps back, and whirl around to face him irritably.

"Put an egg in your shoe and beat it. Make like a banana and split. What part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand? You're annoying me and I don't want you around. Why don't you go bother Rantaro or Kaito- someone else _but _me! I'm trying to get us out of here and you keep getting in my way like a roach or-" I cut myself off as realization hits me, causing me to stare at Kokichi quietly when I notice his piercing stare. He just continues to smile back, making a point to flutter his eyelashes and turn his body either side in a playful motion that only bugs me even more.

_I'm being distracted, but I don't know from what. What did he do and when did he do it?_

I reach for my key ring and tap them to check if my two room keys and the key for the classroom on the second floor are still there.

"Nee-hee-hee!" He laughs as I pat myself for my monopad and clips, finding nothing he could have taken since everything that's usually on my person is still on me. I turn my glare towards him.

"What did you do?" I demand, causing a look of hurt and sadness cross his features as a result of my pointed stare.

"H-Huh? I didn't...why are you always so quick to accuse me of things? That really hurts my-"

"'Feelings'? What feelings? You're just a slab of meat that's dead inside and walks around bothering people," I snap suddenly, irritated yet sensible enough to feel guilt bubble up inside me immediately when I hear what's just come out of my own mouth. More guilt forms when I see Kokichi slightly pause as a result of my words.

_Oh shoot. That was a terrible thing to say, even to him...! Did I cross a line with him? Oh crap, I don't actually think that, I just wanted him to not bug me! Ugh, why do I do these kinds of things?_

"...I'm sorry!" I squeak after a moment, face getting red hot with shame as I cover my blush with my hands. "I take that back, I'm just...angry...again..."

"Meow. That _cat-__titude_though! No wonder Rantaro has his hands full with you!" Kokichi actually laughs, only making me blush more in embarrassment.

_I...I shouldn't be feeling sorry for anything! He's been causing me grief since _**_way _**_before! Where's_ _**his** __apology to me? He's not sorry about anything he ever does!_

I narrow my eyes on him again, dropping my hands as my blush settles. For a moment, I consider telling him something else. Throwing another quip at him for how irritating he's being, _without_ an apology to clean off the salt in the wound. As if noticing my temper return, he grins and lets out a laugh.

"I see that look, you're _mad _again! Come on, say something else~! Roast me more, I wanna hear what else you've got!" Kokichi urges, looking rather entertained for having been called 'dead inside'.

_For all I know, he probably is. This guy wouldn't know guilt if it came up to him and struck him across the face with a crowbar._

In the end though, I think about what Rantaro would do and sigh as I turn away to pick up what I see is a chalk bag and a rope Miu left me in the box for climbing, allowing my anger to dissipate to a reasonable level of mild irritation rather than the usual explosiveness it normally is.

_No, being hostile towards him even just verbally probably isn't the best option. Me getting angry only ever just entertains him._

"Nothing? Awe, come on, Prairie Dog, where's your spit fire?"

I roll my eyes as I attach the chalk back to one of the blue clips at my belt along with my rope, pulling my gloves off to ready my hands for climbing.

_Nevermind, I take back what I decided earlier. He gets the silent treatment again._

Taking the climbing device out of the box and making sure the foot and hand attachments are securely hooked to the backpack before pulling it on, I move to walk out of the warehouse quickly. I can hear Kokichi follow me out, causing my legs to move faster as I ignore him.

"Ah, there's the silent treatment! You don't actually think you can lose me, do you?" I hear him behind me down the hall.

His footsteps start to get faster. I pick up the pace as well, up until something hits me like a stone to the head- a result of Monokuma's casual drop of letting me know someone is interested in murdering me.

_What if __Kokichi's_ _the one trying to murder me?_

My heart gives a nervous lurch, making me speed up until I'm full on running. I think I hear him say something, but it doesn't change the fact that he's running after me and that I'm paranoid.

_He has a knife on him at all times. I don't even know if he likes me at all, other than as a toy to torment and annoy. What if he's been catching me in all these moments with him alone to reinforce some sort of trust in him? To make me believe that even though he's a leech, he's not going to kill me for a way out of here?_

I'm at a pretty good sprint as I burst out of the school, making a mad dash for the wall behind the caged garden and dipping a hand in my chalk bag. I'm going pretty fast, he probably isn't _that _fast, right?

"Hey, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi just happens to call maybe a few feet behind me, causing my stride to widen to get further away from him.

_God, why does he have to be such a pain?_

I run around the garden and let out a heavy breath as I reach the wall, jumping to grab a good handle on the rocky surface and letting out a startled squeal when I feel a hand slam down on my shoulder. With the force of the hand bringing me back down to Earth, I whirl around and lift up a fist, facing Kokichi and freezing when I notice his expression go blank from his usual grin at the sight of my expression and fighting stance.

...

"Jeez, I'm not gonna _kill_ you!" He suddenly laughs, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. All he ever does is laugh things off and act like he's having the time of his life. He doesn't take any of this seriously, does he? Not even _now?_

"Are you sure about that?"

He shuts up, smiling and releasing my shoulder to cross his arms behind his neck.

"I dunno. I might change my mind later, who knows? Or I might go for Himiko or Kaito. Those aloof doofs seem easier to pick off," Kokichi comments as he eyes me carefully with that grin of his.

"...that's not funny," I inform him sourly, before he casually responds back with, "I wasn't trying to be."

I make a face and start to turn away, pausing before I totally give him my back.

"Could you just...step back a few feet?" I ask, feeling my cheeks heat up from my obvious paranoia.

Kokichi chuckles a little in amusement, stepping back a suitable amount of feet from me at my request.

Only once I'm sure he isn't going to do anything do I finally turn away and start climbing the wall again. Nothing happens the first few feet up the wall. No teasing, no comments, no knives being buried in my backside. Eventually the higher I climb, the more relaxed I become. By the time I'm at level with the top of the caged garden again, that nostalgic comfort of isolation I felt before while walking through the school alone the other night returns.

I'm the only one on this wall and it makes me feel safe. I'm untouchable up here. A wall won't heckle me or play with my feelings, nor will it judge or scold me for mistakes I make. It's what supports me in my endeavors.

_Jeez, I really am the Ultimate Rock Climber, huh?_

Curious, I pause my climbing and look back down behind me, surprising to see just how far I've gotten. I've climbed slightly faster this time than last time- presumably since this is the same path on the wall I was taking last time.

"Prairie!"

I look down at the voice, squinting a little due to the darkness of the night. I can barely make out anything, but I eventually spot Kokichi from his white outfit. I can't really tell who's next to him though, but it sounded like a girl...maybe Kaede or even Kirumi?

_Oh well, I can't really tell in the dark. I can only barely make out_ _Kokichi, but that's it. At least it's not-_

_"PRAIRIE!"_

I flinch and turn away to press my forehead against the wall with a small whine of shame at the sound of a familiar voice yelling in obvious disapproval.

_That's Rantaro alright. Not happy with my actions as per usual._

Glancing up, I estimate how much more I have to go- as I'm pretty close to the spot where I gave up climbing the wall last time. It'll be pitch black by the time I reach the metal part of the wall...but I don't have time to wait till tomorrow morning to do this. I can't quit now, I have other things I need to focus on tomorrow.

And so I keep climbing, wondering about whatever conversation might be going on between the people at the bottom of the wall. I have to dip my hands in chalk every now and then, but the temperature is cool enough that I don't have to frequent the bag thankfully. Had the night been hotter, I'd be sweating it off pretty quickly.

_Come to think of it...the weather has been oddly consistent day in and day out. It's neither been too hot or too cold any of the past days or even nights for that matter. One would expect the night to be chillier, but it feels like the same breeze at night as during the day._

...

I glance up at the sky through the bars of the even larger cage enclosing us in the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. The stars have come out already.

_Leave the brainstorming for later, it's too early to be assuming anything yet. I'll get to the top eventually and get my answers either way- even if I'm forbidden from telling the others._

I feel my hands along the wall and purse my lips when I feel a flat slab of rock. I'm getting close now if I've finally reached the flattened portion of rock...which means it's smearing time.

Using maneuvers I barely recall when thinking about it, my body takes control and I dig my boot against the flat surface to gain vertical ground, climbing slower now that the rocky edges aren't as basic as the segment below.

_What if Rantaro was right about worrying over me? Maybe this was a bad idea. I would definitely die if I fell from this distance- and __Ryoma_ _was right before about saying I'd probably kill __Gonta_ _if he were to try and catch me from a height like this._

Despite my second thoughts, my movements are sure-footed and I don't feel nervous on the wall. I'm not even afraid of slipping or making a wrong move.

For a moment I'm totally in the zone and climbing with little care, breathing in the night air and relishing in the breeze until I'm distracted. Not enough that I release my grip on the wall or slip up a movement, but it does surprise me enough that I pause and blink my eyes as light suddenly coats the wall- save for the spot before me and slightly above where I can see the form of my shadow stretch across the wall of rock.

_It's night, yet suddenly I can see the wall and there's light all around me? Huh...it's not natural light, but where is it even coming from...?_

I turn to look down, only to raise my eyebrows when I see just how high I am. I wouldn't just die at a fall from this height, I'd be _unrecognizable._

"PRAIRIE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" I hear Kiibo's voice from below echo up using his voice amplifier, seeing the light shining over me coming from floodlights lined around the cage and manned from what I can barely make out to be the monokubs and Monokuma.

I can finally make out the people below just by the colors they bear, including Kokichi, Kaede, Rantaro, Kiibo, Miu, and Korekiyo.

_Let me guess: "Prairie, get down from there"?_

"DON'T PANIC, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND CONVINCE MONOKUMA TO HELP YOU DOWN!"

I make a face and glare at their spots on the ground. Close enough to what I thought...but there's no way I'll wait to get helped down when I worked so hard the past hour or so to get all the way up here.

From below Miu makes a gesture to Kiibo, but whatever she might be saying is impossible to tell. Knowing her, she's probably being rude to him and defending my "honor" as the Ultimate Rock Climber. I appreciate her faith in me.

Unlike _some _people...

I pointedly look back at Rantaro and Kiibo, turning my head back up and inhaling sharply when I see just how close I am to the metal wall- which has some of that easy climbable textured wall just a few feet away from where I am. It's great I won't have to go through the trouble of trying to put on the climbing gear Miu made while on a flattened slab like this, the barely present edges would make it difficult to pull it on without slipping.

Seeing the craggy rock above, I start to resume my climb much to Kiibo's clear disapproval.

"PRAIRIE, WHY ARE YOU STILL CLIMBING? PLEASE JUST STAY STILL!"

Nope.

_Why should I? I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber, the others said I've done crazier climbs several times before in my life. If I'm capable of this, which I feel I am considering how high I've managed to get already, I'm going to use it to our benefit. If they want to underestimate me, fine, but that doesn't mean I'll abide to their rules just to comfort their anxiety._

I reach the rugged part of the wall and start pulling myself up using the wonderful grips, allowing my leg to bend at a more flexible than normal angle to pull myself up straight. The rest of the climb towards the end of the rock where the metal wall begins is relatively easy, and I don't stop climbing until I finally reach the metal part.

_Here it is. The part where the metal slab begins._

A sigh escapes me after a moment and I catch my breath from all the effort I've put in the entire way up. It's probably been nearly two hours climbing up this wall, and I still have a metal slab to scale despite that.

Anchoring myself on a good protruding rock with my arm, my free hand begins to work on grabbing the attachments holding the climbing gear. It takes meticulous and careful movements to get the climbing gear strapped to me, the red buttoned handles of the magnets strapped to my hands with the buttons just under my thumbs. Getting the magnets strapped to my feet takes even _more _work, but I eventually get them attached.

_Okay, so the magnets aren't on right now and...__Miu_ _never told me how to activate them. Shoot...well, she did say turning both magnets "off" to release the electromagnetism on either side meant double pressing the buttons simultaneously, so-_

Pressing both buttons without thinking like an idiot, I let out a squeak of surprise as the magnets of my hands fly up and lock hard against the wall. I'm yanked up hard off of that one rock I'd been leaning on, feeling it scrape hard over the front of my suit just over my collar and chest as it rips the fabric of my suit open.

I let out a hiss at the sudden pain, cringing and eventually relaxing as the pain becomes bearable. Looking down, I make a sour expression at the rip of my suit. Sheesh, I bloodied one outfit and now I've ripped another one. Great, I'll be out of extra clothing from the monokubs secret stash at this rate.

Looking up, I relax a little more when I see my hands attached firmly to the handles of the magnetic mechanism. The straps for the arms are a great touch in case my grip starts to somewhat loosen, though I better make the climb fast. My hands will be sweaty soon from the effort and I can't get into my chalk bag anymore with the magnets on...

_I'm gonna have to pull myself higher up just using my hands since I can't use my feet and climbing boots with these chunky things. I'll need to make this climb quick. Maybe I should use my intuition to help me speed it up?_

Taking a deep breath, I make a choice and close my eyes.

_Hopefully I'm not using it too soon._

I swing my body hard and press the button on one magnet, bringing the magnet up as it releases the wall and then locking it in place higher above me when I let go of the button. Getting into a rhythm, I continue the climb like that until I can get the magnets of my feet on the wall- speeding up once I'm able to move two limbs at a time.

Kiibo's gone relatively quiet, so I look back over my shoulder and down below out of curiosity to see who's down there. When I realize more people have joined, but can't exactly tell who other than that it's quite nearly everyone, I count the amount of heads.

..._IT'S LITERALLY EVERYONE._

Heat crawls up to my face and I turn back to the wall quickly, relaxing my nerves and closing my eyes to get back to climbing so I don't have to think about the fact that everyone here, despite the late hour it is, happens to be watching my ascent to climb the wall.

Although I'm somewhat embarrassed, I admittedly acknowledge the pride that forms in my gut knowing they can see me do something rather incredible with their own two eyes. In fact, it's incredible to me- and I'm the one doing all the climbing in the first place. How was I even able to have climbed even a fraction of this? It just seems beyond the human limit...is that what classifies us as Ultimates? Being able to do what we specialize in better than others in the same specialization?

Kaede must be an incredible pianist in that case...and Rantaro's got to be one hell of an adventurer. Even though Kokichi abuses his skills, he definitely checks all the boxes regarding being an Ultimate Supreme Leader, or to simplify the title- a leader.

_I wonder if I'm being too arrogant in thinking I can handle this. It's not arrogance if I know what I'm capable of and have applied it before, right? Hm...less introspection, more climbing._

And so I tread on, muscles burning and heart pounding like a jackhammer. At this point, not even the consistent cool breeze helps with the rise in my temperature I've been experiencing, and I ignore the feeling of sweat beginning to line the skin between my palms and the grips on Miu's climbing gear.

_I can do this. This isn't hard. I don't have time to be scared. I just have to keep going up._

I'm in such a zone that I'm honestly surprised when I eventually lift my magnet and have it slam sideways on the wall. I look up when I realize the magnet isn't hitting the wall anymore.

"Finally...!" I grunt, pulling myself up using the magnets over the cages top and double tapping the buttons to release their electromagnetic grip on the steel only once I'm on the thick rim standing on both feet steadily. The rim of the wall is about as thick as Kaito is high with his six foot height.

Now...on the other side of the wall...

It just looks like normal night sky. As far as the eye can see, it's an expanse of inky darkness, speckled with stars all around. I can't see anything else _but_ sky.

_I still feel like there's something wrong with it. When it's daytime...we can see buildings, right? Shouldn't I see them from here? Where are they? I can't even see the shadowed silhouettes of them, but they _ _ **should ** _ _be there._

_So why are they not?_

"OKAY, CONGRATULATIONS, PRAIRIE! YOU GOT TO THE TOP! NOW STAY- _NO!_PRAIRIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHING?!"

I've faced the thick bar of the cage and have double tapped the buttons of the electromagnetic climbing gear again, now climbing the massive thick bar of the cage to get even higher- eyes narrowed on the very top of the cage as my goal. Something tells me I won't get my answer until I get up there, so-

_"Yee-__eep__!"_ I yelp when I suddenly feel my weight drop, heart giving a surprised jerk until I stop, blinking a little as I feel the ribbon in my hair go loose from the swing of my body. I look up and find it to be down, only then realizing that gravity has betrayed me in my climb as a result of the cylinder shape of the thick bar in how it isn't a flat surface.

As I hang upside down, I hear Kiibo's voice yet again.

"PRAIRIE, PLEASE, THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU'RE ALREADY AT THE TOP! I'M GOING TO BLOW A CIRCUIT AT THIS RATE IF I KEEP WATCHING!"

_Then close your eyes, wise guy?_

I carefully continue my climb, hearing Kiibo's dramatic groan of frustration and horror when he notices.

Probably as a result of being upside down, using my intuition to help me move faster makes me feel slight nausea, and I stop using it after a couple of minutes to keep from another problem like what happened earlier in my room. No sense in inducing blood vomiting this high up- one, it'd be disgusting, and two, I would never live it down.

I open my eyes and resume my careful climb slower, only stopping again once I hit the very top of the cage and look down again.

_I did it! I'm at the very top, I climbed the impossible to climb wall!_

I look back at the straps of the magnets and try to climb so I can get myself right-side up again, only to grunt in disapproval when the magnet slides me back down from the shape of the cylinder.

_Oh no. I think I'm going to have to do something no one's gonna like...I can't get up with the magnets, so that means I'll need to abandon them here._

I swallow thickly and release the button for my right hand, holding it down and then carefully bringing my hand to my teeth to start tearing open the velcro securing me to the magnet. Once I can wriggle my arm out of it (as this one was a little loose initially since I had to strap it on using my teeth as well), I release the button and let the magnets pull off of my hand with a loud clang as it sticks fast to the wall.

That's one...

My hand gravitates towards the rope hooked to the left side of my hips, unclipping it and being careful not to drop it as I get it untied.

_Be careful, be careful, there's no rush. Better to take my time than fall to my death._

As I continue to remind myself not to be so careless, I eventually get the rope tied in a complex knot to one of my clips after much tinkering with my teeth. Considering I'm currently one-handed, I'm actually sorta impressed I managed to make the knot. Especially since my hands are so slick and clammy from exertion. By the time I'm up, I'm sure I'll see blisters on either hand.

Grabbing the ball of rope, I prepare and pull back my arm to get ready to throw it over the bar I'm still magnetically attached to. After a second of consideration however, I pause mid reeling back. What if I miss?

Rather than risking missing my target around the bar, my eyes slide shut regretfully. My heart skips a beat as I trust my intuition to throw the rope in an arc, managing to catch it easily using my one arm despite the awkward angle I have to turn to do so. When I open my eyes again, I feel something trickle down my cheek and towards my ear, causing me to wipe at it with a small grunt. Following the trail to my nostrils, I grimace as a result. The first warning of backlash from using my intuition.

I shake off my discomfort and tie the rope around the metal bar in another sturdy knot to make sure I'm completely secured to the other end of the rope. Looking up to glance at the night sky past the cage, I reach down and chalk my single hand before undoing the straps of my feet magnets and allowing my legs to swing down towards the Earth as I cling to the left magnet handle I'm still strapped to. It's comforting to still have one arm strapped in, but as I begin to undo the velcro, the feeling of safety turns into a feeling of simply being free. Being nervous, excited, and carefree all at the same time, if only for a moment.

Even if I _did _happen to somehow slide out of the velcro strap of the handle, the rope tied around my belt would ensure my safety by catching me...but of course the people below can't tell I'm totally fine. They probably just see my dangling legs and think the worst.

"PRAIRIE!" I hear Kiibo squawk in horror, causing me to laugh a little. He really ought to lower his volume already.

Holding on to the right handle again with my chalk coated hand, I press the left magnet's button and use my teeth to unstrap the velcro. My arms are aching so much from holding my weight on top of the effort I'd made to climb up here, but I do my best to ignore it and simply grab the tail end of the rope around the bar to tie it around the left handle magnet. As I release the button, the magnet flies back against the bar of the cage with a clang once more, rope tied tightly to it to keep the loop around the bar from making me swing back down when I climb it.

Making my way to the top is simple enough, although I am a bit concerned when I hear the unmistakable sound of Kiibo...hyperventilating? He can do that? Does he have something like lungs in the sense?

_I'm almost there!_

With my body crying and aching for retaliation. I use all the energy I can muster to pull myself the rest of the way up until I've quite _literally _climbed out of the cage. How long have I been up? How long have I been climbing?

I glance over the side in search of my fellow peers, surprised when I realize that during my endeavors many of them have taken seats, laid back in the grass (even the ones I suspect are probably still very concerned about me falling), but all are pretty much still down there. Sixteen people.

_Thank goodness I haven't embarrassed myself on the way up...! And thank goodness they're too far down to really see me and what I do up here._

I chalk my hands even though I'm done climbing, giving the height a dubious look. Climbing back down is definitely going to be tough...and if it takes as long as it did to climb up, then I'll get down by the time it's five in the morning. Just climbing took four or so hours- it's almost one in the morning now!

With a sigh I pull myself together, planting my feet on the top of the sturdy cage bar to stand up and walk to the metal circle at the top- a ring attached to the cage that's three times my size. Couldanyone actually hang a cage this size anyways? Seems like the ring would come straight off if attempted- no way that little ring could hold up the contents of this cage, specifically the school and other buildings.

_Now for the reason I'm up here in the first...place..._

Just as I lift my head to look up, I'm surprised to see how much clearer the stars look at the very top.

And how much _closer._

The glittering round stars seem bigger than they did before- and brighter too. It looks even stranger than-

Impulsively, my arm goes up and my hand smacks against the ceiling.

A small noise escapes me as my knuckles make contact above me. At first, I gently rub my knuckles against it lightly in quiet contemplation- the hollow minded kind of contemplation when something doesn't quite click immediately even as the proof stares you in the face. Maybe because of the time, it's a response for an answer to a question no one asks in the first place.

By the time my brain processes the discovery, my heart is pumping twice as fast as it had during my climb up and my breathing is shallow with rising panic.

_There's a ceiling...! The sky isn't real? It's FAKE? Is this a joke? So the buildings that we see in the distance during the day are just...is it a projection? Or a screen?_

_..._

_What's on the other side? Back when I first saw it,_ _Monosuke_ _called it the "Wall of End", implying that this enclosure we're all in is all that's left of the world. It's a lie, right?_

Of course.

I remember something in my memories that gives me concrete logic and reassurance midst my little panic session. I can't forget the very beginning, the proof is in what little I can remember _before _waking up in the killing game. We _all _remember being kidnapped by the organization called "Danganronpa". The people that shoved me in the van weren't any faces I can remember, shrouded in darkness, but they _definitely _were by people other than these guys I'm trapped with. So if there are people around to kidnap me and everyone else, not to mention a giant organization capable of setting this up, then there's no way there _isn't _a world out there waiting for us.

_Relax._ Letting out a heavy breath of relief, I poke one of the stars- but it's not a hole to the outside like I wish it could be. Instead the surface is even and entirely smooth much to my dismay.

_So we're all enclosed in here with a fake sky and fake weather. Where the others don't remember what I do about the beginning resets of the killing game and have the belief that this is really the outdoors._

_Why would the organization go through the trouble to enclose us in here though? To make a cage inside a "fake" outdoors is so unnecessarily excessive._

"Coming up here only confuses me even more," I mumble under my breath, pulling my hand from the ceiling with a heavy sigh. Where does this new knowledge lead me? Absolutely nowhere. All it does is make me feel like escaping is even more impossible.

_Maybe it is. A powerful organization with money like this likely means that...there's likely no help coming for us from the outside. We're probably on our own. Money is what makes the world go 'round._

My throat gets tight but I try not to let the hopelessness get a hold of me just yet. I haven't even looked at all the cards I've been dealt yet- there's still a possibility of freedom. I just need to look a little harder...so we can _all _go home.

_"Hi, Ugly~!"_

I yelp loudly at the sound of Monophanie's voice coming out of an Exisal, one which suddenly appears underneath the inside of the cage and grabs hold of me with it's claws through the cage bars. All the air is squeezed out of me when I hear the sound of a rope being cut, my heart lurching upwards with my stomach when I feel us fall straight down from the top of the cage. I'm not even able to scream due to how tightly I'm being crushed in the grip of the yellow accented Exisal.

_"You had enough of a peek, no more climbing the wall for you! Daddy's putting the electric current back through the wall now. Don't forget the _**_deal_**_ you made!"_ Monophanie says, continuing to blabber even once she turns on the jets to the Exisal to slow our descent as we near the ground. By the time her feet hit the Earth, my hair is a complete mess from the fall and obscures my vision.

It doesn't help when she tosses me forward like a rag doll, my body landing painfully hard on the ground since she's thoughtful enough to throw me on the cement rather than the grass. I squeak as my ribs painfully object to my landing, grunting as my body slows to a stop. With a shaky exhale, I push up weakly from ground and inhale as much sweet air as I can to regain what I'd been deprived, touching my ribs on my right side and wincing when pain blossoms from contact.

_As if the cut across my chest wasn't enough to deal with._

_"If_ _you_ _tell_ _your_ _classmates-_ _any_ _one_ _of_ _them,_ _we'll_ _make_ _sure_ _they_ _regret_ _it!_ _Got it, Ugly? You better keep your mouth shut! Trust me, boys like it more when girls don't talk! I should know, since I'm so cute and you're not!" _Monophanie chirps with that sugary sweet tone of hers through the Exisal intercom, the bear spawn from hell unbothered as I feel someone help me up to my feet from where I'm laying. From the large hands picking me up under my shoulders, I register it to be Gonta.

"Small Prairie okay?!" Gonta asks, despite my obviously wobbly legs and disheveled appearance following the cruel treatment of Monophanie.

I only break into a cough as my answer, feeling two pairs of different hands pushing my hair back and evening it out so I can see again. When I look up, I find Rantaro and Kaede eyeing me critically- searching me for any obvious damage. Since my suit has open slits at either side of my ribs, I make sure to angle my arm where it covers the area- even though I can't quite tell if there's even a bruise forming yet since the floodlights have been turned off in exchange for the simple lights along the path.

"You didn't have to _throw _her," Rantaro comments towards the Exisal pointedly, turning away from Gonta and I to face Monophanie.

"Yeah, that was inhumane! You could have seriously hurt her-" Kaede starts with a firm tone of disapproval, right before laughter at Monophanie's feet ensues.

It's only then that we notice Monosuke's presence and step back a little more towards the rest of the group behind us, my eyes scanning the area around the yellow Exisal until I find Monotaro and Monokid a little near the back behind the feet of the machine. Monokid looks composed as per usual, and Monotaro would look equally so if it weren't for the few sweat pellets formed on his forehead. Poor thing...

"Oh, _boo-hoo!_ She's a trooper, she'll deal! You humans are great at taking beatings! We've thrown her around before and she's not dead _yet!" _Monosuke exclaims in amusement. "Besides, We _like _throwing her around!"

Monophanie giggles from inside the yellow Exisal, reaching up to make a grabbing motion for me that has Kaede pulling me behind her with Rantaro.

_I doubt __Monokuma_ _wants me dying just yet. Not when he's so intrigued by me._

"Come on, we're done here, guys," Rantaro says to our group as he takes my hand and leads me off in the direction of the path towards the dormitories.

"Aw, my climbing gear..." I hear Miu lament as we pass her, prompting me to wince. Had I not been snatched up and brought down the way I had...yeah, there's no way I'd have been able to retrieve her electromagnetic climbing gear. But at least now I have an excuse for it other than admitting I was "too scared to go get it".

"That sure was some climbing, Prairie Dog! Are you even human? No way a normal person can free climb like that so effortlessly without dying!" Kokichi, chipper as ever, jumps around to exclaim.

"Don't encourage her, Kokichi," Rantaro scolds the leech, to my mild irritation.

_He has no right to be upset. I had it handled._

"R-Rantaro, please don't be upset with her. Prairie is capable of these kinds of climbs, I don't think you need to worry about-"

"No, Shuichi, I think I _do _need to worry about it," Rantaro cuts the shy detective off, shutting him down so quickly that I almost feel bad for the gold eyed teen that falls silent and drifts back into step with Kaede with an almost guilty look as he pulls his hat down to hide his face.

_Wow, am I looking in a mirror? That's nice of him to try and step in for me though..._

"She could have died from a fall like that! Rantaro's right, what Prairie did was wrong and dangerous according to my knowledge of human life preservation! If we look into the statistics of free-soloing rock climber mortality rate, the number of deaths are staggeringly high! We don't even know if she's out of practice or anything!"

"Prairie Dog isn't a statistic, you rotten malfunctioning excuse for a vending machine! What, do you have a granola bar for a heart?!" Kokichi suddenly lashes out in sudden offense that I can tell is clearly another one of his acts. "You robots are heartless in more ways than one!"

"I-I was just explaini- wait, _don't compare me to a vending machine, you __robophobe__!_ You read that from my profile on the monopad, didn't you?!"

"Ah, come on, she had it handled! Prairie's done much higher climbs that don't even compare to this and she's hardly ever batted an eye at them," Kaito brushes the incident off, totally cool with all of the stunts I've pulled so far. "Tenko, you know too, right? Tell 'em how it is!"

"Are you trying to order me around with your male hubris, you degenerate male? I'll chop off your arm and beat you with it!" Tenko snaps Kaito's way, but when he doesn't flinch, she turns to look Rantaro's way. This is only possible since we're walking as a group to the dorms together. "Admittedly though...he's right! The fact that you're making a big deal about it undermines her title as the Ultimate Rock Climber! You're totally insulting her! Maybe you don't remember your talent and can't understand, but don't tell her to deny her true nature! You're smothering her fighting spirit with you terrible male presence!"

"Is that how you see men? Hm...interesting," Korekiyo mumbles, eyeing Tenko before stepping back a little when she throws him a sharp aggressive look, daring him to keep speaking to her.

"Nyahaha! But if she had fallen, _what do you **think** would have happened? _This isn't the same as Perfect Blitz' usual climbing endeavors- this time she used an apparatus _Miu_ designed! How are we to know of it's reliability anyhow? She is a 'rock climber', not a 'magnet climber' no? In fact...Miu could have designed it to fail on Blitz purposefully if she wanted, killing her off and taking the First Blood Perk for herself!" Angie adds her input wisely, eyeing Tenko critically. "It was not a wise move on Perfect Blitz' part!"

"The _fuck?! _I wouldn't kill PERFECT BLITZ!" Miu snarls Angie's way, eyes blazing with rage at the carefree girl's smiling face.

"Aww, how thoughtful~! Not Prairie Dog, just someone else, right?" Kokichi points out in amusement, causing Miu to stammer and fidget as she trips over her words to find a good enough statement to counter Kokichi's comment.

_...I never even thought of that, _I realize, hearing Kokichi snicker from beside me as a result of the twitch in my expression when I think about Angie's point. Side glancing at him suspiciously, he simply smiles innocently. Why do I get the feeling he might have thought of that earlier and simply didn't tell me of it when I went to climb the wall?

"G-Gonta agree! Did not think Small Prairie would go higher- Gonta afraid too high to catch if Small Prairie fall!"

"You think she only climbs rocks? Shows how much you guys know..." Himiko yawns, making me realize she has my fallen ribbon when she lazily squeezes past Gonta to hand it to me.

"Still, Himiko, had she fallen due to a problem in the climbing gear's design, Miu would be responsible for her death by directly giving her faulty gear," Kirumi agrees reluctantly, following us diligently as we near the dorms. Nearly there and then I can run to my room and avoid everyone for a little bit.

"Aren't you all forgetting something? Technically, any death would start the killing game- even an _accidental _death like manslaughter. That wasn't just dangerous for her, but for us too," Ryoma points out from somewhere behind as I wrap my hair ribbon in a ball and tuck it between my hip and monopad where I also have my gloves.

Once I have it put away, my hand hits the Sudoku puzzle book I'd shoved under the back of my belt, making me lift an eyebrow in surprise. It's amazing I managed to climb up with that stuck there, I almost didn't even feel it on the way up. I would have figured it would fall out during the more dangerous and risky maneuvers.

Shaking off the presence of the Sudoku puzzle out of my thoughts, I worm my hand out of Rantaro's by the time we reach the dormitories, quickly walking past him so that he has to move fast to keep up while the others are still more or less conversing near the entrance about the repercussions of what _could _have happened.

"Kaede..." I hear Shuichi try to get the blonde girl's attention behind me, voice low enough that anything else they whisper or say is drowned out by other conversations when I push open the doors to the building, somewhat bugged when Rantaro tries to stop and catch me twice. I dodge his attempts and manage to get my dorm room door unlocked, quickly jumping in without closing the door since ignoring him outright won't benefit either of us. He's eventually going to chew me out for my stunt, might as well not delay the inevitable.

Rantaro hesitates at my doorway, but once he sees me make a beeline for my bed and promptly take a seat to face him at the doorway, he seems to understand I'm not going to run away from the scolding. He steps in and shuts the door behind himself, eyeing me as I wait for him to say something.

...

As he stares at me, he seems to relax and eventually relents with a sigh before he's even said anything. I perk up just a little at the unusual reaction.

_Nothing?_ _No_ _"Prairie_ _what_ _you_ _did_ _was_ _wrong"_ _or_ _"I_ _can't_ _believe_ _you'd_ _do_ _something_ _so_ _dangerous"?_ _He_ _was_ _just_ _angry_ _moments_ _before,_ _did_ _he_ _really_ _cool_ _down_ _that_ _fast?_ _How'd_ _he_ _get_ _over_ _it_ _so_ _fast?_

"Prairie..." Although it seems that he's calmed down, I still shrink back a tad bit out of shame. "There was no was I was going to be able to deter you from climbing that wall, right? You'd have done it anyways in the end?"

I relax myself, and then offer him a sympathetic shrug as I simply answer, "I had to."

There's no other comment from Rantaro at that, but he steps forward towards me and pulls me in a hug once he's seated on my bed next to me.

"Why are you like this...?" He sighs, clearly exhausted as a result of worrying about me. I can feel all the tension in his body loosen in the hug, and feeling somewhat guilty for being the root reason he's been driven up the wall like this, I hug him back.

"I'm sorry," I apologize, meaning it one hundred percent.

After all, I'm not done doing things he won't like. There's still a tunnel I'm not supposed to know about that I need to go through.

When he lets go, his eyes trail down to the cut across my chest and collar, wincing at the large gash and sighing as he gently runs a thumb over a torn piece of fabric around it saturated with some of the blood from the initial injury.

"We should clean that up so it doesn't get infected. I'm gonna go get Kirumi since it's in a...conflicting place," Rantaro comments, making my cheeks heat up red as I nod and watch him get up to leave the room. 

That went better than I thought it would, that's for sure.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.12 - Ascent_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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>   



	25. Popped Bubbles

❀ **_2.13 - Popped Bubbles_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I open my eyes and let out a yawn, drowsiness slowly ebbing away until all I can think about is the feeling of pain and soreness throughout my body. I guess the price for actively defying Monokuma is aching muscles and bruises, huh? Oh well, I can take it. Just another day in my entrapment within hell.

_Still, why am I the only one going against __Monokuma__? For all their secrecy, I haven't seen __Shuichi__ or __Kaede_ _doing anything. Rantaro...who knows what he's up to, but it doesn't seem like he's done anything to garner __Monokuma's_ _attention. Even __Kaito__, for all his outbursts about defying __Monokuma__, isn't really doing anything either. He talked back once and then went quiet._

_Everyone else? Loafing around. They don't seem to care about where we are...other than maybe _ _Miu_ _. I couldn't have done my last stunt without her._

My face is a scowl, which I shove into a pillow covered with some of my messy curls in my frustration.

So other than Miu, if the _rest _of the group wants to twiddle their thumbs and wait for a white knight to come rescue them, that's their prerogative. In my case, I actually _want _to get out of here- lacking memories or not. I have a feeling that there's something waiting for me on the other side. I can't afford to leave it to fate and loaf around like the rest of them, nor can I play it safe. Besides...we're on a time limit.

_I need to get out of here and I don't doubt the others need to as well. If only they were more invested in leaving this place...why are they all being _ _Himikos_ _' about it?_

...Well, if they really don't wanna try, I guess it really is all up to me.

I finally push up from where I'm lying to sit up and rub my eyes clear of sleep, only to hear the sound of something hitting my night table. A movement makes me whip my head around to see what's in my room, until I notice my lamp being to tip over and instead swing my attention to that.

"Shoot!" I blurt out, lunging to catch the lamp and tumbling off the bed in the process. I hear the door open as I hit the floor, the aches in my body making me yelp with contact against the carpet. Before I can get over the pain rattling through me, the door slams shut.

_They're gone._

Grunting under my breath in disapproval, I haul myself and the lamp back up irritably. All I can do is stare at the door suspiciously after my unceremonious fall, considering they'd probably already be long gone by the time I get up and throw open the door to attempt a chase.

Now, I have no doubts that it was a monokub in my room- and likely neither Monotaro or Monokid. Those two wouldn't hide if it was them, so it had to be one of the other three...but then again, why would the other three need to be hiding either? Aren't they supposed to be the rule makers here? Or are they keeping tabs on me under Monokuma's orders? Seems unnecessary, Monokuma seems to do just fine without the monokubs hovering over the group.

_Well the "why" about it doesn't matter. There was a bear in here that wasn't invited and it pisses me off._

Through the entire process of getting dressed, I'm annoyed. I growl as I yank up my sleeves and my gloves to try and make them comfortable, I get hissy with my belt and zipper what it takes a bit longer to close both of them- on top of having to be careful with the stupid gauze pad over my stupid chest because of my stupid injury-

So I'm definitely not in the best mood this morning.

With a sigh, I pick up my brush from my vanity and look at my reflection in the mirror. It's still a face I don't recognize that's staring back at me, and she looks like...well, she looks like she needs a chill pill.

_There's no reason for me to be so overworked. Of course the __monokubs_ _that are on_ _Monokuma's_ _side and __Monokuma_ _himself would totally disregard personal space, it's not all that shocking. We weren't put in a killing game because he cares about us, after all._

Maybe it was even Monokuma himself sneaking in here while I was asleep...but I won't linger on that theory since it'll only make me end up losing my temper again. I'm calm, cool, and collected now. I'm going to have a good morning even though I have to face some of the others that are definitely upset with my climbing escapade last night.

They can judge me wall they want, I'll endure it, but I'm not going to stop what I'm doing just because a few people would rather be a sitting duck than get out.

I pull my monopad out and turn the screen on to check the time, seeing it's a little before the morning announcements. It's a little strange since I wouldn't have pegged myself to be a morning perso-

_"Ow!" _I yelp when I drag my brush through my hair and feel the bristles catch on an unusually large snag, causing my eyes to widen. What is that? A knot? There's no way, that's too big to be just a knot...!

I de-tangle, or make attempts to de-tangle the brush, wincing only to realize it's gotten stuck. The heck kind of a knot is this? Is my hair so curly it tangles like this while I'm rolling around in my sleep, or-

As I'm adjusting the brush and moving my head to find the knot in the mirror I eventually spot something of a pink blob in my curls, knotting a ball of my hair together that makes me freeze. It takes a couple of minutes for me to process what I'm seeing, even as the light strawberry scent hits my nostrils.

_Oh no._

I pull at the brush again, eyes beginning to water as I tug and yank at the knot a couple more times to no avail. By the time I've given up pulling it out by force my scalp is crying with pain and all I can do is glare at the mirror.

_"__Monophanie__,"_ I spit out like it's poisonous. It had to be her though, I can't really see Monosuke or Monodam doing something like this.

Yes, it was _definitely _Monophanie.

I drop the brush, growling at how ratty my hair looks everywhere else. I can't even brush it now because the brush itself is stuck in the knot.

_Stay calm, don't lose your head over this, be patient. There's probably a solution to fix this, don't lose hope! A solution like maybe...cutting off your hair..._

_..._

I turn and walk over to my bed, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it as loud and uncontrollably as I wish I could do without it. After screaming into it a few more times, I remove the pillow from my face and will the angry tears now forming in the corners or my eyes to go away. I need to find scissors in this case. There were some in here before when I was first exploring my room, I just need to find them...

Not in my night table. Not in my vanity. Not in any drawers. Not _anywhere._

_Did that cancerous little pink parasite take those too?! Did she know I'd want to cut my hair?!_

I slam the drawer I'm looking in shut and march out of my room, swinging open the door so hard that it hits the back wall and bounces shut behind me with a slam as I make my way down the stairs and out the doors of the dormitory building.

"Oh, Prair...ie?" I hear a familiar voice as I step outside (even though it's not- at least I know the truth now), prompting me to slowly look towards the speaker. The Ultimate Robot, Kiibo, makes a concerned face that borders on discomfort when our eyes meet. "Are you okay? W-What's with that creepy dead expression on your face? You look like you're gonna crawl out of a television set and put a curse on me!"

My only answer after staring at him is to turn away and walk past him, causing him to gasp when he presumably sees the brush in my tattered curls.

"Oh my _god! _What did you do to your pretty hair?!"

Wrong choice of words.

"What did _I _do? What's that supposed to mean?" I demand suddenly, looking back at Kiibo with a vicious enough look that he jumps and holds his hands up quickly in surrender as I turn my whole body his way in a less than friendly manner.

"N-No, I misspoke! I wasn't implying anything!" Kiibo speaks at a higher pitch than usual, taking a hasty step back from me.

...

"You wouldn't happen to have a pair of scissors on you, would you, Kiibo?" I ask pointedly with a calm yet warning tone, watching Kiibo shake his head quickly. "Huh, that's a shame."

I turn and continue walking, Kiibo quietly following me until I spot the figure of Ryoma Hoshi and make a beeline for him. As if sensing my approach, the short teen turns to face Kiibo and I with a mild frown, hands still stuffed in his pockets.

"Whoa. That's some energy you're exuding there, Prairie. What's got you in knots?" Ryoma asks, only for Kiibo to jump in before I can- probably to stop me from stepping on anyone's toes.

"Uh, funny you should mention that! Would you happen to have a pair of scissors, Ryoma?"

"...no. Sorry," he answers. At that, I walk away from the two, listening to Kiibo's apologies for my rudeness as I continue walking...and eventually spot something that makes me pause a step and forget my rage momentarily.

It's a door. Doesn't look like it can be opened, but I walk up to it and rest my hands on the large metal beam keeping the wooden and steel reinforced door shut.

"Phew," I hear Kiibo behind me, not exactly knowing when he started following me again. "How do you think it opens?"

I look closely at it with him, stepping up to the door and looking higher only to see a set of messily arranged letters- one door with yellow letters and the other with red letters.

"Ava-rita...no, wait, Ava-_ritia_ Luxulia!" Kiibo reads in satisfaction before frowning after a beat. "Uh, I don't know what that means. Is it Latin?"

_Shouldn't it read "__Avaritia_ _Luxuria_ _"? As in...greed and lust? ...All of a sudden, I don't want to know what's on the other side of these doors._

I hear a gasp behind Kiibo and I, the two of us turning to see Kaede and Shuichi gaping at me specifically. Oh, so they saw the mess, huh? Stupid Monophanie. I'm still sure it was her.

"Oh my god, your _hair! _What happened?" Kaede asks in horror, prompting me to sigh and click my tongue.

"She's pink, and she's a parasite, that's all. A-Anyways, do either of you two have scissors?" I ask, earning sympathetic head shakes from the detective and pianist duo.

"Although that's a shame, you two have good timing. I wanted to ask you guys if you know what this door is. Doesn't seem like we can open it and it doesn't look like an exit...so what do you think's on the other side?

Shuichi's eyes flick my way at that, causing me to quickly connect the dots to his thought process. I climbed the entire structure, so it's logical to believe I could have seen over this wall. Although...he's forgetting I climbed the wall at night. Furthermore, the fact that the floodlights came from the grounds near the cage garden means it only illuminated so much. I could see the buildings, but the wall here pretty much blocked any light that could identify the structures inside.

Before I can say anything to refute Shuichi's thoughts-

"Kiiboy, if you're so curious about what's on the other side, why don't you just fly over?!" Kokichi appears from quite literally out of nowhere much to my surprise, wearing a large grin to match his bright innocent eyes.

_Innocent my foot. Where's pest control when you need it?_

"W-Wha-?!" Kiibo yelps, stepping to my other side when he sees Kokichi so that I'm between them.

"Kokichi, how did you...?" Shuichi starts, eyeing the violet devil curiously and earning a sweet smile that conceals the devil's true nature as he bounces on his heels childishly at the detective's attention.

"Nishishi! I _flew _here!"

Oh, here we go again...what's new Scooby-Doo?

"Seeing how I'm a robot, I have jetpack soles on my feet!" Kokichi continues energetically, to which I bring a hand up to lightly face-palm. Did I not expect or see this coming? Of course I did, I saw it coming a mile away. He's absolutely ridiculous.

_Loafing around while I do all the dangerous and hard work..._

A bitter flavor hits my tongue, but I do my best to quell it. I don't want to feel bad anymore, I just want to get this gum out of my hair and try having a good day. As good of a day as it can get knowing we're all totally cut off from the outside world.

_Wall of the End._

I still don't like the name the monokubs gave the wall. It gives me too much anxiety.

"Eeeeh? Don't tell me...you don't have any...?" Kokichi queries in surprise when Kiibo gives him this look, stepping closer to us to eye Kiibo's body curiously.

_...Now that I think about it, why __**doesn't **__Kiibo_ _have useful features like that? He_ **_is_ **_the Ultimate Robot, right? Where are the mega busters? The transforming segments of his body? The two hundred and seven implemented languages he can speak?_

I look at Kiibo curiously as well now, eyeing him critically until he seems to notice my gaze drilling into him too.

"...of course not! I-I don't have anything like that!" Kiibo objects.

"Just like you don't have a dick?"

I inhale sharply and incidentally breathe in some excess saliva in my mouth, causing me to turn and start a coughing fit of horror at his attempted innocent query. He did _not _just ask something like that. That's...okay, THAT'S robophobic if you ask me.

"What kind of a conversation is this?!" Kiibo blurts out, followed by me looking at Kaede and the two of us rolling our eyes in unison. Clearly she too is sick of Kokichi's antics.

"Of course if you had a jet, you would've already flown out of this place! Kiiboy, you're just full of disappointments!" Kokichi exclaims brightly.

"Shocking coming from zero potential meat-boy," I drop following Kokichi's hurtful words. "You're such a one-note guy, Kokichi. I don't even _want _to ask you for scissors."

I can see Kaede, Shuichi, and Kiibo gaping my way as Kokichi turns his attention onto me. If I'm to guess by the silence and guess based on the other times this has happened, I've probably hit a nerve. Guilt begins to fill my gut, so I turn away and leave the four to refrain from apologizing to Kokichi like I want to. As I'm turning away however, Kokichi's violet eyes flash with what I can only guess is understanding when he gives a grin of amusement.

"You wish you meant that~!" I hear him comment in a sing-song voice behind me as I leave, already ruining my attempts at quelling the blush that is rising to my cheeks. Dang it, even when I _don't _say anything, he already knows just by looking at my face! I'm an open book! "By the way, love the new hairstyle!"

_Screw this. Screw _ _Monophanie_ _, screw _ _Kokichi_ _, screw my hair, screw _ _**everybody.** _

Eventually I get to a grassy area with several trees, losing my cool and grabbing the brush stuck in my hair again to try and force the bristles to untangle from the knot.

"Ugh! _Screw this stupid brush!" _I growl, struggling for a bit until I trip over my own foot and land face down in the fluffy tall grass. Even with the plushiness, I grunt at the sharp pain that vibrates across my body from the impact.

In short, it's still a bad morning.

_Why me? It's not fair. The others should be helping out more too. The bears wouldn't be singling me out if the others were forcing __Monokuma's_ _hand too, right? ...okay, maybe that's just a pipe dream. The only reason __Monokuma_ _is bullying me over the others is because of whatever __voo__-doo crap I can do._

The sound of footsteps makes my mood dampen even more. I wonder which lucky student gets to witness the "Legendary ooo, so wow Perfect Blitz" in such a pitiful state...

Grass crunches and shifts as they get closer until...they eventually stop right next to me.

"Just get it over with. At this point, I'd thank you for putting me out of my misery," I grumble against the grass, only to hear a familiar long sigh.

"Don't say things like that, Prairie. I'm gonna get the brush and gum out of your hair, okay?" I hear Rantaro comfort me, rubbing my back warmly as he takes a seat beside me and soon starts picking at the knot in my hair.

"Right, you tell me when you're done in five years, hm?" I tell him with no fire left in my system, folding my arms under my face so I'm not totally pressing my nose and mouth into the dirty grass. At least the _plants_ are real...I'd lose it if someone told me they were as fake as the sky.

Sometime in the time I'm laying there allowing Rantaro his fruitless attempt to de-tangle the brush and knot from my hair, I hear a pair of footsteps approach.

"Good morning," Rantaro pleasantly greets.

"Good morning!" I hear Kaede's voice much to my relief. Thank god it's not Kokichi, I really can't handle him right now. Also, Rantaro would be _super _disappointed if he knew how I behaved towards him.

"Good morning, Rantaro...I have something to ask you," Shuichi's voice, unassuming and disarming as ever, reaches my ears.

"Huh? What is it?" Rantaro queries as his fingers part some of my locks, feeling my own eyes widen a little when he pulls the brush free from the knot and sets it on the grass in my line of sight. He did it? He managed to get the brush out?! "A question from the Ultimate Detective makes me nervous."

"It's not making you that nervous, is it...?" Shuichi laughs a little, like he doesn't believe Rantaro's being serious. Of course, he probably isn't, but it's statements like those that make people so wary of him. If only he'd get a clue.

"Yeah, I get you. No murder has happened yet, so I guess the question can't be all that bad."

_Why is that his reasoning and logic? Is his head screwed on backwards today?_

I rest my chin on my folded arms to look at Rantaro pointedly, making sure he can tell I think he's wishy-washy. He meets my gaze for a moment, but seems to brush off my expression with a smile that has me rolling my eyes. Typical.

"What you were talking about earlier, the Ultimate Hunt...what is that?"

"Ah! I'm curious about it too!" Kaede chirps after Shuichi, smiling a charming smile I already know Rantaro is totally immune to.

At the mention of the Ultimate Hunt, my thoughts flutter in my mind to make some sense of the group. The Ultimate Hunt...the people the monokubs said kidnapped us before and took our memories of being Ultimates. Going by what I already know, that means Danganronpa found us, kidnapped us sometime after the Ultimate Hunt took our memories as we were moving on living mundane normal lives, and then shoved us together here after... giving us our memories back?

That doesn't make any sense though. How would Danganronpa have access to our old memories anyways? Theoretically, if our memories were "wiped", then it'd be adios to them. Not even the Ultimate Hunt would be able to retrieve them from their own memory wiping efforts. Maybe in this case, they meant the Ultimate Hunt rather "cut out" our memories and stored them away.

In that scenario though, how would Danganronpa have gotten a hold of the memories then? Would that imply that Danganronpa purchased or stole our memories from the Ultimate Hunt? Or...is Danganronpa and the Ultimate Hunt one and the same thing?

_And the big question: why would our memories need to be taken in the first place anyways?_

"I told you, it's nothing! Forget about it, it's okay," Rantaro comments, sounding just a tad bit put off by the topic. I wish I knew whatever Rantaro knows about it...he does know something, right? "Just from my own experience, if you bring up the same thing over and over, it will make you stressed out easily. Not being able to remember my talent makes me stressed already, so...please just take it easy on me from now on, okay?"

"Ah, alright! Sorry for asking you so suddenly..." Shuichi meekly trails off, clearly understanding Rantaro's shut his question down.

"No, it's okay," Rantaro says, making me blink in surprise when I feel him pull me up to my feet. Despite my confusion, I stand up and grab my brush on the way as I look from Rantaro to the other duo. "I'm sorry too, for not having anything useful to provide."

Rantaro turns to me and starts to pull me along with him by my free hand.

"Ah, wait, Prairie-" I pause and look back despite Rantaro's light pulling urging me to just keep on walking. Ignoring him, my eyes meet Shuichi's. "Would you happen to know anything about it?"

_He's asking because I know so much about the things here, huh? Smart._

"Yeah. I do know of it," I decide to answer against my better judgement, watching Shuichi and Kaede perk up a bit at my admission...until I pop their bubble. "Doesn't mean I can say anything about it though."

Leaving Kaede and Shuichi with that little hint, Rantaro manages to drag me away on the double, only turning to face me with clear disapproval once the two of us are out of the detective and piano duo's earshot.

"Prairie, what was that?" Rantaro immediately asks, prompting me to easily respond, "What was what?"

He gives me a look, one I can only interpret to be a dry, _"seriously"._

"I know what you're doing because you _always _do this. You're toeing Monokuma's rules again," Rantaro calls me out, taking my arm when I let out a small groan of irritation and pulling me to sit down in the grass with him.

Rantaro begins tinkering with the knot in my hair again, a silence falling between us save for the sound of our movements shifting the grass and the sound of my heartbeat getting faster. I know what's coming next, it always comes up. I've gotten used to expecting this kind of reaction from Rantaro.

"Why do you have to be so confrontational with him? He's eventually going to run out of patience at this rate, and then what will you do? No one will be able to help you at that point. Is that what you want?"

A small breeze hits me as he's pulling at a rather stubborn lock, lightly enough that it doesn't hurt me but strong enough that it's likely to break free of the knot.

"You're not going to get it out of my hair with your bare hands, Amami," I change the topic, even though I know he'll see right through my attempt. Surprisingly though, he doesn't call me out on it this time- instead laughing a little in a velvety way that has my heart skipping a beat. I don't like his laugh, it's too..._Rantaro-y._

"Ye of little faith..." Rantaro murmurs, which I try to be calm about despite how jittery it makes me feel inside. I kind of want to hit him with my hairbrush, is that normal?

"You may have gotten the brush out, but don't get so-" I cut myself off when Rantaro reaches around me to stick a ball of gum in the grass where I can see it. My hand still gripping my hairbrush eventually loosens when Rantaro gently takes it from me, brushing from the bottom of my locks first and making his way up. "Never mind."

At my defeated tone, Rantaro chuckles again. I _really _don't like his laugh. It makes me feel knotted up inside and it's uncomfortable.

"Having a lot of younger sisters that get into constant trouble tends to help you learn good life hacks," Rantaro comments, clearly amused at the fact that I've had to swallow down my little quip towards him.

"Thank you, I guess," I answer, falling silent again as he brushes my hair.

...

"You're bruised pretty badly from when Monophanie threw you yesterday, huh? Looks painful," Rantaro adds, prompting me to make a reluctant noise of affirmation. I could just barely hide it before, but with the way my ultimate outfit is, there's no covering that giant purple mass forever. The openings at the sides display the skin at my ribs and waist, which includes the giant bruise that formed after Monophanie had her fun.

Rantaro doesn't use it as a point to explicitly convince me to not go provoking Monokuma, but I can tell he brought it up for that reason.

"If the result of my actions upsets you, you're welcome to look the other way."

Rantaro says nothing at first to my snippy response, as if contemplating how to tackle my stubborn attitude.

"And no, there's nothing you can say that will stop me from doing what I feel is necessary," I add sternly before he can speak, making sure I'm sitting up straight so he knows how serious I am about it.

"Maybe there isn't, but...if you keep taunting him, you're just opening yourself to receive more bruises, Prairie. Why is it that _you're _the most beat up out of all of us when the killing game hasn't even started yet?"

He brushes my now groomed hair to the side to brush his fingers over the bruise located there, prompting me to push his hand away and turn in my spot to sit facing him.

"Because unlike the rest of you who want to hold hands with one another and sing _kumbaya_ until someone comes to rescue you, I'm not going to waste time that could be used to find a way out of here myself. If the only way out causes me pain, so be it," I answer plainly, noting how his lips tighten at my statement. "If you don't like that, it's not my problem."

"And if the only way out causes you death? Would it have been worth it?" Rantaro points out, immediately exuding clear frustration when I promptly answer, "Better to die trying than to die a lazy bum in my opinion."

Rantaro suddenly looks exhausted again, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Is today the day he decides he's had enough of me?

Still not my problem.

...poor Rantaro. He didn't sign up for this. It's not like anyone's forcing him to babysit me, and I don't know why he won't let himself give up on me already. I almost feel sorta bad for making him worry so much. You know, besides the fact it's his own fault for being so clingy...

"I don't have to tell you the reality of our situation, you already know. We're here to die. All of us. Either by Monokuma, by each other, or even by ourselves be it an accident or not."

Rantaro drops his hands in his lap, looking up at me like he doesn't really want to think about it. I shrug and reach out to take his hands in mine, hoping he'll somehow understand my actions if I spell it out for him without throwing attitude in his face. His hands are warm and much larger than my own small hands, my fingers running over his rings curiously as I get ready to reason with _him_ for a change.

He's quiet this time, allowing me the chance to speak for myself properly in this rare moment of me being docile in my refusal to behave rather than explosive.

"The best case scenario is that we starve to death rather than get killed. I don't want it to come to that. Like Kaede, I want to get out of here together with everybody. The last thing I want is for all of us to waste away in here," I explain, only to have my hands suddenly clasped in Rantaro's. Looking up at him, I find him staring at me.

"Can we make a compromise? Just for today?" He asks, prompting me to eye him cautiously. Not that I don't trust him, but considering his usual agenda, I have a feeling I'm not gonna like what Rantaro wants me to agree to.

"Before I go agreeing to anything all willy-nilly, what's the deal?" I question, both having the urge to yank my hands back _and _just...hold his hands and enjoy the moment before he ruins it with whatever deal he wants to make. Jeez, I'm just making deals left and right here, huh?

It's a good thing I'm wearing gloves, or he'd definitely feel how clammy my hands are. Why are they so sweaty anyways? I don't like it. Am I really that worked up over Rantaro's possible offer? Come to think of it though, I'm starting to not like holding his hands either, it's making me feel weird.

I yank my hands out of his suddenly and instead cross my arms, looking down at my lap to avoid his questioning gaze from my unexpected reaction.

_It's childish to be holding his hands. We're the same age and I'm not a child._

Rantaro gives me a quiet stare until I respond, "What? Get on with it already, y-you're boring me." He smiles a little at my usual stutter, only to quickly cover it with a hand when I pointedly narrow my eyes on him again. He's not allowed to do that..._thing. _Y'know, finding my stutter charming when I'm trying to be serious. Now's not the time to patronize me.

He manages to get back on track relatively quickly, clearing his throat and putting his hands in his lap since I've refused his little hand holding tendencies with me. Granted, I'm the one that took his hands first this time, but that's not the point. It's his fault- his habits are rubbing off on me.

"Prairie, you're always worrying and everything you've done so far is a result of these concerns with the killing game. So...for today, let me run around and irritate Monokuma. I'd ask for today and tomorrow, but I have a feeling you wouldn't be willing to take that long of a break. You need to relax for a while, and I don't mean for just thirty minutes or anything," Rantaro explains, seemingly growing concerned as my expression starts to slowly dip into disapproval.

"No," I flatly answer, not even giving an explanation.

"Prairie, trust me, you need to relax. All this stress you're putting yourself through isn't healthy-"

"I don't think my health matters if we're all going to die tomorrow," I point out, only for Rantaro to scowl at my statement.

"We aren't going to die tomorrow-"

"Yeah, if I'm keeping Monokuma busy and I find a way around his rules, you're absolutely right. End of discussion, I'll be on my wa-" Rantaro pulls me back down beside him when I move to get up, causing me to land beside him on the fluffy grass with a huff of annoyance. "You can't ask me to take a day off at a time like this."

"I can, I am, and this is probably the _best _time to ask," Rantaro corrects me, even though it's obvious I disagree. "Just for today is all I'm asking. Don't push Monokuma today. Relax today. Please trust me."

...

_I'm concerned the most about how no one else but me and Miu were trying to find a way out of here and stupid Rantaro wants me to do nothing too? That's a whole _**_twenty-four hours _**_this guy wants me to do_ **_zilch._ **

"Don't you trust me to find a way out of here?" Rantaro inquires, knocking me out of one concerning thought to the next. Replaying his words in my head, I have to resist laughing.

"You? Of course not. After the lever in the library, I'm convinced you're gonna kill yourself before you ever find us a way out," I answer truthfully, surprised when Rantaro suddenly laughs and pulls me into an unexpected hug. "H-Hey!"

"Give me the day and I'll prove you wrong," he pushes with that ever so charming smile of his, causing my eyes to narrow in my efforts to squirm away from him.

"S-Stop trying to..." I start, before trailing off in embarrassment when he tilts his head to the side.

"Stop trying to what?" He asks innocently until I scowl with invigorated irritation and reach up to pull his ear- making sure I'm pulling the ear itself rather than his ridiculous piercings. He grunts, but still chuckles despite my assault. He knows _exactly _what he's doing, that face says it all.

"Flash your stupid pretty-boy smile to some other person. The answer's _no,"_ I mildly snap. "Also, what's with all these dumb piercings you have anyways?"

I stop pulling his ear and thumb one of the metal rings along the wing of his ear. He's answering me, but I'm not actually listening to him. Before we got our ultimate outfits, he didn't have any piercings...but I can't exactly remember if his ears were pierced at all during the time back then...were they?

"Are they real?" I cut him off to ask, sitting up from where I am in his arms and pulling on his ear to get him to lean closer.

"Ah, Prairie, Prairie-_hold on-"_ Rantaro tries to unhook my fingers from his ear fruitlessly, but I manage to bring his head close enough to turn his ear towards me and more the piercings around. "Trust me, they're real."

_Hmm...well it's definitely piercing his ear. I still can't remember if I there were holes in his earlobe during the first, second, and third resets...but by the fourth he presumably had them, since the bears didn't just give him fresh piercings when they dressed us in our ultimate outfits. Rantaro would have been in a ton of pain if that were the case, but he wasn't._

"Do they hurt when I do this?" I question, feeling him stiffen up like he thinks I'm going to yank on one. When I instead gently pull on one and wiggle it along his ear, he relaxes substantially and I roll my eyes. "I may be upset with you, but I'm not gonna rip out your piercing you doofus. I'm not a barbarian."

Rantaro laughs in embarrassment as I say that, relaxing even more now. "No, that doesn't hurt at all."

"How about this?" I pull on it just a little more, prompting a nervous laugh out of Rantaro as he quickly goes to detach my fingers from the piercing I'm pulling and gives me a smile.

"No, but it's making me uncomfortable, so that's enough of that," he gently puts a stop to my studies as I sit there and stare at his ear.

_..._

_..._

_..._

_It's not like I know how long the time between each reset was._

All of a sudden I feel just a little sick to my stomach at the thought. Rantaro's ear could have gotten pierced between resets...how long would it have taken for his ear to recover from getting pierced? Definitely more than a month at least, right?

_How long have we even been in here? ...we're supposed to be freshman-_

_Wait_. _We're...all_ _seventeen...so then we're_ _a group of_ _seventeen_ _year_ _old_ _freshman students?_ _But how_ _do_ _I_ _even_ _know_ _I'm_ _a_ _freshman?_

"Prairie, whatever you're thinking about must be really important, but stop for a second and take a deep breath, you look like you're going to start hyperventilating," Rantaro snaps me out of my thoughts, pinching that sensitive spot at the back of my neck to get my attention. I flinch at the feeling and look at him, feeling him run a hand through my hair to rub the back of my head.

_Don't think about it? How could I not? Nothing makes sense here, why doesn't anyone else notice this? The fact that I know I'm a freshman yet I'm two years older than I should be- the age of a junior or a senior to be exact- any one of us could have realized that._

There's no rule against mentioning this. I refuse to stay quiet.

"Rantaro, you're a freshman, right?" I start off, looking his way for an answer. "And you're seventeen, aren't you?"

"I am," Rantaro answers simply, going quiet when I stare at him to see if he puts two-two-together. After a second, he frowns and looks away from me to stare at the grass in thought. "Oh."

...

"How did I not notice that before...?" Rantaro murmurs to himself, looking uncomfortable at the realization. "If we were freshman, we should be either fourteen or fifteen...we're too old to be freshman."

"Puhuhu! That you are, that you are~! Gosh, I was _wondering _when you cretins would notice that! You idiots should have dropped out of school already and given up on a career for a 9-5 job at a fast food joint if you're seventeen!"

Rantaro and I jump and turn our head when Monokuma pops out of some tall grass behind us, grinning and holding his belly gleefully.

"You can at least tell us why we're all older than we should be, right?" Rantaro asks off the bat, prompting the bear to laugh more and hold up a paw to stop our questions in their tracks.

"Nope! You can figure it out for yourselves! After all, you took too long to realize it, and you bored me a lot because of it! Good luck putting the puzzle pieces together, Miss Marble! Not that it'll be at all useful!" Monokuma exclaims, right before bounding away to who knows where at a speed that would be impossible to chase after.

"...if I could just get my hands on that stupid bear, I'd be able to wring all the answers out of him," I huff, followed by Rantaro rubbing my arm and reminding me I'm still much too close to him than is probably acceptable for two friends.

I blink and quickly push his face away by his forehead as I try to keep my features from staining a red of embarrassment. Of course, I still end up blushing as I wrangle myself away from him.

"Anyways, regarding your deal, Rantaro- the answer's still a 'no'," I reiterate to get the conversation back on track. What I've realized is definitely important and I'm not gonna let Monokuma convince me it's not. For now though, there's nothing to gain pondering over it. We can bring it up with everyone else later.

"Then _half _a day. Twelve hours," Rantaro barters, clearly not giving up.

"Ugh! I know more than all of you, if anyone can get us out, it's definitely _me. _You can't ask me to trust you when you don't even trust _me _yourself, it's not a one way street!" I argue, frustrated to the point that I might actually throw my shoe at him _intentionally_ this time.

"I do trust you, Prairie. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be here getting gum and brushes out of your hair. I'd probably slink off somewhere to think alone," Rantaro tries to reassure me, but I just roll my eyes and turn away from him.

"I don't believe you. You don't talk to me about anything, you just come up to me to lecture me and tell me to stay out of trouble. If that's what you call trust, I've got news for you. I've tried telling you what I can to the best of my abilities without breaking Monokuma's rules. You do everything alone, and you ask me to _lie _for you. That's not you trusting me, that's you just using me to your benefit whether you're aware of it or not."

Rantaro is quiet now. I reach forward and pluck a rogue dandelion from the grass and pick at the petals thoughtlessly as I give him the chance to explain himself. I'm pretty sure he knows I'm right. He probably didn't actually realize that's what he's doing.

"...this conversation is over," I say after I've given him more than enough time to say something, clicking my tongue and shifting to get up until he grabs my arm and pulls me back down next to him with a reluctant sigh.

"The reason I don't tell you anything is because I know how you'll take it. Because I know you're going to get yourself hurt as a result of what I tell you. So I choose not to tell you in the end...which I guess you're right when you say I don't trust you- but that's only because you and I both know you'd _would_ take it and run with it to oppose Monokuma," Rantaro explains, prompting me to glance back at him to see the meaningful look he throws my way. "Don't even try to deny it."

"Why are you trying so hard? Why do you want me to just sit around and do nothing so badly...?"

"Well, Prairie. When it boils down to it, I suppose my reasons are selfish and sway a bit on the side of 'favoritism'. Doesn't change that it's what I want though, and I'm willing to strike a deal with you to make sure my selfish, no-good, greedy agenda is achieved."

I don't even know how to answer that, slightly gaping at him when the truth tumbles out. He wants me to be safe _that _much? Just because he supposedly favors me out of everyone else? ...that's too good to be true. I don't think I buy it- even if he is always following me around and worrying his avocado-toned head over me. Or maybe he's talking about favoritism in the sense of what he said to me during the first reset when we met. How his taking care of me was therapeutic for him in an "I'm-a-good-big-brother" way.

...

"Twelve hours..." I weakly repeat after a second, prompting Rantaro to perk up just slightly. "And if you can't figure a way out of here, you won't get on my case for whatever I need to do to save us from that time limit. And just so you know what you're signing up for, I mean even if I plan to _murder _someone, you stay out of my freaking way. Deal?"

My words are heavy and even though I can see Rantaro stiffen up at the last part, he still doesn't hesitate when immediately answering, _"Deal."_

That's really all it takes for me to suddenly feel sick to my stomach, realizing what I've just agreed to on my own end. To do nothingfor twelve hours. To _waste _twelve hours. It's too late to take it back now- a deals a deal.

"Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine," Rantaro reassures me, rubbing my back warmly.

"Yeah. Prairie Marble will be safe and cozy for the next twelve hours...perfect," I mumble bitterly, moving to get up until Rantaro catches my arm yet again and pulls me into another hug. This time I just let it happen with another puff of annoyance. "You happy?"

Honestly, I shouldn't even have to ask- it's pretty much written all over Rantaro's smiling face. It's definitely irritating.

"Don't forget, if you don't find anything in twelve hours, no complaints about what I do to get us out of the time limit," I remind him when he lets go of me and stands up to leave.

"Yes, so long as you don't do anything that will make you a target in Monokuma eyes, we have a deal, Prairie."

I nod and sit back on the grass reluctantly in dismay, watching him back away until he turns to leave with a last smile of sympathy on his part.

...

_Did I really just agree to doing nothing?_

I flop backwards on the grass and blink up at the top of our prison with a dead stare of regret. I shouldn't have agreed to this. I paid more than he did agreeing to this deal now that I think about it- I should have just said no and dealt with his twelve hours of complaining.

_It was his stupid pretty boy face that made me say yes, wasn't it? Curse these hormones, even though I knew what he was trying to do, he still got it his way anyways!_

...Now what?

I lay there for a couple of minutes trying to figure out what to do. I still have my hair brush, tapping it against the grass in thought.

_Will I regret this? Shoot, I shouldn't have agreed so quickly..._

"Heey, Prairie Dog~" A voice chirps, followed by Kokichi's face leaned over my line of sight where I'm laying. "Are you playing dead? Ooo, ooo, I can do that too!"

With my judging eyes following his every move, he eventually flops on the grass beside me, staring up at the sky with me until I turn my head to look at him.

_"Bleeh! _We are _deaaad!_ Now we just need three people to find us so Monokuma can play the Body Discovery Announcement."

"...Great. One annoying idiot leaves and then another annoying idiot takes his place..." I say as I turn my gaze back up to the fake sky and roll my eyes. A breeze knocks a few strands of hair over my face, which I'm too lazy to try and brush back behind my ear even when Kokichi looks my way.

"Nee-hee-hee! Sure I'm annoying, but don't lie about Rantaro. He's not annoying, you just don't like him trying to play your knight in shining armor," Kokichi easily dissects my opinion, prompting me to sigh.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Picking apart my thoughts and feelings all the time. It's weird- I'm starting to think you have a crush on me or something."

"It's because I _do!"_

Making a face through my hair at that claim, I add, "Don't even joke about that, you're going to make me sick."

...

_"WAAAAAHHHH!" _Kokichi suddenly sits up abruptly to cry, surprising me into sitting up as tears erupt in his violet eyes, "I only j-joke around and tease you because I _like _you- h-how could you r-r-eject me so _coldly?!"_

The fact that he stands up and starts running away is what initially has me concerned and doubting that it could be a possible lie. Guilt sprouts in my gut and I get up to chase after him from his odd reaction.

"W-Wait! Ah, I mean- Kokichi, I-I didn't-" I stammer, totally unsure of how to even approach the topic since of course I'm totally going to have to reject his feelings regardless.

"Ahahaha! I'd probably feel sick if someone like me was crushing on me too!" He blurts out as he spins around to face me when I catch up to him- totally fine as per usual.

I don't even know what I've done until I feel a slight sting on my hand and bring both hands over my mouth in shock when I see Kokichi stagger back from the force of the impact to the side of his face.

...

_Am I sorry? I don't know. Why'd I slap him? No, why would he go playing with my feelings in the first place! I thought I actually crushed him!_

"I'm sorry," I eventually lower my hands to say...before raising one again and taking a step closer when he looks back my way with that small plastic smile. "I didn't hit you hard enough, _let_ _me_ _**try**_**_again_**_."_

Unlike how he usually runs away, Kokichi rather laughs and catches my raised wrist before I can go to slap him across the face again. "I wasn't actually expecting that, but I guess I deserve it. Hey, if Rantaro bugs you so much, why haven't you slapped _him?"_

"I've punched him. Didn't I already tell you-"

"I'm honored you'd be so sweet to give me a _slap _rather than a _punch_ then, Prairie Dog! You know...maybe it's you who might have a crush on me, huh?" I go to slap him with my other hand, but this time he dodges and releases his hold on my dominant hand to jump back a few steps. "Or...considering how buddy-buddy and cuddly you are with Rantaro, maybe your crush is on him? The second he flashes you his pearly whites, you're likely to agree to something even more stupid than what you agreed to now!"

"God, you're such a stalker! Go creep on someone else, _leech!" _I shout in annoyance, stomping a foot once I stop advancing on him. "Why are you spying on us anyways?!"

"Because, Prairie Dog, you're interesting."

Kokichi says it such a matter-of-fact manner that I'm once again caught off guard- not even quite sure what exactly he means by it.

"Hey, hey. If you're so steeled in your resolve to save us all from Monokuma, I wonder why you've decided to stick to a deal you know isn't in our benefit. I mean, sure you said yes, but you know..." he grins a little wider. "No one's pointing a gun to your head to follow through on the deal or anything."

Kokichi promptly turns and walks away without another word, leaving me to decipher his words on my own.

_So Kokichi is saying...I should do what I want, regardless of what I've said to Rantaro._

_...if only I could do that with_ _**Monokuma's** _ _deal._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**2.13 - Popped Bubbles**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)  

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>   



	26. We Won't Ever Kill

❀ **_2.14 - We Won't Ever Kill_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_Nothing to do...doing nothing just like Rantaro asked me to. Pretending I didn't hear Kokichi's suggestion to basically wing it and go about my usual business anyways..._

...

I get up out of my seat in the empty classroom I'm in for the third time, giving the door a long stare before I convince myself to sit back down with a groan of pure frustration. One second I'm all for forgetting my deal with Rantaro and throwing it all out the window, but the next second I'm all, _"No, no no, you promised, don't you dare go back on your word."_

The idea of going against the stupid deal I made is oh so tempting.

_Leave it to that prick Oma to find a way to disturb my peace and self control again._

"I hate him," I decide out loud, leaning over the desk to mope and groan a little more. It's only been maybe...two hours since the deal, but it _feels_ like it's been a million years. Sitting here and lazing around makes me feel terrible- how do the others do it so easily?

_Go find that underground tunnel Rantaro tried to keep a secret from you._

The metal feet of my chair scrapes the floor yet again as I stand up, staring at the door again. My way out of this claustrophobic deal. _My way _and not Rantaro's way.

...but I eventually let out a small breath and sit back down once more, not bothering to scootch over my chair forward as I slouch over the desk like a rag.

_What if I go back on this deal and the consequences mean losing the trust Rantaro has in me? ...well, it's better to have Rantaro distrust me than to have Rantaro dead._

"It's just in your nature to prance your ugly butt around ruining things for everyone, isn't it?"

Rather than flinch like I normally would when someone appears and surprises me, I lift my head and stand up- taking a purposeful step towards Monophanie on a nearby desk that makes her skip back a few desks with a giggle. The giggle doesn't help, if anything it only further entices my outrage with her.

"Gum in my _hair, _huh? How did you even do it? You can't chew gum, you're a robot," I growl, fuming only after a couple of seconds of looking at her.

"I have my ways! And besides...daddy said I could," Monophanie defends, clearly pouting as she innocently holds her paws behind herself and has the gall to look like she's somehow feeling guilty for something I know she was all too happy to commit.

"Don't pretend to be sad, you look stupid," I snap, stepping around a few desks to get to her until she holds a paw up and gasps loudly. Against my better judgement and my urge to rip her a new one, I stop dead in my tracks.

"If you kill me, it will count as antagonizing Daddy! And then your hunky-chunky boyfriend is going to be upset with you for not sticking to your promise!"

I scoff at her words in disbelief.

"I guess Rantaro will just have to find it in his heart to forgive me when I get us out of here," I answer with a hint of mocking shame, considering Rantaro's never been able to stop me from doing what I want anyways. Besides, I doubt Monokuma would be upset to lose Monophanie- or any kub for that matter- so it likely wouldn't count.

When I start to approach the pink bear again, I move faster so she can't escape, but she manages to skip back a few desks to increase the distance between us. I instead bump into a few desks, the screech of the desks and chairs irritating me as much as Monophanie's giggles do.

"Well, _Daddy_ would get angry!" Monophanie tries again, actually making me stop for a second. She seems pretty proud of herself until I start snickering.

"No he wouldn't! Monokuma would throw a party," I correct her, watching her face start to fall as a result of my claim. For a second, I'm almost intimidates as she begins to frown outlandishly. It's almost like everything fluffy and sugary about her dissolves in that one instant- like cotton candy dunked in water.

Monophanie stares at me for a full minute in silence, in a manner pretty reminiscent of Kokichi's famous expressionless stares. I don't advance anymore due to caution. Although I was ready to challenge the theory that kicking Monophanie around and scaring her (of course I wouldn't actually _kill_ her) wouldn't count as antagonizing Monokuma, I soon feel doubt creep into my system. Did I screw up my deal with Rantaro already? In just the first few hours? Should I run before the Exisals get here, or will I just need to deal with Monophanie.

"Someone like _you _wouldn't understand! Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of! I'll bet you don't even _have_ a family, Ugly Tramp!" Monophanie lashes out uncharacteristically, right before quickly bounding out the door without waiting for a response from me.

_To be honest...I actually feel kind of bad about laughing and saying it so coldly. These Monokubs are sapient- I ought to not abuse that. It doesn't make me any better than Monokuma._

I sigh and try to reorganize some of the desks I've messed up with now that she's gone, taking my sweet time since, of course, it's not like I need to be anywhere...cleaning up helps me think, I guess.

"Puhuhu~! Suddenly worried about our pink neighborly bear, huh? Ah, gotta collect them all, am I right?"

_I'd take being annoyed by both Rantaro and Kokichi at the same time over being stuck with this stupid bear._

"What do you want now? Seeing you more than once in a day makes my insides crawl. Go bother somebody else," I huff, right before hearing Monokuma laugh a little in amusement.

"Ahh, it's good to know your green-haired buddy doesn't have too tight of a leash on you! I guess you must really fancy being his little bit-_ oh! _Forget I said anything. Besides that-" Monokuma jumps out of the way when I stand up and make a beeline for him without any care for consequence. He continues where he left once he stops on a desk farther from me. "-aren't you bored sitting here waiting for the grass to grow?"

"What, you're here because you're concerned about me? Wow, I feel so special."

"Of course I'm concerned! If you're lazing around in here, that's less opportunities for you to be potentially murdered, you know? Get out there and give your back to a few people so they can get their first murder over with! You'd be helping them! It's totally up your alley!" Monokuma snickers when my eye starts to twitch at his statements. He just came here to piss me off, that's what.

I honestly don't even know wh-_ wait._

_He came here to piss me off, that's why he's saying all the crap he is! But...I don't understand. He wants to anger me? Why? Does he _ **_want_ ** _me to try opposing him?_

"...I'll just stay here, thanks," I'm suddenly happy to decide on, grabbing a chair and sitting on it backwards like I've seen Rantaro sometimes do. I resist the urge to smile at my ingenuity, because if it pisses off Monokuma to have me loafing around like the other "boring" teens as he's stated before, then fine. At least I'm substantially more okay with listening to Rantaro now.

"Suit yourself! Just you and me bonding and getting to know one another...ah~" the stupid bear relaxes and slings himself over the desk, grinning as he kicks back. "We should do this more often! I love getting to know you, Perfect Blitz!"

I almost open my mouth and snap at him to call me Prairie- or even _Ugly_ if he wants- but I manage to catch myself in time and instead clear my voice rather than lose my cool.

...

"Why do you look like that? Half like a marshmallow and half like a halloween prop?" I inquire after I realize he's not going to leave. Maybe I can get some information out of this awful opportunity, right? It's better than him running his mouth over whatever springs to his mind.

"One symbolizes my playful and _innocent _side while my other represents my hungry desire for bloodlust!" Monokuma surprisingly answers.

"Why? Wouldn't representing your dark side entirely be more fitting?" I raise an eyebrow as his left red eye begins to glow a bit, trained on me specifically. "After all, you _are _heartless and you _do _want us to commit unspeakable acts to one another."

_"Bah!_ The world needs more cute and cuddly evil villains! We already have enough villains we dislike in pop culture, I'm the improved more _likeable _type of evil villain!"

This time I do laugh, but it's more or less humorless.

"'Likeable'...you're not, don't even kid yourself," I huff, crossing my arms over the chair's backrest. "Feel free to leave now."

"Puhuhu~! Don't make the mistake of thinking you're exempt of any punishments just because I find you more entertaining than the others. If you piss me off," Monokuma's left eye flashes even brighter than before, teeth almost getting sharper as he holds up a paw of razor sharp claws. "There _will _be consequences."

I reach up and twirl a lock of hair around my finger, biting down on my tongue before I go to challenge him all over again. Monokuma seems to notice my efforts to stay to my word to Rantaro, cocking his head slightly towards the side.

"Why are you listening to him anyways? He could be using you, you know? Getting you out of the way so he can plot a murder, you know? After all, you've made a reputation for yourself when it comes to meddling in affairs unrelated to you!"

I shoot Monokuma a scathing look for that claim. Rantaro may be an idiot at times, but he'd _never_ do that. After everything he's done, he's made it clear that he's simply worried about my safety and that's why he's begged me to not antagonize Monokuma. Not because I'm _in his way_ for any reason.

"He's not using me," I state in a very leveled, no nonsense tone.

"Yeah, but _how sure _are you of that? You're not related to him, you're a total stranger. I think you need to re-evaluate just how much he _actually _cares for you." Monokuma shrugs, as if he's offering useful advice when he very clearly isn't.

"I trust him," I reiterate, followed by Monokuma's laughter when I turn my gaze to frown at the floor.

"Except...you don't. And you wouldn't be so restless if you did. So, Miss Marble...if you don't entirely trust him, why don't you go out and make me annoyed? Entertain me! Have fun! Or I guess you can sit here and...become one with your chair. Toodles~!" Monokuma bids me goodbye, bounding out of the room so I can breathe properly again without having the urge to throw a chair at his stupid face.

...

After a second, I stand up and decidedly leave the classroom. Monokuma's right about one thing and wrong about the other. He's right I don't want to assimilate and mope about my deal with a chair in an empty classroom, but I'm not leaving to disobey Rantaro.

Because I _do _trust him, I'm going to relax and let him try- as futile as I believe it'll be since _I'm _not the one looking...it might be arrogant sounding, but my track record with secret tracking hasn't failed me yet.

_I'll just have to find something else to do! Like..._

As I walk through the hall in thought, a heavy sigh from a familiar girl catches my attention. I look up, already wincing since there's only one variable that can cause the production of such a heavy type of sigh.

"Let me guess," I speak up from a few feet away as I come to a stop, causing Kaede Akamatsu to pause mid-step and look up at me where I am with a sympathetic smile. "You had the bright idea to spend time with Leech Face and now regret it entirely. Yeah, he has the astounding ability to suck all the life out of people. I reckon he's a professional at it too."

Kaede laughs in embarrassment, cheeks slightly red at my words.

"You got me. That's a mistake I won't make a second time, that's for sure! He tried to convince me I'd met him before and that I'd forgotten about him. To be honest...I almost fell for it," Kaede admits somewhat reluctantly, prompting an eye roll out of me.

"Well, don't blame yourself, blame Kokichi. He's great at lying when he wants to, that much I'll admit," I comment, stepping up to her as her eyes light up like she has an idea.

"Oh! Since we're here, I was heading on over to my Ultimate Lab to check it out. Wanna come with? I'd be happy to teach you a few things about the piano while we're there," Kaede offers, looking suddenly upbeat and maybe even a bit relieved to suggest it. She seemed somewhat wound up before, and all of a sudden I'm not too sure if it's entirely Kokichi's fault. Something else must be bugging her.

"Alright, that sounds like a plan," I evidently agree with a small smile. Well, I'm not doing anything else- and I guess I don't mind helping Kaede unwind for a bit. It'll distract me from what happened with Monokuma as well. "I need to relax too, you just caught me after Monokuma decided to pay me a visit...God I wish I'd been around to see him get crushed by an Exisal."

Kaede says something under her breath. Confused by her lowered voice, I blink and cock my head a bit in confusion.

"Eh? What was that?" I inquire, just as Kaede snaps out of her thoughts to give me a reassuring smile- albeit one that almost appears somewhat anxious before she seems to shake it off completely.

"Ah, nothing! Just that I wish you'd been around to see it too! I'm sure you'd have enjoyed it considering how much you hate him," Kaede says with a bit of a wry smile.

Seeing her obvious amusement by the fact that I just detest Monokuma's existence with a passion, I break into a bit of a smile myself and answer, "Yeah, I hate that bear...so where's your lab?"

"Just right here, come on," Kaede chirps, gesturing me along and turning to lead me towards the stairway. Rather than going down the stairs, she leads me around to the side where I see two other doors I never bothered to check out before. "See? The one with the piano is mine."

Kaede immediately opens the door and steps into an unusually tidy music room- void of overgrowth and strewn with musical posters, a shelf chock full of music books as well as CDs. The scent of strawberry fills my nostrils and I hum in delight.

"Whoa, it smells nice in here," I say first, before somewhat jumping a little when I hear Kaede shut the door behind us. Why am I so jumpy? It's just Kaede, she's not going to do anything...even if she is sorta behaving strangely.

_She probably will relax once we start getting to the piano._

I step into the room, gravitating towards the piano smack in the middle and running a finger over the ready-to-play keys of the musical instrument.

"So many keys on it...how do you even remember which key plays which note?" I ask in awe, suddenly dubious of agreeing to lessons with her. Can she really teach me to play it?

I press down on a key, expecting a note to play. When the musical ding emits from inside the piano's wood-works though, I raise an uncertain eyebrow.

_I think the attempt at teaching me to play this might end up being futile._

"No need to feel intimidated! We'll take it one key at a time, okay?" Kaede promises, casting a kind smile my way when I give her a glance. Her faith in me and to have her offer her teaching skills is very nice, but I can't help but feel slightly off-put despite it. She may be hiding something, but I can't tell what it is...yet she invited me to hang out with her?

_Maybe she's trying to work up the courage and nerve to let me in on whatever Shuichi and her are keeping hush-hush. That's probably it._

Kaede shows me a few notes to begin with. I follow her instructions until she's satisfied, her lilac pink irises twinkling when I hit the notes right.

_Is Kaede afraid of me getting mad at her for keeping secrets? At this rate, with all the secrets Rantaro, Kokichi, Shuichi, and Monokuma are keeping, I don't have any fire left in me to be fussy over things like that...well, except if Monokuma is the secret keeper. Then I do have rage for whatever secrets that bear is keeping from us._

Kaede runs me through a few scales slowly. I key every sequence of the notes perfectly in rhythm. It's not fast, but it's definitely something to be proud of for a beginner.

_I hope she says something eventually...maybe bottling it up isn't doing her any favors- in fact, it's probably making things even worse. Maybe I should give her a gentle hint? Something to help ease the topic out of her._

About an hour of hanging out with Kaede, learning the basics of the piano and a few laughs every now and then along with some uncomfortable moments when Kaede seems to get distracted and lost in thought, I finally gather the nerve to decide speaking up.

I open my mouth and-

"Ah, I'll be right back, okay? Just gonna use the bathroom really quick, don't go anywhere!" Kaede reassures me, getting up from the piano bench beside me and rushing out of the room. All I can really do is sorta gape until a thought comes to me.

_Maybe...she's been behaving strangely since she's been holding in her_ **_pee_**_! Right? Wait, no. That's dumb, no one's gonna go holding in their pee for over a solid hour- that's crazy._

I get up and stretch a little, bumping into the stage and Kaede's backpack where she left it when I momentarily lose my balance mid-stretch.

Ah, I should probably move it so it doesn't fall and get dirty on the floor from my obvious stretch klutsies. It's a pretty pale lilac color close to white- which means it'll dirty easily. No need ruining Kaede's stuff, that's for sure.

Reaching to grab it by the loop at the top, I go to lift it up and frown when I realize it's unusually heavy. It's like she has _bricks _in this thing. What the heck is she carrying in this?

...

I glance at the lab's entrance and reach for the zipper after stifling my guilt, opening it up to see...a monopad, a small makeup bag, and Kaede's pink vest at the bottom- likely an extra one just in case the one she's wearing gets dirty or something. However, these findings still don't explain the heavy weight of Kaede's backpack, so I push aside the items and start digging past the vest. There's something hard inside the folded fabric, I just need to scootch this dumb vest aside and then...!

I reach under the waistband of the vest with both hands and pull out, unbelievably so, a shot-put ball.

My heart escalates in sheer horror, pumping to a terrifying level when I register the object and immediately set out to rationalize just _why _Kaede would have a thing like this in her backpack. Nothing comes to mind though, and even my most ridiculous excuse- Kaede carrying it to play a make-shift game of bowling- still wouldn't make sense considering how close we are to all being killed for not complying to Monokuma's rules. No one in their right mind would suggest bowling at a time like this.

_In that sense though...no one would suggest piano lessons out of the blue either, right? Then...was this all a trick? Kaede has a shot-put ball and she brought me here without notifying anybody. She said she was with Kokichi before me, but was she really? Or has she been off planning to...?_

I don't even realize I've dropped the shot-put ball on the ground until I hear the noise of it smashing against the laminated floorboards and jump about a foot in the air as a result. Taking a deep breath and trying to regain my hold on my sanity, I close my eyes and let my intuition organize my thoughts for me.

_She was trying to murder me, wasn't she? I'm not being paranoid thinking it, right? Why else would Kaede have a shot-put ball in her backpack? Why else would she be acting weird when she invited me to play the piano with her? She said she wanted to check out her lab with me like she hadn't seen it before either, but she didn't look surprised by anything when she walked in. Is this who Monokuma meant when he hinted that someone wanted to kill me? _ **_Kaede?_ **

I turn to leave post-haste, but then stop in my tracks.

_Monokuma said if I were to see a murder about to occur, I'm forbidden from trying to interfere or stop it. He didn't say anything about my own murder, but I presume that counts too. Monokuma also said my cooperation was in exchange for both climbing the wall and for pretending I didn't try to give Rantaro a hint before...so what if I leave and he ends up taking it out on Rantaro as penalty for not keeping my word? Like a sort of "gotcha" or "didn't read the fine print" sort of situation?_

_Do I want to end up dragging everyone else down with me?_

Mortified, I bend down and force myself to pick up the shot-put ball again, moving to put it back into Kaede's backpack and pretend I didn't see it...however, I pause just short of putting it back.

_No. I want her to see I found it. I want to deal with this now. Maybe if I address it to her face and...I don't know. Maybe I can change her mind. That, or I die._

I move the shot-put ball on the stage beside Kaede's backpack in clear sight, taking a deep breath and turning to sit back down on the piano bench where I was originally sitting. Am I really just gonna sit here and hope for the best outcome? Sitting around and waiting for Rantaro's inevitable failure to find a way out is one thing. Sitting around and waiting for my own possible murder is another thing.

The door opens and I duck my head a bit in shame, even though I shouldn't actually feel any ounce of shame at all. I'm not the one carrying a shot-put ball around for no apparent reason.

"I'm back! So were you practicing a little while I was go-" As Kaede skips over to return to her spot on the piano bench next to me, she pauses mid-sentence. Presumably, she's noticed the shot-put ball I've pulled from her backpack and left out for her to see.

My eyes are fixated on the keys of the piano before me distantly, despite my thoughts being hyper-focused on Kaede. I wonder what she's thinking and what she's feeling. How long has she had the thought to play into Monokuma's game? When did she decide I would be her target? Why did she change her mind and decide to resort to _murder _to escape? Last time I spoke to her, she wasn't acting strange at all, everything about our conversation felt totally natural...

I thought she liked me.

Eventually, I find my voice as she takes a few steps towards her stuff on the stage behind me. I need to ask. Maybe there's an explanation for this that I'm not seeing, one that has nothing to do with malignancy.

"Kaede, why is there a shot-put ball in your backpack," I ask, though it comes out as dry and weak as my throat and mouth feel. It hardly sounds like a question at all as it leaves my lips.

A minute passes and Kaede is quiet. The longer she doesn't answer, the more nervous I become.

"I don't know."

Kaede's whole tone has shifted, heavy despite how hollow and empty it sounds when she speaks. She's not denying that she put the shot-put ball in her backpack herself. Maybe she's confused- it doesn't seem as if she's wholly prepared for this. It doesn't feel like she has the conviction to commit murder.

I think back to everything and I can't put my finger on why she would want to kill me. It should be obvious, but it doesn't quite click until she speaks again.

"You've been fighting harder than all of us against Monokuma. You're totally fine, aside from a few bruises here and there," Kaede comments with a subdued tone, prompting me to think hard and swallow when I realize where she's going with this.

"So...bottom line, you don't trust me," I clarify, before hearing the sound of the shot-put ball being lifted from the stage by the creak of the wood behind me. My breath catches in my lungs at the realization. Anxious to a level I've never felt before, I tremble in my seat slightly. She's gonna hit me with it and I should probably move away from her.

_But what about Rantaro getting punished for my negligence?_

I hear Kaede's footsteps as she turns and takes a step closer towards me.

"Why do you know so much? Why did you come back when Monokuma came back? Why are you being friendly with a Monokub? Why are you making such a show to go against Monokuma?"

_A show? She thinks what I'm doing is 'showing off' that I'm opposing Monokuma, rather than simply opposing him? The rest of these are coincidences, save for being friendly with the Monokubs._

...These are still all questions I don't have a good enough answer to provide for.

"I don't know," I echo Kaede, hearing her take another uncertain step.

_Can she tell I'm not lying or does she not believe me? Will she actually do it?_

"It's not that I simply don't trust you. Prairie...you're the one behind everything. All the pieces fall into place the more I think about it everything that's happened. Amnesia? I don't believe it. Your true personality shines through whenever you get angry, and I'm betting if you're poked and prodded enough, you'll eventually drop your shy school girl act. You lie, you use others for your own benefit, and you're a great actress. This is just another one of those incidents you're infamous for, that's what I believe. You're the only one of us that Monokuma regularly meets with and you're the only one of us that has the financial potential and societal pull to build a whole system and structure like this in the first place. How much did it cost? Which was more expensive, kidnapping us, or building the cage?"

She really thought hard about this, that much is for sure. With everything she says, I can hear her uncertainty beginning to dissolve. If she didn't have the nerve when I first left the shot-put ball out for her to find it, she's starting to get it now.

"I-It's not like that. I'm not the person behind everything," I answer, even though I have absolutely no proof to dig my way out of Kaede's accusations. It's not like I can pull up a bank statement to present to her my most recent purchases or show her a brain scan to prove my amnesia.

_There's no way I'll get her to believe me. Is this why Shuichi avoided my questions before? No, that wouldn't make sense if he thought I was the one behind the killing game- then it wouldn't matter what he told me or not. I'm sure the Ultimate Detective knows the person in allegiance with Monokuma would know about everything that's going on around them. Maybe it's just Kaede that believes all of this...but what if Shuichi believes it too?_

Silence on Kaede's part. I close my eyes and take a quiet breath.

Monokuma is playing with all of us. He must have been showing up and leaving at times when Kaede was around to see it. Leaving a little seed of doubt in Kaede and allowing it to spin out of control to how he saw fit based on her beliefs and desires. Monokuma said his job was to make even people as hopeful and bright as Kaede turn to murder...and look at that. He achieved his goal.

...I don't want to do this. If I stay here and actually commit to Monokuma's deal, it means I have to die.

_And I don't want to die._

I jerk to the side to get away from Kaede and the piano, barely even thinking at this point. Not even my fear of Rantaro getting punished can shake me from my actions right now.

I let out a shriek when I hear the sound of something heavy slam down on the piano keys, eyes widening when I turn my head to look at Kaede. She appears just as stunned as I am by her actions, gaping at the segment of the keys that have shattered under the impact of the shot-put ball she used to try and hit me with.

As I look at the broken piano keys and the indent left behind, I can only think about how that could have been my head as I scramble back off of the piano bench and try not to panic. I need to get up and leave. I need to hide somewhere Kaede won't find me.

I'm already out of the room and Kaede doesn't follow or call me back.

_That almost killed me. _ ** _Kaede_ ** _ almost killed me. The one I thought wouldn't succumb to the killing game...this isn't her fault. This is Monokuma's fault. It's that stupid bear's fault for making this stupid game in the first place._

When I get outside the school building, going through the back door from the empty dining hall, I stop in my tracks. Where am I even going? I don't know what to do. Do I tell the others and warn them that Kaede's lost it first? Or do I hide and stay hidden? If I run into her again...maybe she won't miss next time. Maybe she'll even manage to convince the others that I'm working with Monokuma.

Then I'll hide. Hopefully this is the right choice, but besides that, where do I hide? It's not like this place has the greatest of hiding spots, and I'm apparently the worst hide and seek player. I get the choice of a locker, that one classroom I still have the key to, and my dorm room where she's likely to look next (and I really want to be somewhere where I won't be scared she'll beat the door down with the shot-put ball to the handle).

I look up along the back of the school building, blinking at the ledge just above the second floor of the building with a familiar thought.

_I can climb that._

Shivering, I run to the side with the easiest looking footholds and I climb up the side, not bothering to even pull my hair up like I usually do. I'm about fifteen or sixteen feet up when I hear the door below to the dining hall open, feeling my lungs constrict as the air is caught in my throat once more.

I glance down...and promptly let out a quiet breath of relief when I see Miu marching out. The comfort of seeing someone I trust nearly makes me call her out so I can make my way back down, but I stop myself and press my lips in a tight line to keep silent. If Kaede asks around to find me...

Waiting for Miu to get far enough that she won't notice my expedition up the back of the school building, I eventually climb a few feet more.

As I'm pulling myself over the ledge, I miscalculate my strength and weight as I hurl myself over the ledge and in that gap of the building, landing in a jumbled heap with a squeak when my legs flip over me as a result of my tumble. There's only one way to get into the school from this part of the school's exterior- the windows to the second floor just below this ledge. So I'd have to climb under and jump to get back inside from up here.

Grunting when I get over the fact that I've quite nearly eaten dirt as a result of my little tumble, I sit up and dust myself off of the gray and white dust and torn leaves. Overgrowth is everywhere along the back of the school and in this ledge. I'd expect to find Gonta's beloved bugs hiding up here, but despite the secluded area, there are still none.

_Well...besides that, Kaede definitely won't think to find me up here._

For a moment, I smile and let out a sigh...until it all really hits me and completely wipes my relief away.

Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist, actually tried to kill me. The one that said before she absolutely wouldn't succumb.

And yet, here she is- the first one to attempt it out of desperation to end the killing game and escape with everyone. Except me, of course. Sure, "we won't ever kill" is a noble thought, but I don't doubt that for every one of us here in the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles- there is not one person that's exempt of having a good reason to kill if they're given the proper accommodations.

That's probably what makes the killing game all the more scary. Monokuma can turn _anyone _into a potential killer.

Even poor Kaede.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.14 - We Won't Ever Kill_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)  

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>   



	27. Traumatic Behavior

❀ **_2.15 - Traumatic Behavior_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"-mean?"

"I mean it's been more than four hours and I haven't seen a single strand of hair from Prairie. I'm worried."

"She's probably hiding in a locker somewhere. You know our silly little Prairie Dog!"

"Hmm...well, perhaps can go our separate ways looking for her. I'm content searching for her whereabouts outside in the courtyard. Kokichi can-"

_"__Nnnnope__!_ I'm not interested in looking for, Prairie Dog. She's always a meanie to me and hurts my feelings!"

"If that were true, why do you always seek her out then, Kokichi?"

"Because deep down..._way _deep down...I'm truly and irrevocably in love with her!"

...

...

"You're banned from talking to Prairie."

"Heey, that's not your call to make! It's Rantaro's!"

"It's _Prairie's _call. And if you want to keep squabbling over here, Kokichi, be my guest. Kiyo and I are gonna keep looking around."

"Hnnn, _fine. _I'll help look for her inside the school then since you're gonna be bullies about it. I'll probably find her before you guys do!"

As soon as Rantaro, Korekiyo and Kokichi are quiet, I get up on my knees to lean over the edge and peek down at them curiously. The three of them are looking over their Monopads, likely looking around for my GPS signal from my Monopad.

"It would seem she's set her signal to be hidden. Not the most honest thing for a person to be doing in a killing game..." Korekiyo points out, prompting Rantaro to turn his head towards him.

"Some people like the security of being alone once in a while," the green haired teen defends, turning his monopad off and shoving it in his pants back pocket. "If you can't understand that, I don't know what to tell you, Kiyo."

"Ooo-hoo-_hoo_~! Careful there, Rantaro, you don't know what kind of hexes a guy like Kiyo can throw on you!" Kokichi laughs, ever the clown despite the tension in the air. Meanwhile, I just look down at the three as they interact, Kokichi moving his Monopad in a few angles as if to get a better look of something on his screen.

Doing nothing really comes easy when you're scared out of your wits and hiding, that much I've learnt.

_Maybe it's time I come down though. I should really-_

"Guys, when you find her, can you send her my way? There's...something I need to apologize for. It's _extremely _important," I hear Kaede's voice as she steps into view, causing me to duck down behind the cavity of the wall instantly as my stomach twists in discomfort.

"Oh? Why's that?" Korekiyo inquires, obviously curious for more details.

"Um...I'd prefer talking it over with Prairie first. If she's okay with it, then I'll tell you guys..." Kaede answers uncomfortably, to a level that has my heart thudding painfully with guilt. She sounds sort of sad, and even though I shouldn't feel guilty since I didn't do anything wrong, I can't help the emotions that well up in my gut.

Is she regretting the attempted murder? Or simply making a show of guilt so the boys bring me to her where she can finish the job?

_I don't know. I don't know what to do, I don't know who to trust, __Kaede_ _just proved to me that even the people with the purest of intentions can be sullied by the likes of __Monokuma__. What do I do if Rantaro gets twisted in a similar manner? Then who am I left with? __Kokichi__? __Tsumugi__? Maki?_

I curl up over the vines and leaves with an exhausted sigh, pulling out my monopad to check the time and screw around with a little drawing app I found in it during my time hiding here. It's not the best of drawing applications, but it certainly does the trick of staving away my boredom.

It's four PM right now. It hasn't been an entire twelve hours, so it's strange that Rantaro would rather look for me than take advantage of the deal he worked so hard to attain..unless he really thinks I'm getting into trouble. Then he sucks for not trusting me.

_All of this stinks. This is all __Monokuma's_ _fault for tainting __Kaede__. I'm tired of hiding, but I'm too scared to even consider climbing back down._

"Praaairie Dog~! Where are yoouuu~?" I hear Kokichi call out in a sing-song voice from the second floor beneath my hiding spot on the school wall, choosing to ignore him in favor of continuing my drawing of Shuichi with chicken features out of mild bitterness. He better not have the same ideas about me as Kaede does... "You know, for once I think I've got to hand it to you! You've learned the ways of a master hide-and-seek player! Bravo!"

_Go away, leech, you bug me. I almost got murdered, the last thing I want is to be found and talked to._

I give Shuichi a gobbler under his chin, laughing a little under my breath lowly. I'm still reeling over what almost happened earlier, but this is definitely a good distraction. I _need _a good laugh. I need to remind myself I'm still alive and still kicking.

"Maaan, I wonder what's caused you to go into hiding like this though. Did somebody hurt your feelings? Someone like Kaede?"

Rolling my eyes, I save the dumb picture and open a new canvas, drawing Kokichi's next and going with a stubby leech-looking face for him. No mercy, none whatsoever.

"...You're being awfully quiet considering I've only hinted I know you're listening to me, like, three times already. Do I have to spell out that I know where you are?" Kokichi eventually snaps, his voice laden with such an amount of irritation that's both unexpected and unwarranted that I quit mocking him in my head and sit up a little in horror.

_He knows?! ...No way. He's totally bluffing. He's only saying that so I _ **_think_ ** _I've been found and I come out of my hiding spot. And then he'll be like, "oh, ha-ha, you fell for my trap!"_

...

Quiet? I knew it. He stopped talking and left because I didn't come out. B-L-U-F-F!

I cross my legs and lean back again, playing with my zipper and zipping it up and down my body with one hand as I use my left hand to keep drawing aimlessly. An ugly leech face for an annoying leech boy.

"...Boo."

The puff of air that hits my ear and cheek makes me jump up and squeak from where I'm seated on the vines in my hiding spot, spinning around and facing Kokichi who's now making an effort to push over the ledge like I had. Similar to how I got in, he tumbles in a heap with a grunt, pulling himself up on the vines and leaves to look at me.

"What, did you think I was only bluffing? Sooorrry~! I saw your reflection on my monopad from below when you peeked down at us!" Kokichi exclaims.

_It's a good thing I zipped my suit up before he jumped over, I would have never been able to live it down if he had seen anything. My ultimate outfit doesn't exactly have a stupid bra to go with it._

"SO! Nice hiding spot! If I hadn't seen you, I would have never thought to look here!"

I click my teeth and mad-dog him. "...Thanks."

_What now? I don't know what to say to him. I didn't want to talk to anybody in the first place, I just wanted to be left alone._

"By the way, what the heck is this face you drew for me? I'm way better looking than this and you know it! This is a disservice to my cute looks!" Kokichi objects, picking up my monopad where I dropped it and giving my artwork a sour look.

"It's your proper leech face. When nature gave you _that _face, it was a horrible mistake," I huff, snatching my monopad back now that he's decided to critique a drawing he shouldn't have seen in the first place.

"...so my cute face is a mistake?" Kokichi inquires innocently, using his features to his advantage as we speak. Yes, it was definitely a mistake for him to have gotten that face.

"Absolutely," I confirm, giving him a look.

"So you agree it's cute though, right? You think my face is cute? _Super _cute?"

"Cool it before I hurl you off the side of the ledge, Leech," I growl, leaning back and eyeing this invader of my personal space. "Why are you bugging me anyways? Does me hiding not inform you that I'd like to be alone?"

Kokichi blinks owlishly. 

I blink back.

"Okay, if you wanna jump into that right away then- I'm bugging you cause I wanna! And I knew you wanted to be alone, I just didn't care. So why are you hiding from Kaede and everyone?" Kokichi asks, prompting my eyes to narrow on him irritably. Straight to the point, that works for me.

"None of your-"

"Does it have to do with the huge dents in the piano lab? Praairieee Dooog, did you try to kill Kaede?"

_"No!" _I object in a vicious snap, catching myself before I can say anything else I might regret and cooling my temper down a bit despite Kokichi's clear amusement. I look away when he stares at me, searching me for an answer I'm just not willing to give. "Nothing happened."

"So nothing caused those dents? I don't think so~" Kokichi also objects. "Tell me!"

"I don't know what caused those dents," I blatantly lie, not even caring whether he believes me or not at this point. Maybe I'm just making a feeble attempt at lying to myself so I don't have to think about what happened in that piano lab.

_What am I doing? I should just tell the truth. __Kokichi_ _can take it...maybe. Or he'll call me a liar like __Kaede__ did._

"Aww, your hiding skills may have gotten better, but I think you got worse at lying," Kokichi laments in a mocking drawl towards the end. "If you wanna lie like the pros do, you need to make eye contact with the person you're lying to. And stop sitting like a board plank, it only makes your lying look more obvious. Now try lying properly."

_That's all it takes? He's totally lying._

I turn to face Kokichi if only to distract myself and humor him, following his orders to make eye contact with him...and shuddering immediately when I see this purposefully uncomfortable stare he's giving back to me. In an instant, I whine and look away pathetically.

"Idiot, I can't maintain eye contact when you're making a weird face at me like I'm some kind of mystery organism...!" I accuse, causing Kokichi to snicker and laugh as a result when I fluff my hair over my red face of embarrassment.

"So now will you tell me what happened in the piano room with Kaede?"

I'm about to snap at him again when he suddenly hoots and sits closer to hug my arm with his own unexpectedly. Just like that, my red face gets warmer to the point that I might end up passing out. This interaction with him has been an embarrassment since the start, I'm not sure I'll be able to take more of it.

"L-Let go!"

"No! Tell me! No one knows Kaede is involved or that anything might have happened, but I figured it all out because I'm so smart. Right, Prairie Dog?"

_"Wrong!" _I complain, ready to object and lash out at anything else he says as I attempt to force him to release my arm fruitlessly. "Can you please leave already?"

"But I wanna be here with you. This can be like our secret clubhouse!" Kokichi insists, eyes brightening at the thought while I just scowl his way.

"A secret clubhouse," I echo with disinterest. "With me. The person you don't trust, don't like, and don't care about whatsoever."

A bitter taste crawls onto my tongue, considering what happened the _last _time I was alone with someone that said they didn't trust me. A shot-put ball aimed at my melon, that's what. Midst my thoughts, Kokichi hugs my arm tighter and makes a sour face himself.

"Dumb, I don't just distrust you, I distrust _everyone! _You're not special at all!"

_"Then why are you here clinging to me and torturing me?"_ I demand, my tone shifting to dangerous levels of barely contained anger since I'm just so irritated by my lack of personal space at this point.

"I live for danger! I live on the edge because I'm so cool and edgy!" Kokichi declares so matter-of-fact that all my rage diffuses entirely as a result.

"..._Pffft__!" _I turn away to sputter in laughter before looking back at Kokichi's grinning face. He doesn't appear as amused as his smile is letting on, but if he wants to fake joking around, I can do that too. "Good luck with that- the edgiest thing about you is that knife you carry, butter ball."

Just like that, he flips that knife of his with the dice out from out of nowhere, holding the blade to my neck with a sinister smirk. I go dead quiet and my smile completely dissipates in the blink of an eye.

"Is it really? Jeez, Prairie Dog, you need to be careful who you mock or someone's eventually gonna kill you!" Kokichi laughs before eventually closing his knife and returning it to whatever pocket he usually keeps it in.

If anything, after what I've been through...

That little threat of his was probably the worst thing he could have thought to joke about right now. My blood pressure rises and my temper spikes back up again, along with this strange feeling of sudden helplessness as my chest rises and falls faster with the tightening of my lips.

"Someone's eventually gonna kill me...yeah, that's right. Probably right around the corner, huh?" I say, standing up so unexpectedly and swiftly that Kokichi is forced to release my arm as a result of my movement. "Which do you think is better, jumping off the building here-" I climb up to freely stand on the ledge that makes up the cavity of the little hiding spot, looking down at the distance I'd fall. Fifteen or so feet is really no laughing matter, it certainly sounds less than it looks- that's for certain. "-or having my head hacked off by Monokuma's Exisals?"

"Prairie Dog-"

"You know, either way it's not like anyone actually gives a shit," I drop a curse in a casual sugary tone as I turn on the ledge to look Kokichi's way in a risky movement. He's standing up now too, looking up at me with an unreadable expression. He looks neither concerned or amused by my behavior. "If I die, boo-hoo. Eventually you guys will get over it and someone else will die, so my death would be more or less arbitrary."

I start to walk along the edge in a power walk, prompting Kokichi to follow along my side within the cavity of the ledge.

"Oh, you don't have to be so close. If I die falling it'd be a suicide, so you wouldn't be responsible or considered a blackened," I chirp, closing my eyes and leaning forward to perform a one handed cartwheel to scare him.

I think I feel Kokichi reach out for my arm momentarily before he pulls back when his fingertips brush the bicep of my arm. To be honest, it's likely my imagination. Maybe my brain is trying to ease my trauma by making me believe even someone as cold as Kokichi cares. But Kokichi? Concerned about _me?_ That'll be the day.

"That's all that matters in the end, right? Don't murder? Don't get yourself killed? How stupid. That's all we're worth in here, remember?" I do another graceful cartwheel, this time backwards. I stop on the fourth interval, eyes closed as I keep myself stable and in a completely straight form with only one hand on the ashy ledge to support my weight. "You know, I don't have to mock or belittle anyone to be murdered, all I need to do is mind my own business. 'Cause this is a killing game, and we're all capable of murder. So am I and so are you. Eventually, Monokuma will accommodate us in a situation where murder is the only clear answer- even though it's not. There's no way out of here at all. Committing murder to escape is just a fancier way to die by execution."

"Prairie Dog, you're being really weird. And un-fun. Get down from there."

"I don't want to," I answer to Kokichi's blunt and awful attempt at getting me to calm down. "Why should I anyways? Are you scared that I'll fall and splatter my brains seven ways to Sunday? Or are you just scared of me instigating the start of the killing game?"

I open my eyes to look at him, noting the bored look he wears on his face despite my actions.

"I'll bet it's that last one. But if the person that dies isn't me, someone else's death will evidently start the killing game, you know? In that case," I pause and close my eyes to right myself and then skip over to the side of the ledge opposite of where we climbed up, all the way to the other end of the back of the school. Kokichi is still following closely, eyes like a hawk before I stop and throw him a smile. This smile of mine is less cheerful and more careless than anything this time. "Bye, Kokichi!"

I kick off the ledge slightly and jump with my eyes closed, catching the window frame to the second floor and easily slipping into...that stupid Ultimate Pianist lab. I make a small noise of disgust when I open my eyes and shove the bench out of my way, taking a seat on the stage and fuming as I wait for the clumsy leech to eventually make his way back in. Seems like Kaede threw the shot put ball a few other places for some reason, as there's more dents than I remember there being when I ran out of here.

The longer I stare at the shattered piano keys, the more I sober up- until I'm left in a quiet and somber mood upon Kokichi's re-entry. He pauses at the window and approaches me where I'm sitting. Taking a seat on the stage beside me, we both quietly stare at the piano keys wordlessly as if it's nothing out of the ordinary.

"...Finished being dramatic then?" Kokichi eventually asks, a casual tone to his voice as I shoot him a nasty look and hop off of the stage.

"What part of 'I want to be alone' do you not understand?" I demand, storming out of the piano lab and letting the door slam back against the wall as I throw it open and exit. Unfortunately, Kokichi follows closely and grabs hold of my arm again to my dismay. "Ko_ki_**_chi_****_...!"_**

_"Prairie __Doooog__...!" _Kokichi echoes, clearly bearing no respect for my boundaries still.

I can't take it anymore and I'm at my limit. My face is red hot with rage, I'm extremely stressed out, I'm terrified of everyone stabbing me in the back, and I just want to be alone. If he keeps pushing me, I might _actually _break his nose right here and right now.

Ruffling all my brown curls over my freckled face when I feel heat crawl down my neck, I curl up and sink down to the broken tiles and overgrowth beneath our feet. If Kokichi won't let me be alone, I'm gonna keep being dramaticthen. Screw him.

"What are you doing?"

Thankfully, all the hair over my face does well to cover my expression. Just breathe, everything will be fine...probably. No need to attack Kokichi.

"Ahh, is this you being dramatic again? Guess you weren't as done as I initially thought."

_He's always mocking me. He's always mocking everybody, but this has never bothered me as much as it does right now. Maybe I'm a little sensitive at the moment since I nearly had my head bashed in by __Kaede_ _._

"Prairie Dog, get up, you look pathetic," Kokichi tries to get me moving again, pulling on my arm. When he tries to get me to stand, I stay curled up and let him drag me along until he lets out a groan. "Okay, you're being a real snore-fest now."

_I don't care. Then leave._

Kokichi releases my arm and walks away for a moment. When he returns, he grunts as he sits down beside me. I can feel him sprinkling something over me lightly. It feels like leaves or grass- something small. He doesn't say anything else now, likely allowing time to pass until I come to my senses again. Honestly, I don't know if I will. Not with him here at least and not while I'm crying. It's not that I just _look _pathetic, I _feel _pathetic too. Am I PMsing? I don't know. I don't know what's normal behavior following a near death experience as a result of betrayal.

Kaede was just so nice and fiery...when she stood up against the monokubs and Monokuma in the gym before, I wanted to be like her too. Now I _definitely _don't, which is extremely painful for me.

What if she's realized her mistake though? What if she really wants to apologize? I can't get her stunned face out of my head...after she tried to hit me with the shot-put ball, she looked like she felt _bad. _Should I go talk to her? Or is it a trap?

I don't know how much time passes until I hear Kokichi sigh in almost exasperation.

"Please for the love of god, just go away and leave me alone," I manage to say with an eerie calm under my hair, turning away from him when he tries to push my hair away. "Don't look at me."

"Why? Are you crying?"

"_You're _crying," I snap, only for Kokichi to switch sides and successfully push my hair out of the way. At the sight of the small angry tears that have started to run over my cheeks just barely, he hums like he's completely unaffected. I can see now what he's decided to spend time sprinkling over me midst my pitiful state of mind- white little flowers as large as my fingernails. They cling to my hair and clothes, decorating me and the floor around me. It's sorta...charming...but I'm not in a good state to really appreciate it.

I'd appreciate him _leaving _a lot more.

"Could have fooled me, Prairie Dog," Kokichi comments, suddenly laying down beside me in a similar curled up fashion. "We can just lay here together."

_Please just GO AWAY._

Just as I make another angry groan and slap my hands over my face to keep myself from going feral, I hear a voice that has relief flooding my system. For once I'm absolutely elated to hear that deep velvety voice I know so well.

"Prairie! There you are, I've book looking everywhere for y-"

I sit up immediately, getting on my feet and racing over to Rantaro where he is by the stairs. My out of character behavior seems to surprise him, but he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around me when I cling to him and breathe carefully to avoid going crazy on Kokichi.

"Prairie?" I grunt as I stay glued to him, willing all the doubts and fears in my mind away. Monokuma won't twist Rantaro around, he absolutely won't. I won't let that happen. "Prairie, talk to me, what's wrong?"

"She's having a mental breakdown. I think it has to do with whatever her and Kaede have going on between them, but Prairie Dog won't tell me anything! So rude!" Kokichi huffs from where I left him as Rantaro dusts and picks the little white flowers off of me.

"Alright, well if you've been asking like _that, _I can see why she wouldn't say anything. Now, is she upset for this Kaede thing, or did _you _make her upset?" Rantaro's tone is even and suspicious, but Kokichi just goes ahead and clears his throat.

"Prairie Dog, are you upset?"

_"No, I'm perfectly fine," _I confirm defiantly with a sharp and unwavering voice. As silly as it may seem, I don't want to verbally admit I'm not okay. If I do, the waterworks will spill out, and they won't just be a few angry tears. I need to keep it together.

_You call _ _**this** _ _keeping it together?_

I tell my inner voice to put a cork in it.

Once Rantaro finishes picking off all the flowers from me, he eventually lets out a sigh of resignation.

"Well, alright. My mistake, Prairie," he agrees without a fight, right before bending down a little to lift me up in his arms easily. I'm probably really light for him, considering how small I am. "Well, we're off then. See you later, Kokichi."

"Fine, fine. When you get a chance away from Prairie Dog later though, come find me! I need to talk to you! And don't hog her for yourself!" Kokichi exclaims, zooming past us so that I'm left being carried by Rantaro as I make a valiant effort to calm my crazy emotions down.

Rantaro's going to want to know what happened now...but I still don't know if I want to say anything. I'm sort of scared of putting Kaede back in a situation where everyone is ganged up against her again. Especially if she really _does _feel remorse for trying to kill me.

"Prairie, don't worry about anything for now, okay? You can explain whenever you feel comfortable. You're doing great," Rantaro reassures me, heading down the stairs so that I fluff my hair over my face as we make our way outside.

The rest of our walk back to the dormitory building is more or less tranquil, much to my relief.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

My eyelids flutter open and I yawn, feeling completely refreshed as I snuggle into my black pillow to sleep some more.

...Until I realize this isn't my pillow.

_Huh?_

I lift myself on all fours and scowl at the black sheets and pillow under my head, cocking my head a smidgen towards the side. I don't know what time it is, but this isn't my room and I can't remember how I got here or got tucked in.

Brushing my hair out of the way and sitting up properly, I rub my eyes to rub the sleep out of my eyes and wince when I remember why my head feels like such a mess.

_Oh, right. Kaede. And stupid Kokichi._

I sigh and rub my face more, dragging my hands through my bangs as the door opens. I jump in surprise, but relax when I see who steps in with a smile when he sees me.

"Hey there," Rantaro greets when I give him a small smile on my part. To my pleasant surprise, he comes in carrying two mugs of something. "I couldn't find the tea, so I figured hot cocoa would have to suffice."

He closes the door with a foot and makes his way to me, handing me a mug so I'm able to see the marshmallows in the toasty warm drink.

"Thank you," I say, taking a sip as Rantaro takes a seat on his bed beside me, kicking his shoes off lazily. Thankfully he still isn't asking me about what made me fall apart and silence myself in quiet anger, and I make a point to just curl up beside him and sip my hot cocoa. I'll have to tell him eventually...I don't think I have the heart to keep something like this from Rantaro.

However...

I finish my hot cocoa after some thinking and careful consideration now that I'm not totally overwhelmed with emotions, setting my empty mug on the night table and facing Rantaro who's reading that book of his from before. Noticing my movement, he glances my way momentarily.

"Kaede tried to kill me."

And there it is out in the open. Rantaro doesn't even close or dog ears his book, the thing simply falling in his lap as I continue.

"So I'm gonna go to her room and talk to her," I add, moving to leave until Rantaro scrambles up and grabs my arm to pull me back to the bed.

"Wait a second, Prairie. That's a really severe accusation you're just dropping- and now you want to go _see _Kaede?" He stops, looking like he's having trouble processing what I've just revealed. _"Kaede?_ Before you go anywhere, can you sit down and elaborate before you go off on another reckless suicide cruise?"

Rantaro appears vexed, but is clearly controlling it well. At that, even though I don't want to, I sigh and sit down next to him again. Once I'm back at his side comfortably, he eases up a substantial amount.

"Kaede invited me to have piano lessons in her Ultimate Lab earlier today and I found a shot-put ball in her backpack. It looked bad, so I figured I could ask her and maybe talk some sense into her, but she started throwing all these accusations of how _I_ was suspicious...and then she tried to hit me in the head with the thing, but thankfully missed," I paraphrase for him.

I hear him hum in understanding at the short explanation, rubbing the back of my head gently as if to make sure it's completely intact. "And that's why Kokichi found you hiding up on the back of the school wall, right?"

_Oh no, don't tell me the leech told him everything...!_

I wince and avoid Rantaro's gaze when he looks at me pointedly, though it's definitely less severe considering the situation.

"What did Kokichi tell you?" I ask, already dreading the scolding I'm about to get.

"He said you went _Cirque Du Soleil_ on the ledge and went on a rant about how we're all going to die." Boy, that leech sure has a way with his words... "Prairie, you don't actually think that, right? I thought I was the pessimist here, but Kokichi made it sound like you took on a fatalist mentality. That's concerning."

"I didn't mean it, n-not really. I'm sorry for scaring you both- I was just, um..." I try to justify my actions, even though there's really no justifying an attempt at scaring Kokichi with killing myself- even if he _wasn't _scared in the end.

"You were upset from trauma. I get it now, don't worry. I figured it was also Kokichi's fault for pestering and pushing you when you were in such a sensitive state, so don't worry. Kokichi got an earful too, and he definitely didn't enjoy it. I can still see his scowling face right now," Rantaro muses, making me break into a giggle despite what we're talking about. "So after what Kadede did, you still want to go talk to her..."

Rantaro doesn't sound like he's on board with me seeing Kaede at all.

"You don't want me to go," I say more than ask, confirmed by Rantaro when he answers, "No, I absolutely don't want you to go."

I sigh and push off of Rantaro quickly, only for him to leap off the bed and block the door before I can get to it. With a scoff on my part since I only just got on my feet, I give Rantaro a glare.

"Rantaro. _Move," _I order, prompting him to smile a bit in mild amusement.

"Good to see you full steam again, Prairie," is all he says, remaining rooted in his spot in front of the door.

"So that's it? I open up to you and you decide to impose your own rules on me again by keeping me here?" I ask, frowning up at him with a bite of annoyance to my words. "You're signing yourself up to become someone I shouldn't tell anything to in the future."

He shakes his head, somewhat frustrated again by the looks of it. "Is it a crime if I want to be selfish and keep you safe?"

"Yeah. It's called criminal confinement."

Rantaro appears somewhat surprised by my quip and laughs awkwardly, causing me to snicker and laugh as well until we're both laughing together at the interesting turn in our conversation.

"Will you let me go now?" I ask, hopeful he's maybe loosened up a bit.

"No."

I let out a groan of exasperation.

"Rantaro, why are you being like this? I didn't tell you so you could lock me in your room, I told you so you'd know who would likely be the most responsible if I were to die," I explain, causing him to laugh with zero humor this time.

"Oh, so I was right. This _is _another suicide cruise. Now you're _really_ not going."

I grab my hair and ruffle it over my face as I let myself fall back on his bed. Why did I tell him? I should have just said, 'I'm gonna go talk to _Kayayday_, B-R-B!' and am-scramed out of here.

"Come with me then," I try again through my hair.

"...okay."

I gasp, sitting up and looking at him. He looks resigned and unhappy by even thiscompromise, but just the "okay" alone makes me jump to my feet and run up to him with a hug. Rantaro laughs a little at this, grinning when I look up at him curiously for an explanation.

"It's kind of cute when you go from this hissy tasmanian devil to this sweet little gum drop at the flick of a switch," he comments, causing me to scowl and smack his arm when a red hue begins to coat my features to the point that I have to fluff my hair over my face all over again as a result.

I wave off the butterflies his little statement gives me and reach around him for the door handle, opening it up for escape and ignoring his chuckles when he follows me out.

"Being chaperoned isn't exactly what I had in mind, but if it lets me talk to Kaede, then fine," I huff, brushing my fingers through my hair to at least make myself somewhat presentable. Just so I don't look like the disaster I was when I absolutely wasn't crying. When Rantaro tries to help me fix my hair, I give him a small glare and shoo his hand away. "I let you have your therapy already, that's enough for you. I'm not a doll."

Rantaro actually looks somewhat embarrassed by my call-out regarding his little habits, but I go ahead and speed walk past him to Kaede's door with a heavy heart of both dread and unease. Well, here goes nothing...and at least I have Rantaro here. Now that I think about it, it really is comforting to have him with me for this. Who knows if I might need him to calm me down after I had that rage-quit moment with Kokichi.

I knock on the door, feeling Rantaro stand close beside me as we wait for her to respond.

...

** _Ding-dong, Bing-bong!_ **

My heart increases in speed. There's no way she would be asleep, I can hear the night time announcement playing in her room in sync with the one out here. What if Kaede is so guilty she did something reckless?

_Why am I so worried about her when she's the one that tried to kill me?_

Nevertheless, I can't help but feel that way the longer she takes to answer the door. I ring the buzzard and make a face when she still doesn't answer. What if someone else hurt Kaede?

...

I reach out and slam my fist a few times into the door as hard as I can until Rantaro stops me.

"Prairie, don't do that. If she's not answering or not there, you're just going to end up hurting yourself doing that-"

The door shakes and there's a yelp as if someone's collapsed on the floor, followed by footsteps racing to the door. When it swings open, I'm met with the disheveled face of Kaede Akamatsu as she stands at the doorway stunned by out appearance. Clearly she wasn't actually expecting me to come see her. She looks about as bad as I did earlier with Kokichi...

"You look awful-" is the first thing out of my mouth, and I quickly note the fault in my words by slapping my hands over my mouth in horror. I can feel Rantaro shooting me a look, probably thinking I'm poking the dragon.

"I...definitely deserve that," she admits, making me hold up my hands to fix my mistake.

"No, no- I mean you look _terrible!" _I try again, wincing when Kaede's eyes start to somewhat water. I panic of course. "No, d-don't cry, I just mean-!"

"You look like you could use some company, she means," Rantaro steps in to my relief. Now I'm really glad he's here. He rubs my head with an amused but stiff smile of uneasiness. "You tried."

"Yeah, what he said. I don't think you look awful or terrible, you're very pretty," I try to correct myself as she barely manages a teary eyed smile.

"Thanks, but I don't feel very pretty after what I almost did to you. I-" Kaede starts until I cut her off.

"It's okay, I forgive you."

My bluntness seems to surprise both Rantaro and Kaede, causing the two to share a look of concern. The fact that Kaede's concerned as well is promising as far as things go, and I take it as a good sign.

"Prairie...I tried to _kill you. _You can't possibly forgive me that quickly," Kaede reminds me, lowering her voice at the "kill" part. "That's not the same as Tsumugi ignoring you or Kokichi calling you a few names. I _knew _what I was doing."

"Yeah, sorta...but you don't have the conviction to be a killer. That's why I'm still here. Which is a really good thing, because I still _wanna _be here. Either way, we can just chalk this up to it being Monokuma's fault," I conclude, smiling at Kaede and then up at Rantaro...who looks like he's in pain or something. He seems like he wants to say something badly, likely in disagreement with what I've said. At that, I yank off my gloves and smack him with them a few times so he focuses on me. "She tried to kill me, not you. Don't make weird faces if you disagree with me."

I look back at Kaede without waiting for Rantaro's response, giving her what I can only hope is a reassuring smile.

"I'm willing to give you another chance if you want. I'm still alive and I can tell you don't want to try killing me again just by the look on your face. We can move past this. Ignore this guy," I say, jabbing my thumb Rantaro's way to his clear disapproval.

"...I...need time to think. But I'd like that though," Kaede says, giving us a timid smile unlike her usual bright and brave nature. "Thanks for still coming by after what happened. I didn't actually think you would, to be honest. I wouldn't have if I were in your place. You're...kind of amazing, Prairie, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."

Rantaro sighs again, like he has much to add to that. I smack him again with my gloves, and retain my smile at Kaede as I grab Rantaro's hand and start pulling him away so we can go back to his room.

"It's a good thing, just accept it. Anyways, I'll leave you to do your thinking then. If you need anything, I'll be around," I comment, watching as Kaede shakes her head with a laugh of mild confusion and eventually shuts the door to her room.

"...you're a danger to yourself, that much is crystal clear to me," Rantaro is quick to speak up while I'm pulling my gloves back on, eyeing the burn on my left hand with a critical eye when he sees the jagged discolored patch on my palm. "What happened to your hand?"

"I burned it," I dismiss it quickly, making sure to keep my body relaxed just as Kokichi had instructed me to when lying. I'm not exactly lying now, other than by omission of part of that "what" he's asking, but I definitely don't want to be scolded for something that happened a while ago. I can't look dumb Rantaro in the eye right now anyways. "What time is it?"

As we enter Rantaro's room again, he pulls out his monopad from his pocket and flicks the screen on. "It's ten minutes past ten at night."

I sit back on his bed and play with some of my hair when I notice him looking at me closely. Confused, I look down and around for whatever he could be distracted by, but it seems it's just me that's distracting him.

"...What?" I ask, blinking at him when he doesn't answer for several seconds. I have a feeling I know what's flying around in his head and I leer at him as a result so he knows I can tell. "You can do what you want, Rantaro- but if I wanna see Kaede again later, you're going to have to stay out of my way. In case you forgot, you didn't find a way out in the end."

"Prairie, you and I both know neither of us were actually going to stick to that deal on either end," Rantaro sighs in resignation, prompting my eyes to widen slightly. His words knock all my senses out of proportion where I sit, and I immediately look away.

_"Neither of us were actually going to stick to that deal"...? He thought that? Then what was the point of the deal?_ **_I _**_tried to do my part!_

_...he tricked me. He lied to me _ _**again.** _ _I open myself up to him over and over, but he never reciprocates. He hides behind the excuse that I'd behave recklessly if he did, but in reality he just doesn't want to admit it that he doesn't trust me. Monokuma was right, he just wanted me out of his way because I get into trouble a lot._

I stand up and pull on my boots, walking up to him and the door and gesturing for him to move aside. There's no fire in my movements. Now I'm just exhausted and I'm ten times more drained than I was when Kokichi set me on fire earlier.

Rantaro must sense something between us has gone very sour because before moving he reaches forward to wrap me in a hug. I let my arms hang slack, making no attempt to hug him back since I have zero affection in me right now.

Once he releases me from the embrace, his expression one of extreme guilt that I dismiss due to my own distraught feelings, he opens the door for me and watches me walk out of his room into the dorm building.

"Good night, Rantaro," I say with an emptiness similar to that of Kaede's, turning to leave the dorm building. I doesn't close his door, likely since he can see that I'm not making my way to _my _dorm room.

I don't care what he does. I don't care if he's worried, I don't care if he gets mad, I don't care if he's disappointed or even proud of me.

_I shouldn't be surprised, I know trust has no business in an environment like this and that no amount of attempting to show others how trustworthy I am will fix the issues we have with one another. I have a terrible past that makes even the people that like me _ _**not** _ _trust me, and we're all expecting a murder to happen._

_Rantaro didn't agree with me trying to fix things with Kaede. Probably because he knows that my "niceties" aren't going to fix any of our problems._

"Hahaha! Sure stings, doesn't it, Ugly?!"

As if I wasn't already exhausted enough.

"Aw, I guess he's just not as into you as you were into him~! It's okay, there's more fish in the sea. Maybe not for someone as ugly as you, but there's definitely more for someone as cute as me."

Monophanie and Monosuke follow me on either side as I walk along the path to head to the school. I don't know where I'm going and I'm definitely not sleepy anymore.

"Face it, Monophanie! _No one _is into a snobby little brat like Ugly! That would be the equivalent of loving actual turd! Because that's all Ugly's net worth amounts to!" Monosuke laughs, jumping around me as I walk.

"You should just kill him! Since blondie couldn't murder you, I'm sure you're just kempt up with rage, aren't you? Good! Go put it to use! He doesn't care about you at all, so show him you don't care about him either!" Monophanie chirps in delight like she's giving me some kind of positive pep talk.

_Idiots. It's _ _ **because** _ _ I care about him that I feel so bad about it in the first place._

I tune out their heckling until they bound away after a little more of them poking fun at me, my stomach turning with unease once I'm left to my devices. I feel bloated but stop when I pass a building door with a string of feminine curses floating out of it. Curious, I turn my head to look at the modern building. I've never given this short building much thought before...what is it?

Reaching out hesitantly, I open the door and peek in to see another ultimate lab- senses overloaded with the amount of mechanical items and assets lying around the large room. It's a bit of a pigsty...but when I see who's cursing at a desk and desperately trying to do, uh, something- I realize there must be a method to this mess.

"Miu?" I speak up despite everything inside me telling me to turn away and just not talk to anyone.

The blonde looks up and turns, grinning when she sees me.

"Oh, Prairie! You're a sight for my sore beautiful eyes! You'll never guess the shit that happened today, c'mere and sit your sweet ass down!"

I blink and can't resist a smile at her usual crude mannerisms, pushing open the door more and stepping in the rest of the way as I shut it behind me and stroll on over to the desk she's standing by.

"Get this, Poo-ichi came up to me with freakin' _zit tits_ and they literally fell to my damn feet and begged me to make a system of automatic cameras for them. Who the hell does that?! I mean, not that people don't already fall to my feet on a regular basis, I at least expected Poo-ichi to do it," Miu half laughs, screwing the panel of a disposable camera back into place.

"Poo-ichi...which 'ichi' is that? We kinda have two of them I consider poop. Also, who's zit- ah, the _other _one?" I ask, not quite at Miu's level to refer to body parts with slang.

"PFFT! You're right, we have the misfortune of being infested with Poo-ichis! But I'm talking about the quiet one that likes to stare at tits. And speaking of, _zit tits _is Kaede! Ugh. The other day she tried to tell me she didn't have sour, saggy as shit tits and threw a fit when I dove in to check. We're both chicks, the fuck was she so upset about?" Miu growls, before pausing and setting her things down to turn towards me curiously.

Her eyes drag down to my chest.

_Oh no._

Before I can even think about running away, she reaches out and gropes me shamelessly- instead startling a terrified yelp of distress out of me when my face lights on fire.

The door to the lab swings open and Miu pauses in her assessment to look over my shoulder as I turn my embarrassed red-faced gaze to see Rantaro at the doorway with a look of...something I can't quite name. Disgust? Concern? Fear? Who knows. Of course he didn't stay in his room though, no surprise there. Why'd he have to end up walking in on me like _this _though?

"Oh, hey, Boy-Toy!" Miu greets with a laugh before giving my chest one last examine and humming to herself once I'm allowed to cross my arms over myself to recover now that I've been utterly robbed of my pride as a woman. "You're sure lucky she likes you, shithead! These god-send tits are worth more than those worthless balls you scratch on a sunny day, so you better treat her right, got it?! Anyone that tries to hurt Prairie has to deal with me!"

"...Right," Rantaro simply resorts to answering, walking the rest of the way to us and sighing as he stops beside me uneasily. We completely avoid looking at each other, likely due to the uncanny but quiet disagreement after his tactless confession that he wanted me out of his way.

..._He's worried about me. Legitimately worried. It doesn't excuse the fact that he doesn't trust me enough to tell me other things, but I guess I can understand why he would have to trick me to make sure I wouldn't get into trouble. If he asked me up-front to stay out of trouble without hanging some kind of reward in front of me considering the time limit, I'd have never gone along with it._

_But..._

I look up at him, taking initiative to break the thin wall between us before it can reinforce itself.

"How did you know I would try to stick to my word to you?" I ask curiously, making him look my way and offer a bit of a smile.

"Because you know I care about you," he explains, rubbing my head and looking back at the exit of the lab despite my dry expression at his answer...even if he is somewhat right. He looks tired, but he's got another thing coming if he things I'm going back to the dormitories. If he wants to follow me around, so be it, but I'm not doing anything _he _says.

"You two can use that couch there if you need to chill or make out. Use the table if ya wanna kick your feet up," Miu comments, obviously tired as well by the sound of her voice- even if she is obviously excited to have us in the room with her.

She must get lonely often if she allows us to stick around here with her...that or she just really likes having Perfect Blitz around.

Rantaro immediately drags me over to the long couch and lays on his side across it, pulling me with him. When I refuse to lay down and swat his hand away lightly, he evidently gets the point and simply lets me sit beside him as I watch Miu work her magic curiously.

Time passes where I just watch Miu work from the couch- up until I can't help but stand and rejoin her by her desk to get a closer look. She doesn't seem to mind even though she's totally quiet and focused on her work, playing with wires and adding components to another disposable camera with a precision that could probably rival my own intuition.

_I wonder if I could do these kinds of things like Miu. She's actually really cool, and her talent is a pretty valuable one._

I look back at the Ultimate Adventurer...and blink in surprise when I realize he's fallen asleep on the couch. Ah, so that's why he didn't try to stop me when I got up again.

...

I walk back over to Rantaro and bend down to poke his cheek.

No response.

I pinch his nose a little to see if that wakes him up.

Still nothing. He's still breathing, but even when I close his nose, he ends up breathing through his mouth quietly.

_Wow, I didn't know he was a heavy sleeper. Or maybe he's just really tired?_

I sit down on the table in front of the couch, only to stand back up when I realize I've sat on something and pull out a rebel marker from under my leg. This place really is a pigsty, dang.

...

I look from the marker to the sleeping jerk that tricked me and then back at the marker in my hand.

_I don't forgive him for those other things. He doesn't understand the stress he puts me through on top of everything else I have to worry about._

_...he deserves this._

I uncap the marker and smile like the sugar sweet gum drop I am, brushing Rantaro's bangs back. He's so handsome that I almost feel bad I'm about to totally ruin his pretty forehead. I'm not gonna go overboard since it's a permanent marker. Besides...he knows I care about him.

If we're going to all die tomorrow, I'm going out with a bang.

Miu gasps when she turns to see me in the middle of writing the second letter, prompting me to look back and hold a finger up to my grinning lips. This is what Rantaro would call acting out and being immature, right? It feels _liberating._

I finish writing and sigh in satisfaction as I look at my work...but then cock my head to the side slightly. Something's missing. I feel like I could do more to this...

And then Miu holds up something silver in my face, prompting my face to heat up despite the fact that the suggestion is genius. This masterpiece of payback is worth a few minutes of shame and embarrassment to reach the pinnacle of its worth.

"Leave one right here too!" Miu whispers.

"N-No, not there, that's too close," I whimper a little.

"Come on, you can do it! You've done worse before, this is a cakewalk in comparison!"

...

"I can't believe I just did that..."

"KHhhkt! Oh my god, Prairie. You know he's totally gonna get you for this, right?"

"I don't even care. That's what he gets for putting me through all this torture. I'm allowed to abuse him since he abuses me twenty-four seven already," I comment, closing the small silver bullet capsule and handing it back to Miu. "Anyways, I'm headed back to my room to sleep. Just leave Rantaro here, I want him to sleep comfortably before he has to deal with the horrors of...this."

"Alright, Prairie! Sleep well, you perfect bitch!" Miu chortles in glee, returning to her desk as I make my way back to the dormitories with a skip to my step. Everything seems substantially brighter after my time with Miu and doing that..._thing _to Rantaro. Maybe since he has a soft spot for me, like Shuichi said, he won't be so angry?

That, or I'm a dead woman.

I'm in the middle of unlocking my door when Kiibo steps out from his room next to mine, making me look up when I hear him. Kiibo notices me as well, smiling brightly at the sight of me.

"Good evening, Prairie!" He greets me, before faltering a moment and eyeing me closely in curiosity. "Oh, are you...wearing lipstick? That color looks great on you! You look very mature with it on."

Oh the irony.

"T-Thank you, Kiibo. I'm turning in for the night, so I'll see you later!" I shyly state, stepping into my room after a wave to the Ultimate Robot.

"Good night then. Sleep well!" He answers, the click of my room lock ending the encounter as I remove the color from my lips and hit the pillows comfortably for whatever comes tomorrow as a result of the time limit. If we die...well, at least we'll die with dignity knowing none of us were willing to kill each other.

That's really the only silver lining I can see to this debacle, but I don't want to throw in the towel just yet.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.15 - Traumatic Behavior_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)  

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>   



	28. For Perfect Blitz

❀ **_2.16 - For Perfect Blitz_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

** _Brring_****_~! _ ** ** _Brring_**_**~!** _

I flop over on my back and blink at the ceiling of my room. The ringing continues before stopping, leaving my room in silence...before it's soon ringing again. Turning my head lazily, I eventually find my monopad is the source of the ruckus. It's an alarm I set up a little bit ago, but I can't remember what it was.

As if I've got a seventy pound weight strapped to my back, I shift close enough to reach the infernal device, turning the screen so I can squint and read the bright thing.

...An alarm for eleven thirty at night. I just went to sleep an hour or so ago, why did I set this thing up?

_"Meet up in the boys bathroom", _it reads.

...

Just like that, my eyes snap open and I sit up quickly. I'm just about to reach for my clothes when I realize I've fallen asleep in my actual ultimate outfit, prompting me to roll my eyes at myself and simply swing out of bed to pull on my boots and belt.

_I don't need those stupid sleeves or my gloves, I'll be in and out after this._

Once I've got my monopad in its carrier on my belt, I head for the door and promptly open it up. The first thing I turn my head towards is Kokichi's stupid room, staring at it long and hard before glancing around the rest of the dormitory building. Thankfully, it seems as if I'm alone...

I step out and close my room door quietly behind me, hurrying down the steps and out of the building. Outside is as quiet as ever at night, save for the sound of the Exisals currently on carpenter mode clearing up the courtyard and one part of the school we haven't yet gotten access to, it appears.

"Hello, Prairie."

I squeak a little, jumping a foot back until I realize the figure that's spawned in front of me from out of nowhere is Korekiyo.

"Ah, Kiyo. H-Hi," I simply greet, making it somewhat obvious that I'm not exactly ecstatic to see him. He immediately notices this considering the cackle he makes before he's reaching up to fix the mask over his jaw.

"Hm, yes, that's exactly the reaction I expected to receive. I guess it's no surprise you wouldn't enjoy crossing me at an hour such as this- especially considering our lack of time as of now. It's getting rather close to our imminent demise, and I'm sure everyone is particularly nervous about the individuals around them. Such is the nature of this environment..." He responds, making me narrow my eyes at him. Does he think the fact we're all being threatened by Monokuma is funny?

"That's not why I dislike seeing you. In case you forgot, you basically said you were willing to throw me under the bus to save your own skin back in the gym. That my life didn't matter if it gave the rest of you a leg up," I elaborate, drilling a hole into his skull with my gaze.

"My apologies. You had offered us vital information, and at that time it appeared to be the best option for the majority of our group since we lacked your knowledge. I simply went with what was the most logical choice. I had no intention for it to come across as something personal," Korekiyo explains, much to my irritation. Sure, that's sound thinking and all...but it's so morally ambiguous. So he doesn't actually care about the person to stop them from hurting themselves?

"You've got a messed up head, Kiyo. For someone that's studies humanity so much, I wouldn't have expected you to be so cold towards the root subject of your ultimate talent," I huff, crossing my arms and averting my gaze.

"Is that so? Would you rather I care and stop whatever it is you feel you must do to escape from Monokuma and his killing game? Similar to what Rantaro does?" Korekiyo suggests, prompting me to wince a little. Maybe he's right, I don't like how much Rantaro cares...although there needs to be a balance somewhere. Rantaro cares too much, and Korekiyo appears to care too little.

"No. Both of you are wack," I state frankly, crossing my arms as I return my gaze to him.

"...Would you walk with me for a moment? I'd like to hear more of you thoughts regarding me. Perhaps you're right and I need to correct my behavior in some way. If you're in a hurry however, I will understand," Korekiyo surprisingly requests, making me relax a smidgen and bite my lip in thought. He's willing to listen to me and take the advice I'd offer? ...He's really the total opposite of Rantaro.

My cheeks redden a little. What if I tell him something wrong and he takes it as factual? What if I'm actually wrong?

"U-Um...okay," I decide anyways, stepping up to his side and taking a quiet breath. Korekiyo can't be all bad, he was nice before in the gym even though I thought he was a bit creepy after first impressions. Maybe this will be good for me. I haven't hung out with many people besides Rantaro, Kokichi, or Kaede...this will definitely be good for me in one way or another, I'm sure.

"I would like to inform you that I am not completely unfeeling, if that's the impression of me you've garnered. This might not come as a shock, but I do pity the unfortunate. Sympathy or empathy however is a bit harder for me to understand. I only ever feel that around the person I love," Korekiyo speaks first, breaking the ice like it's as thin as paper. How he's so comfortable talking to me, I've got no clue, but I decide to roll with the ball he's tossed me.

"Ah! You're in love? That's actually really nice, Kiyo! Although...the fact that you're saying you only care for them is sorta small-minded in a way. You should definitely love them above most, but you shouldn't be totally unfeeling for the rest of the people around you. If you only open yourself up to one person, you'll be setting yourself up for a very limited support system. You ought to know that yourself. Does the person you're in love with have friends?" I ask, hands relaxing behind me as I smile up at him slightly. This isn't so bad so far...

"Oh, she has many. I've actually helped her meet all her friends myself. In fact, I've been hoping she will meet you too. You're an incredible individual, Prairie. Even outside of your celebrity alias. Not many people have the kind of determination you've exhibited so far while we've been trapped here. You would get along well with her, I would like to think."

I bite my lip to resist a smile, reaching up and scratching the back of my head where I usually wear that stupid bow of mine. Of course, I didn't bother with it tonight.

"Now you're just flattering me and trying to get on my good side," I point out despite the slight blush on my face. "I-I hope you're saying that because you're genuinely interested in befriending me and not simply saving face after you've stepped on my bad side."

"I mean it. I know quite a few of the others have condemned you for your actions, but it isn't in our place to demand you to stop. In my case, it isn't that I'm looking the other way for the reason of not caring. Rather, I'm sure you know what you're capable of and incapable of. For lack of a better word...I trust your instinct. You know yourself better than even your greatest fan here knows you," Korekiyo explains, much to my surprise.

_ **This**_ _. This is what I wish Rantaro would understand!_

"Rantaro needs to take a page out of your book if you really think that. He won't let me do anything. I wouldn't go behind his back to plan these things if I didn't know he would always try to stop me," I huff, biting my tongue before I continue to vent and ruin whatever good thing is happening right now.

"Because he cares too much, correct? I understand that feeling too well. If you were my sister, I admit I would have a much harder time letting you do the things you do- regardless of whatever I believe you to be capable of or not. I'm not sure I would be able to allow it to happen, but then again, we never quite know how we'll respond until we're presented the situation. Such is the way of humanity- or in simpler terms- easier said than done."

I can't help but giggle a little at how casual his last words are. He always talks so eloquently, so hearing something so mundane and cliche is a bit funny.

"I'm glad you're enjoying our conversation. I'm enjoying it myself," Korekiyo says, the corners of his eyes wrinkling to signal the smile I can't see under his mask.

"Yeah, it's nice talking to you actually. It's nothing like sitting down and talking to Rantaro or Kokichi...although, I never want to talk to Kokichi really. He sort of corners me into it most of the time," I laugh nervously in mild embarrassment.

"It seems that I'm not the only one that ought take the suggestion to branch out and create a support system. I'm sure those two are exhausting to spend time with constantly, considering you're mostly unhappy to talk about them."

I sigh, nodding and closing my eyes for a moment. He's definitely not wrong about that, I _should _take my own advice. It's not like I'm always unhappy around them, but they definitely are tiresome to deal with at times. 

And of course, look what branching out with _Kaede_ almost resulted it.

"You're right. At least we're talking to each other, right?" I point out, prompting a nod from the tall ultimate. He's taller than Rantaro, but the idiot with green hair definitely has a bit more meat on his body from what I've been able to tell. I take a deep breath and look up at him again, prompting him to meet my gaze calmly. "You don't think that I'm...suicidal, right?"

"No, Prairie. On the other hand, I actually believe your tenacity to fight Monokuma proves you are willing to do whatever you can without submitting to Monokuma's will. From my point of view, you're clearly a survivor." Korekiyo stops as we near the school entrance, reaching over and surprising me when he takes one of my hands. "I'd like to have another conversation such as this next time. For now...I'll give you this for your time."

He reaches into his pocket and plops what looks to be a ticket from the monokuma machine, making me blink before looking at the prize information.

...!

I gasp loudly, hearing Korekiyo cackle a little in amusement.

"I figured you would find more enjoyment from that prize more than I would. I'll remember our conversation and keep your words in mind, Prairie," he says, releasing my hand and stepping back. "Goodnight."

"G-Goodnight, Kiyo. I'll remember what you've told me too. Sleep well~" I chirp, clearly in a better mood both after the way our conversation went and the ticket he gave me...for a nice juicy nectarine.

I drool as I look down at the ticket, peeking over at the student store as I enter the school building. Remembering what time it is, I shake the thought of the fruit out of my head and continue my way to the boys bathroom. Food at this hour? No, that would ravage my digestion and my sleep schedule. I'll get it in the morning. Might as well if it's likely to be the last time I get to enjoy one.

The rest of my trip to the boys restroom is undisturbed, and I smile when I see Monokid and Monotaro on the other side of the door.

"Hi," I greet them, both bears jumping in delight and turning to face me with big smiles. As soon as I close the door behind me, I take a seat on the floor with the bears.

"AW-RIGHT! Meet-up number two is set! We have small news we've figured out we can share with you! It's about your ages and why it feels outta wack!" Monokid is the first to speak up. "Monokuma won't say shit because he's a jerk, but we can say what we want about it since it's not a big secret!"

"Just try not to panic, it's sorta on the weird side," Monotaro adds, sweating slightly.

"Okay, I'm totally calm...and ready to hear it," I breathe after inhaling deeply. "What's up with our ages?"

"You guys are all seventeen, and unlike how you're missing all your memories, Prairie, the others are missing two years worth of memories. Monokuma just hasn't told them, so that's why they believe they're still first years despite being older. I'm not sure why theirs were wiped, but...we do know they were removed by us and not, ah, the other group we can't mention due to AI limitations. Monokuma apparently is going to be giving them back, but for you...well, Monokuma doesn't know what to do with you. He was expecting you to die today, apparently," Monotaro continues, looking somewhat nervous.

I laugh nervously at that, rubbing the back of my head at the memory of the shot-put ball and Kaede. Thank god my intuition kicked in right on time for me to jump out of the way...

"Uh, why did I think we were first years too though?" I inquire. "I lost all my memories, but I managed to remember being thrown in the back of a van as well as my name, age, and school year."

"Hmm...that first damn flashback light! It might have had some predet-te-tttt-t- FUCK." Monokid grabs his head, sweating a little as he comes to realize what's happened. "I guess we're blocked from admitting that shit too. Damn it."

"We could try writing it down maybe?" I suggest, before the two bears grimace and wince at the same time.

"It's hard writing without thumbs like you humans- but we've also already tried that. We glitch like Monokid just did when we attempt to write notes of information we can't admit too," Monotaro explains sadly, fidgeting with the collar of his cape.

"Ah, well that's okay. At least I know something new, which is more than I can ask for," I beam at the two and stand up again, before replaying Monokid's words in my head.

_The flashback light had some_ _predet__...__ermined__ information? Is that what he was trying to say? I do remember when I woke up to Rantaro I got a bloody nose...and I remember something trying to form in my head. It hurt, but I can't even really remember what was trying to appear. Prairie Marble and Prairie Marvel...that's a weird sort of predetermined knowledge. Almost like it was trying to fit something in that wasn't meant to be there..._

_...That might be a clue._

I look back at the bears curiously, prompting the duo to return my look with innocent ones of their own as they try to figure out what has entered my mind.

"...I think I know what you were trying to say. Predetermined information, right?" I inquire, watching as both bears automatically tense up.

"HAH?! The hell's that? The flashback lights don't have anything predetermined!" Monokid blurts out unsurprisingly. Their AI's denial really is useful- not very smart of Team Danganronpa to have input something that could be taken advantage of

"...Got it," I say, smiling at the two despite how sad they look by their AI's denial. "Don't worry, that helped. We can talk more tomorrow night. Ah, if I don't die. I'll figure something out, okay?"

Monokid shuffles and then bolts forward to hug my leg, followed closely by Monotaro latching on in a hug to my other leg. Touched, but remembering to stay wary, I end up bending down and rubbing their backs despite my nerves telling me to be careful.

"If I die tomorrow...thank you for everything. I really do appreciate you two helping me like this. Be careful yourselves, alright?" I say, releasing them so they detach from my legs and look back up at me.

"Y-You better not die! Remember, we'll be upset if you do!" Monotaro huffs, followed by Monokid adding, "I'll kick your ASS if you die! So stay alive or _else_!"

I smile and open the door to the boys bathroom, exiting first and sighing once I'm out.

The fact that some of the things I was trying to "remember" after the first flashback light might have been fake isn't a comforting thought. What exactly do I remember? Something about my name...my name is "Prairie Marble", but it was...wrong? And then I remembered my name was "Prairie Marvel"? And apparently that was right, but then I...discarded the information.

_So wait, what is my name then? Marble or Marvel? Everyone else knows me as Prairie Marble and recognize me as that- so maybe my brain saying Marvel was my name was an attempt at the flashlight trying to trick me to take a fake name?_

_...No, that wouldn't make sense. If it was fake, then the others would remember Prairie Marvel as the celebrity. Maybe that's my real name? Marvel? _

_UGH, I'm just asking for a little bit of logic in this place, is that too much to ask? How would it even be possible to plant memories like this in other people's heads? In_ _**my **__head? I don't know how else to put it. And if it's the right track, that would mean everyone's memories are compromised, including my own._

I make my way out of the school building and back to my dorm room. All the while, my mind is swirling to make sense of things, and I eventually change into my nightwear and get back in bed. Staring at the ceiling doesn't help make me sleepy, so I eventually flop over tummy down on my bed and close my eyes.

After a little while, my brain stops swirling like mad and I manage to drift off once again.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_Here we go. Walk out and if you're lucky, Rantaro isn't already awake and waiting to ambush you outside the door..._

I inhale deeply and turn the knob to my room, stepping out and scanning the entire dormitory lobby for any sign of Rantaro. When I deem the building clear, I relax and let out a breath of relief. Good thing I don't have to deal with him _just _yet. Nothing has happened, but I'm already starting to rethink my rebellious actions from the night before. While talking to Korekiyo and the good Monokubs, I almost forgot about that bad thing I did.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty, that's for sure.

"Prairie Dog!"

_Gah, not _**_him_** _again!_

"Leech Face!" I greet with mocking brightness as cheery as his own upon turning to him, dropping my smile to stare at him dryly after a beat. "Now that we have got that out of the way, _goodbye."_

I turn and start to speed walk down the stairs, not really to get away from him, but to distance myself from the dormitory building in general. The first place I'd expect Rantaro to look for me is my dorm room, and I don't want to be here when he comes by.

For once, Kokichi seems to hesitate following after me from where he's hovering outside his doorway. In the end though I hear him shut his room door, the sound of his footsteps speeding after me quickly to my utter disappointment.

_Maybe he doesn't really want to be out and about since he knows we're on our last hours, which would mean everyone's on edge like_ _Kiyo_ _s__aid the night before...and perhaps make a murder even __likelier__ as the minutes pass. He has a better chance of surviving if someone chooses to murder and he's safe in his room._

If no one does murder anyone...well, not even hiding in a room will keep an Exisal out.

"I'm gonna hang out with you!" He declares proudly, following me out. Does he really want to after what happened yesterday? Or is he looking forward to torturing me again?

"Why? Aren't you scared of someone buckling under the pressure? You could get murdered," I point out, wrinkling my nose when he grins brightly at me.

"You can get murdered too. But together, we're less likely to get killed since we'll be watching each other's backs and stuff! Like a super duo tag team," he elaborates, keeping up when I lead us in the direction towards the school...and pause at a fork in the path when I see the door to Miu's lab swing open.

Said girl runs out towards the school ahead of Kokichi and I with a hand pressed to her mouth and a knapsack she carries over her shoulder, looking like she's ready to keel over either in pain or...laughter.

_Oh no._

I have a bad feeling in my gut and I grab Kokichi's hand to swerve behind some of the tall grass, prompting a curious smile to cross his features as he eyes me to figure out the source of my behavior.

"Let's take the long route so we can talk more!" I lie, pulling him along with me and keeping in mind his rules to actnatural_. _Of course, these are _his _rules in the first place and he's no idiot- so he grins a little when I tick down all of his tips.

"Hm...whatever you say, Prairie Dog! So chatty all of a sudden- I'm glad you're beginning to enjoy my presence!" Kokichi comments in amusement.

"Ah, I mean...if this is our last day, I might as well try and..._enjoy," _I can barely get it out, prompting Kokichi to snicker wildly as a result, "your presence."

"Hearing you try to say that with a straight face is almost as funny as you trying to distract me," He jumps the gun, calling me out and teasing me all in the same breath. "Nee-hee-hee!"

"...you say that, but I did trick you before, Kokichi. You fell for an entire _act_ before it finally hit you," I grumble defiantly, releasing his arm and halting in our walk to face him.

Kokichi hums innocently, reaching up to spin one of those unruly locks of his hair around his finger and pretending to think about it. What a leech...he just has to play everything up, doesn't he?

I tap my foot so he knows to hurry up.

"You keep saying it was an act, but you're a terrible liar, Prairie Dog. Everything you said that night was the truth- whether you admit it or not." I go to object, but he continues speaking before I can wrap my head around his claims. "So now, you should be a good girl and tell me what you're trying to hide and stuff."

"Ah-! W-Well, I'm not really trying to _hide _something, per say," I lie again, feeling my cheeks flush red when he shakes his head and immediately '_tsks__' _at me for my attempts. I wouldn't have to hide it if he weren't _Kokichi__. _He would probably try to use what I've done to Rantaro against me later.

"You dishonor and put me to shame with your lying skills. I even gave you tips to help you get better, but you're clearly a lost cause," Kokichi laments, much to my irritation. "You close in on yourself a lot when you lie. And you do this cute little lip bite when you're thinking of a lie. You even blush _after _you lie! Girl, you're hopeless."

The fact that Kokichi has noticed all that about me is sorta unnerving, but I just make a face rather than address it. I knew he was observant, but holy cow, he notices a lot more than I would have expected him to.

I'm just about to defend myself when I hear the sound of a door opening, slamming against a wall in the direction of Miu's lab.

"Oh? Someone was in there with that fugly whore?" Kokichi bluntly remarks as he turns his head with me even though we can't see anything past the grass. I gasp and swat at him in offense when he turns back my way with a laugh.

_"__Kokichi__! _Don't call Miu names like that!" I object, watching as he leans from one side to another playfully when he turns his attention back to me. He's doing that Angie thing...he mimics her pretty well actually.

"Would you rather I call _you _names like that?" He inquires innocently to my annoyance.

"No. I would rather you not call _anyone _names like that- you're insane," I grunt, tensing up when Kokichi's eyes seem to narrow on me- similar to the way a cat's might when they want to catch something.

There's a few seconds where I wait for him to do something. Just when I think I'm in the clear and that Kokichi's simply being weird, he grabs my hand again and turns to drag me back in the direction of Miu's lab. I squeak in horror, buckling my legs and sitting on the floor so he's forced to stop and look back at me.

"Not this again..." He huffs in mock offense before giving me a good look and smirking menacingly. At the shift in his expression, I shiver noticeably. "I guess I'll just have to _carry you _then!"

"NO! Don't touch me!" I complain, trying to back up from him and failing since his grip on my hand is like iron With an ease that only serves to irritate and embarrass me, Kokichi hooks and arm under my knees and lifts me up despite his size and stature. As soon as he has me half-way up though, I struggle and knock him back so we fall in a heap together, immediately shifting to pin him to the ground before he can get up.

A victorious snarky grin forms across my face as I watch Kokichi wiggle to try and free himself. When he deems it futile, he grins back at me and sighs.

"Nee-hee-hee! I guess you got me, Prairie Dog," he snickers, eyeing me carefully.

"Yep. Nice try, but I don't like being man-handled," I state plainly with a proud grin, faltering when Kokichi immediately adds, "Unless Rantaro is the one man-handling you."

My cheeks tint red and I stutter, barely grabbing the reins of my embarrassment at the unexpected accusation. Then again, coming from Kokichi, it's really no surprise. Unexpected is his brand.

"T-That's not true! I don't like it when he does it either! Rantaro is just a controlling pain in my neck- just what do you think you're suggesting anyways?!" I argue, miffed to the point of frustration.

"Oh, same as what I suggested the other day after you made your deal to be a good girl to Rantaro." Kokichi grins wider, the smile almost uncanny at this point. "You like-like Rantaro."

"I _don't! _I don't like him at all!" I push, earning a meaningful look of doubt from Kokichi. My cheeks get redder. "Q-Quit staring at me like that, I don't like him like _that!"_

"Liar," he easily points out, poking my back with his knee as he props up his legs and crosses them comfortably. When I turn to swat his knee away, he laughs.

"I-I'm not! ...look, he's a controlling jerk! He treats me like his kid sister and he has no respect for my wishes whatsoever! All he has going for him is his face. I-I'm allowed to admire people with good looks, but that has nothing to do with _liking _him! I don't like him!" I elaborate, even though it's obvious I'm unraveling fast. He snickers, making my hands tighten on the front of his coat as I resist the temptation to smack his head into the ground.

"He's not the only one you like, Prairie Dog~" Kokichi adds playfully, pointing to himself despite me throwing him a threatening glare to not even _think _about going there. "You like _me _too!"

"I _definitely _don't like you. Actually? I specifically hate you. If we die today, I want you to know the only passion burning in my heart for you is _hatred," _I stress, only to squeak a little when Kokichi pouts and runs his hands over mine, untangling my fingers from his coat. There's definitely something uncomfortable about how he holds my hands and runs his thumbs over my knuckles, but he speaks before I can address it.

"You tell Rantaro you hate him all the time, but that's a lie too. You see? We're the same, Prairie Dog. We both just _love _to lie," he states, smirking to the point that I feel my jitters drain away into discomfort at the shift in the topic.

"I don't _love _to lie. I don't even like it- we aren't anything alike," I snap, moving to try and pull my hands back. He tightens his grip on them, clearly amused.

"Why do you do it so often then? You lie like a person with the flu uses tissues!" Kokichi accuses, snickering when I shrink back a little. "Speaking of lies, if you really don't like me, do you mind getting off?"

_Getting...off? Of what?_

"This is just going to fast for me! I prefer things nice and slow before I'm mounted by anyone, you feel me? Furthermore..._I'd rather make out with a fish," _Kokichi states in a snap, his tone and entire demeanor shifting to an irritated one as I slowly absorb that I'm completely straddling Kokichi to keep him pinned down.

I blink and suddenly find the fake sky and the cage bars of the school enclosure in my immediate line of sight. I can hear someone laughing like mad in the background, but I can't tell who it is until I'm able to lift my head just slightly to see...Kokichi. He's still on the ground, rolling around with tears in his eyes as I slowly recall what's set him off and struggle to wobble upright on all fours.

Not that I don't prefer a happy Kokichi over an annoyed one, but not at the expense of my own dignity.

"I was _not _expecting you to pass out! Holy shit, Prairie Dog, that was gold!"

"Shut up and stop talking to me. Go talk to a _fish," _I growl groggily, admittedly somewhat hurt by what he said. I wouldn't want my mouth anywhere near the stupid cancerous leech anyways, but it kinda stings to hear I'm beneath a fish. I wouldn't be that bad to kiss, would I?

_Or...based on my past, am I a known bad kisser despite my fame?!_

"Aw, did you take that as my honest word? It was a lie, Prairie Dog! We can make out right _now _if you want!"

"THAT'S THE LIE!" I snap, smacking the side of his head briskly when he gets too close for my liking. I stand up quickly on wobbly legs and eventually start walking, leaving it up to Kokichi on whether to follow me or not. "Either go back and cower in your stupid room, or keep up."

"Nishishi~! You'd rather make out with Rantaro, huh?"

_"__Kokichi__Oma_. You're five seconds away from becoming the corpse that'll save us all from Monokuma and his army of copycats," I carefully state. As per usual, Kokichi dismisses my threat and instead links his arm with mine as we walk into the school.

"Oh, you used my full name! Am I in trouble? Huh? Huh? Hey, Prairie Dog, am I in trouble? Don't ground me pleassseee, I'll be a good boy," Kokichi begs innocently.

"I wanna punch you in the face so bad, you have no idea," I mutter, just as we enter the dining hall together...and stop dead in our tracks by what greets us. My stomach hits the ground when I see Rantaro in the middle of the room by Tenko, Himiko, Kaito, and Ryoma who are all seated at the dining hall and staring at him like he's grown a second head. I can see this funny expression of disgust and contempt on Tenko's face from afar, but I'm much too busy staring at Rantaro with everyone else.

"..._PFFFT__!_ What happened to you?! Had a little too much fun with Miu in her lab last night, Runturd-o?" Kokichi laughs, making me stiffen up just slightly and smack Kokichi's arm to shut him up when Rantaro turns our way.

There's coral red lip prints all over his face and neck- so many that I have to bite down hard on my tongue to keep from going red with shame since every one was essentially a kiss _I_ left behind. On his forehead he was a word half hidden by his bangs, easy to see despite it completely contrasting the lipstick kiss marks all over his face reading _"LAME"_ in capital letters.

"No. Have either of you two seen Miu?" He asks, pinching the bridge of his nose in obvious frustration.

"Ah, I get why you'd be upset by Miu giving you all...that...but we should really talk about our game plan. Today is our last day and it won't even be a full one," Kaito speaks up from the dining table.

"There's only a few of us here right now, we should probably wait a bit more so we won't need to repeat anything," Tenko speaks up, looking over at Himiko and casting her a bright smile. "Right, Himiko?"

"Nyeh...I don't care," the red haired girl answers, even though she does shiver at the thought.

_Huh, it doesn't seem like he realizes that what's on his face is my work. I'll take this as a blessing he thinks it's _ _Miu's_ _ fault for now, but I'm sure this will blow up in my face later._

"Good morning, everyone! It's good to see so many of you awake so early! Usually it's only Ryoma and Kirumi I see rising so early," Kiibo says upon entering, causing my stomach to churn nervously as he walks past us and Rantaro to get to the table.

_Oh no, yesterday, __Kiibo_ _saw when I...!_

The Ultimate Robot turns around once he's beside Kaito, his smile dropping when he sees Rantaro. He stares for a few seconds before he lets out a gasp of horror and slaps a hand over his chest as if there's a heart there. "...R-Rantaro?! What in the world- your _face!"_

"Yeah. I had the pleasure of waking up like this just now after I fell asleep in Miu's lab while keeping her and Prairie company," Rantaro sighs, causing Kiibo to blink and glance my way curiously. "Clearly Miu can't keep her hands to herself."

..._Please tell me he doesn't remember. Please don't remember. I know you're a robot, but all I'm asking for is one bug in your system-_

Kiibo's blue eyes narrow on me after a moment as he seems to register that I'm just barely keeping myself composed, prompting me to attempt unlinking my arm from Kokichi's. The violet menace gives me a curious look too, eyes jumping from Kiibo and Rantaro to me before it seems to click in his mind. With a smirk, he surprisingly takes a step back and releases my arm to allow me room to escape if necessary.

Likewise, I notice most of the people at the dining table look my way as if they're slowly getting the picture. Rantaro, with his back to Kokichi and I, straightens up his spine a little. I can tell he's realized something just by the look on Kiibo's face and all the eyes traveling towards me by the entrance.

"Rantaro...when I was stepping out of my room last night, I ran into Prairie on my way out," Kiibo says, looking directly at me as I carefully start to back out of the dining hall. No one says anything about my slow retreat, watching me with varying expressions of sympathy, amusement, and horror. "Prairie had a very nice shade of lipstick on. In fact, it was similar to the shade you have on your face right now."

...

...

...

"Prairie, you put your sweet innocent lips on the face of this _sleazy degenerate male?!"_ Tenko squeals in horror, breaking the tension enough for me to spin around and make a run for it.

"Oh, no you don't," I hear Rantaro as I scurry out into the hall, the sound of his footsteps following after me as I make a run for the warehouse. I'm not even thinking where to go- Rantaro has much longer legs than me and he's never done more than scold me. I don't even want to think about what he'll do to me for this.

I pause by some of the shelves, but only for a split second before I'm running around the shelves again. Climbing would be a stupid thing to do right now- he'd catch me for sure.

"Come on, Prairie. We're just going to have a talk," Rantaro says with an unnaturally calm tone- as if he's trying his best to be patient with me.

"We can talk without you closing the distance!" I complain in a half-panicked state as I walk backwards until he stops. Once he stops trying to advance, I halt my own retreat and bear witness to his disastrous face...how does he still manage to look handsome in such a ridiculous state, I don't know. It's unfair.

..._I think I went overboard with the kiss marks._

"Prairie. This is by far the most _childish _thing you've done yet. Mind letting me in on why you went and decided to act on this 'bright' idea of yours?" Rantaro demands, appearing unsympathetic when I wince with a guiltily grimace.

There's just lip marks all over his face. What was I thinking going with Miu's suggestion?! _I'm _the one embarrassed here! It would probably be bad to even _mention _Miu to be partly to blame. First, I don't want to get her in trouble, and second- I'm the one that went along with it in the end. I didn't fight Miu on it at all. It's completely my fault...but I don't mind too much. As far as I'm concerned, he didat least deserve the _"LAME" _written on his forehead.

"Were those bangs of yours in the way when you looked in the mirror?" I simply ask, watching the scowl on his face deepen as a result.

"Alright, fine. We'll do this your way. Why exactly am I lame? Tell me. Tell me _everything."_

_Everything? I have a laundry list of reasons why he's lame! I'd be glad to list it all out for him! I'm not softening the blow this time!_

"Everything about you pisses me off. It's like you're totally disconnected from everything around you! When we have these conversations, I feel like I'm talking to a literal freaking wall. I don't know what you have in that thick skull of yours, but it's _not _a brain!" I state, watching Rantaro relax despite my words.

_He doesn't care...of course. It goes through one ear and out the other._

"You know, you _shouldn't _care about me or what I do- at least not for the reasons that you claim. We don't even know each other. I don't even know what your favorite color is!"

"It's blue," he answers before I can continue. Hearing him drop that, as if it'll help the root of my problem with him, prompts my eye to twitch sporadically when rage wells up inside me.

_"Are you making fun of me?"_ I demand, watching Rantaro hold up his hands in defense, ready to say something to fix his error. "I don't _care _about your favorite color, Amami! I'm trying to make a point! Buzz off and worry about someone else!"

"So the problem is that I'm annoying and you hardly know me. I would think knowing my favorite color would help us move in the right direction," Rantaro explains casually to my frustration. He doesn't get it.

"Uh, _no._ It won't. Your idea of worrying about me is lying, making _me _lie for you, locking me in rooms, and invalidating every attempt I make to get out of here!" I object heatedly, stamping a foot and nearly grabbing the nearest item next to me when I see his mouth twitch a little as if he's resisting a smile for a moment. He sobers up pretty quickly though when I snarl a bit his way, the taller teen frowning as his eyes meet mine.

"Well, Prairie, that's because your idea is committing suicide to reach that goal. Even when you're _not _actively trying to get us out, you try and step on Monokuma's toes passively when it isn't necessary. You're reckless, and regardless of me and my own shortcomings-"

_Good, he knows he's not Mr. Perfect._

"-you only seem to be thinking about yourself. What about the rest of us who aren't eager to be punished by Monokuma for _your _actions?"

"It's not like anyone else is trying to leave. As far as I can tell, you guys love it here," I snap, even though I feel a bit bad saying it. Maybe I'm going too far this time, but I can't stop now. They _need _to hear it.

"We-"

"If you're not going to risk your life to get out of a situation that will _take it _from you, then the rest of you are perfect for Monokuma's killing game. I won't die with you in this prison," I finish, allowing silence to invade the space of the warehouse. It isn't until then that I realize I'm extremely tense and breathing hard, causing me to relax a bit as I stare at Rantaro and wait for a response.

_Dealing with him is like riding a carousel. We're just going around and around- but getting absolutely nowhere with these arguments._

"...Can you at least help me wash off my face?" Rantaro asks next, sparking my irritation. I don't even know what to do now. I've already yelled at him as much as I could, but he won't leave me alone.

"Typical. You ask me what's wrong, I tell you, and you brush it off by being cute," I quip, crossing my arms and turning away to glare at something else.

Silence.

More silence.

Confused, I look back up to see Rantaro staring at me in mild surprise. My brow furrows and I cock my head slightly to the side. What did I do? Why is he looking at me like that? All I said was...

...

"I-I didn't mean it like that! You're not cute! You look _pathetic!" _I snap again, embarrassment coating my features before I turn in a desperate attempt to escape and realize my folly. I manage to get one leg up before his arms grab hold of my waist and wrangle me off of the shelf I'm trying to climb. Once I've been caught, he sighs in relief, making me curl up before he's swinging me up in his arms properly with a grin when I fluff my hair over my red face.

"Alright, well come help me clean off my pathetic face then since this is your fault," he states, making me grumble and call him a few choice names under my breath as he exits the warehouse with me. "...? Were you guys listening the entire time?"

"Sorry, we were just-" Kaito starts, before Tenko cuts him off to shout, "We were making sure nothing would happen to her being alone with a degenerate like you. And since thankfully nothing's happened, you can put her down now and leave her with me."

"...Tenko, if you'd been the one in there, we would all be out here for you as well," Ryoma comments casually.

"Um, Is she okay?" Kiibo speaks up next, right before I feel a small poke on my arm.

"Hahaha! Prairie Dog's embarrassed because she admitted she thinks Rantaro is cute!"

_Stupid leech faced prick._

"Don't make fun of her. She's allowed to like whoever she wants, she's a superstar," I hear Himiko defend, joined by Tenko when she jumps in to add, "Y-Yeah! Even if it does happen to be a degenerate male she's interested in!"

Tenko whimpers after a second upon admitting that.

"She's gonna help me clean this up, so we'll see you guys later," Rantaro says to the group, only moving a couple of feet away before I hear the sound of an annoying leechy laugh.

"I'm coming with you! I'm hanging out with Prairie Dog, so I'm not going anywhere she isn't! Besides, you could still _murder _her, and I gotta make sure the superstar stays alive!" Kokichi says, following us as Rantaro leads us to the bathrooms and stops outside with a bit of a scowl. Clearly he doesn't know which one to enter since I'm a girl, and he sets me down on my feet to keep a firm grip on my hand even when I try to yank away from him moodily.

"Let's just go in the boys bathroom. Prairie Dog seems to like it better anyways, considering she's stumbled out from there one time!" Kokichi laughs, making me throw him a sharp glare and once again resist the urge to kick him.

"Fine, we'll do that," Rantaro sighs, pushing open the door and dragging me in. As soon as Kokichi is inside with us, Rantaro releases my hand and makes a beeline for the supply closet, digging around while Kokichi leans back against the bathroom door with a sly grin. He's totally blocking the way so I can't make an attempt to run out while Rantaro's going through the supply closet. I wish he had just stayed in his stupid room. He'd be safer and less annoying for me in there. "Alright, there's two clean washcloths and I found dishwasher soap."

I make a face as I turn to watch him step out of the supply closet and shut the door with his hip, the guy reading the back of a pink bottle of the cleaning liquid. Sure, it's stronger than regular body scrub like we get for our showers and more likely to take off the permanent marker, but still. "You're gonna put _dishwasher_ soap on your face?"

Rantaro shuts his eyes for a moment and then looks up at me dryly.

"Yes, Prairie. I'm going to put dishwasher soap on my face. Because I need to clean off this mess that you decided to leave me," Rantaro explains frankly, pointing at all the kiss marks and the permanent marker on his face until I look down and shove all my curls over my own face. "Come on, you can't help me from all the way over there."

I make a noise of annoyance but walk towards him, taking one of the washcloths and turning on a sink with a frown.

"You can keep making that face, but don't forget you put yourself in this situation," Rantaro points out, removing his shirt and...

..._WAIT, WHY?!_

"Nee-hee-hee! Prairie Dog, you're turning into a tomato!" Kokichi laughs, only for Rantaro to quickly comment, "Kokichi, if you're just going to make fun of something she can't control, you can leave. I just don't want my shirt getting wet."

I relax substantially at Rantaro's words, peeking up at him through my hair and receiving a smile in response as he moves his shirt out of the way to reveal he's wearing a tank top underneath it to my immense relief. He then get down on his knees where I can reach him better, handing me the soap bottle to get to work. 

Eventually after some work scrubbing with our soapy washcloths to get most of the permanent marker off of his forehead, we're left with the two washcloths covered in black marker residue. There's just a shadow of the word left and it's hard to see it unless you really squint.

"Hm, we're gonna need another cloth. Mind checking the girls bathroom for another in the supply closet?" Rantaro asks as he stands up from being on his knees to rinse off his face again.

"U-Um, okay. I'll be back then," I answer, mildly surprised he's going to let me leave despite how reluctant he knew I was to be dragged in here.

_Technically I can just make a run for it and ditch him if I wanted to..._

"Wherever you go, I go too, Prairie Dog~!" Kokichi chirps as he opens the door for me, following me out and tossing Rantaro a big grin.

_Dang it. Guess not._

I throw Kokichi a look after the door to the boys bathroom closes behind him, making the teen smile wider as soon as we're alone. He waggles his eyebrows a little, eyes flicking towards the door to the boys bathroom with an insinuating look.

"You're literally the worst," I comment with a snippy tone, still pretty miffed at the fact that he made attempts to embarrass me in front of Rantaro so many times. "Do you ever get tired of being such a jerk?"

"Aww, I'm not a jerk! Besides...Rantaro doesn't seem to mind that you like him so much. In fact, you should be thanking me for making you look good for free! I could have charged you for the work I've done!" Kokichi points out, grinning sneakily at the absolutely unenthusiastic expression I sport as I stare at him.

"Making me 'look good'? I don't care if I look good to him, I feel _bad!"_ I snap, spinning around and stomping over to the girls bathroom a few feet away. "If you wanna play matchmaker, go get yourself dolls. Just butt out of my business!"

Kokichi laughs, not at all offended by my aggression. Before he can say anything however-

"Less arguing, more getting clean washcloths, you two," I hear Rantaro call from inside the boys bathroom with obvious vexation, making me shoot a sharp glare at the other door as Kokichi snickers and reaches out to take my hand.

"Sorry, Prairie Dog. You're a great toy to play around with~" Kokichi comments lowly, shooting me a mischievous grin that makes me reach out with my free hand to try and swat at him in frustration at that. I'm not a toy, I'm a _person!_

"Sometime, I'm going to kick your butt so hard you're still gonna feel it when you're wrinkly and old," I hiss quietly, trying to wrangle my hand out of his. "And stop holding my hand, I hate the feeling of your skinny bone fingers."

"Oh? But you seemed to like it earlier," he purrs quietly to my horror, suddenly catching my other hand and rubbing my gloved knuckles with his thumbs. My face catches fire and I snatch my hands back, grabbing the girls bathroom door with a snarl etched on my features as I stare him down. He just chuckles to himself at my look.

"You're gonna regret always teasing me and taking advantage of my problem with boys. Just you wait, Oma. You're gonna wake up one day and think, _'Ah, crap, I shouldn't have messed with Prairie Dog! I regret this completely!'"_ I tell him, his grin only getting bigger at my response.

"Sure, Prairie Dog. I'll let you believe that," Kokichi snickers before tapping gently on the bathroom door with a finger. "We going in then? We can make out in there if you'd like-"

I swat him one last time and promptly open the door as he snickers like mad.

_ **KRK**_ _**!** _

...

Both Kokichi and I stop dead in our tracks. For a second, all we can do is stare quietly- not at each other or the bathroom itself, but who's standing in the middle of the girls bathroom with their back facing us.

My eyes trail down their legs and I feel myself tense up as soon as I properly process what I'm looking at.

It's Kaede. She's fallen on the ground.

The person standing over Kaede turns, smiling just slightly when they see Kokichi and I at the doorway.

"Y-You don't have to worry about her anymore, Prairie! I've made sure she won't try to kill you again," Miu states almost hesitantly, her blazing blue eyes meeting mine before as I look back down at the other blonde lying at her feet. Kaede's moving a little...

And then I realize there's a scary amount blood starting to seep from the mess of blonde hair covering her face, creating a shocking pool of dark red underneath her frail form where she's collapsed.

"Miu, _what _**_did you do?"_** I can't help but blurt out in horror, feeling the color drain from my face as I race into the bathroom and crouch down by Kaede, the fabric of my suit already absorbing the uncomfortably warm liquid. "Kaede? Kaede!"

I pull her on my lap a little, feeling her tremble violently when I jostle her more than she can handle. The blood is coming from her head so-

I brush her hair aside a little and immediately regret it, feeling my heart nearly leap out of my chest when I catch a glimpse of just how bad of a state she's in and quickly cover her face with her reddening hair again. My stomach churns and my throat gets tight near the back as I try to keep myself from getting sick by taking a deep breath, resorting to rubbing her shoulder when I realize there's nothing I can do.

Kaede's won't be with us for much longer.

There's no telling what she's going through. I can't even begin to imagine it. She's shaking a lot and I can feel her hands weakly gripping my suit.

"It's going to be okay," I eventually lie to her, finding her hand and taking it in mine carefully. Her grip is feeble and her hands are clammy. "Don't worry, I'm right here."

I hear the sound of someone else running into the room and relax when I find Rantaro kneel down by me to see Kaede in my lap. I look away when he moves her hair out of her face, only glancing at Kaede again when I see him move her hair back in place and grimace out of the corner of my eye.

"S-She wanted to kill you though! I saw it! I was outside her lab when it happened! Prairie, you feel bad for someone like _that? _She wanted you dead!"Miu cries out in bemusement. 

She attacked Kaede because of me?

** _"...get out."_ **

I'm not sure if Miu does since I'm busy paying attention to Kaede and Kaede only, the pain in the back of my throat getting worse as the seconds of silence tick by. I can hear her making little bubbles from all the blood, struggling to bring air into the lungs that are blocked by broken tissue, bone, and the red fluid that should have kept her alive.

Now we're just waiting. A sickening sensation settles in my gut at that, dreading the moment she stops squeezing my hand. What will happen after?

"I'm sorry," I murmur after a second, squeezing her fingers in hopes that she can still hear me. "I'm so sorry."

I feel a hand rub my backside, but I can't tell who's doing that.

Kaede's fingers twitch...

And then she goes still.

...

...

_ **Ding dong, dong ding!** _

The monitor system in the girls bathroom switches on.

_"A _ _**body** _ _has been discovered! Everyone, please gather in the first floors girls bathroom!"_

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 2.16 - For Perfect Blitz_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)  

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>   



	29. Interlude i - Shuichi

❀ **_Interlude i - Shuichi_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

When the doorbell rings a few minutes short of twelve thirty AM, Shuichi is understandably concerned. He swings off of his bed where he'd been originally seated, going over tomorrow's plan one last time before turning out the lights. As he approaches his door, he feels a nervous twitch in his chest as he wonders who would be on the other side.

Nevertheless, Shuichi opens the door and relaxes when he sees Kaede's back, only to soon tense up again when she turns and smiles at him.

"Hi, Shuichi. Um, sorry to bother you so late. I was wondering if we could talk before tomorrow rolls over. There's something important I need to tell you," Kaede is first to speak, prompting Shuichi to step aside with an uncertain smile.

Shuichi knew something was wrong even before she opened her mouth, but as she speaks his curiosity grows more. She had to tell him something so important that it couldn't wait till tomorrow morning? It had to be something pretty serious, but Shuichi doesn't immediately press her for details. Instead, he closes the door behind her and the two of them take a seat side-by-side on his bed.

Kaede doesn't say anything for a minute or so, going silent as she stares down at her hands in her lap.

...

"Kaede, what is..." Shuichi eventually asks, finally getting the blonde to lift her head...and feeling his stomach plummet when he notices tears in her eyes. "K-Kaede?"

"Shuichi, I messed up," she trails off, eyes drifting aside like she's trying to distance herself from something. Whatever that might be, Shuichi won't know until she tells him.

Messed up? For a moment, Shuichi can only wonder what she means by that, unsure of how to make Kaede feel better. Should he hug her? No, that would probably be inappropriate. Maybe just holding her hand so she knows she has his support no matter wha-

"I tried to kill Prairie."

As the words leave her lips, a noticeable tension fills the air- one that snatches away Shuichi's bravery along with his words of encouragement.

"She's weird. She came to my door with Rantaro saying she forgave me...who does that?" Kaede asks rhetorically with a smile, managing an awkward laugh despite her tears now falling down her face. The droplets fall on her skirt, leaving little spots on it. "I don't even know what I was thinking. She found the shot-put ball I put in my backpack and confronted me about it, and then..."

Kaede leans forward and presses her hands against her face hopelessly with a sigh, wiping away her tears and clearing her nose and throat using a tissue from his night table. Who knew Kiibo's bland gift from yesterday would come in handy?

But...she had a shot-put ball? In her backpack? If she didn't know what she was doing, what was she doing with it in her possession?

"Kaede, what was the shot-put ball for? The one you had?" Shuichi hesitantly inquires, watching as Kaede looks up once her tears are wiped a bit.

"I...I didn't really know who, but... I meant to use it on the mastermind," Kaede confesses, ducking her head a little sadly.

Shuichi grimaces, throat dry.

"But...then you tried to kill Prairie thinking she was the mastermind without definitive proof," Shuichi confirms, making Kaede eventually nod hesitantly. Just going by her behavior right now. Going by her behavior right now, Shuichi can already tell Kaede didn't truly want to attack Prairie.

...

But...

"We can work past this. You didn't manage to hurt Prairie and by what you've said, she likely won't tell anyone other than Rantaro," Shuichi speaks up, only for Kaede to blink and tear up more. Startled, Shuichi starts to stammer, "It's okay, you- you don't need to cry! Don't be scared, we-"

"It's not _that,"_ Kaede blurts out, voice shaking. "A-Aren't you mad? I used your unfinished suspicions and jumped the gun going after Prairie. I didn't trustyour plan for the library that you worked hard to make. I almost _murdered_ someone, Shuichi."

Shuichi grimaces but then reaches out and finally takes Kaede's hand in his with a reassuring smile once she looks at him again. Kaede seems to relax a bit at this, simply at ease by the kind gesture.

"But nothing happened in the end. Prairie forgave you. It might seem like a crazy thing to do in your eyes, but I think I'm on Prairie's side with this. I mean, look. You came and told me about it too. Attempted murder is a serious slip-up, ah, maybe _more _than a slip-up...we're all under pressure here, it's only expected that some of us might snap a little given the circumstances."

The Ultimate Detective pauses to momentarily recollect his thoughts, giving Kaede time to wipe more of her tears away. She's genuinely guilty for her actions- no way is that just acting. She could have let everything be swept under the rug by Prairie's kindness, but she went out of her way to confide in Shuichi even though no murder actually occurred (thank goodness).

"I'll admit now that I do wish you would have waited till we had solid proof, just so I could have...I don't know...talk you out of such a brash choice of action. Murder is definitely not the answer, not even for the mastermind, but I think you know that now, right?" Shuichi manages a sympathetic smile when Kaede chuckles weakly, using the end of her sleeve to stop new tears from forming.

"You've got that right..." Kaede answers, blowing out a breath of relief. "You know, I actually came here fully expecting you to be angry with me- kind of like when Miu tried bad mouthing you about your hat. Both you and Prairie are crazy..."

She pauses and looks at Shuichi closely, laughing softly after noticing something.

"By the way, I like your hat and everything, but you look a lot more confident without it if you ask me. Hehe, you're even like me," Kaede jokes, making a little booping noise as she flicks a finger against the ahoge at the top of Shuichi's head. Shuichi blushes as the hair flicks back to its original position, having totally forgotten he'd taken off his hat and hadn't grabbed it when Kaede came in. He was so tired he hadn't noticed...! "You really do look like the Ultimate Detective."

Shuichi, still somewhat red in the cheeks, gives Kaede a hopeful smile.

"Thanks. Anyways...we'll move past this, okay? Don't worry about a thing. If you need to talk, my doorbell is always free for you to ring," Shuichi concludes, watching the blonde stand now that she's made her confession. She looks uncomfortable for a second as she flexes her hands and fingers at her sides, turning to look back at where Shuichi sits.

"Um...if...if you don't want me to help with catching the mastermind tomorrow, I'd understand," she speaks up again, seeming to get even more nervous as she adds, "And by catch, I mean nothing violent of course, just apprehending them."

Shuichi tilts his head to the side, casting her a gentle look.

"If you're still willing, I'd appreciate the help. After all, I _am _only an apprentice detective and there's only one of me, so having a second opinion and a second pair of hands would help a lot in this situation. I still believe in you, Kaede. We'll all get out of here together, and maybe after, you'll get even closer to Prairie. I know exactly what she sees in you. It's hope," Shuichi explains, watching as Kaede takes another breath to stabilize herself.

"If you two believe in me that much, then...We'll _definitely _all get out of here together! I swear it," Kaede exclaims, the bright light inside her flaring to life once again- just the way Shuichi is used to. It definitely brightens his night as she heads for the door, giving the Ultimate Detective a renewed smile of confidence. "I won't let either of you down this time!"

Shuichi believes her.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

So then, why?

_Why is _ _Kaede_ _ dead in the girls bathroom?_

Shuichi is pale as he passes the others that have gathered around the corpse on the ground, the group more or less maintaining a reasonable distance despite their clear morbid curiosity and discomfort. There's no light and no dignity in Kaede's state now, and peeking under her hair only serves to show she's died with no sympathy either.

There's angry voices all around him, accusations being thrown around to the point that Shuichi looks up as he tries to take his focus off of Kaede's face...or lack thereof.

His eyes drag over everyone until they land on the girl that's leaned back in Rantaro Amami's arms. She has a dead stare glued to Kaede's body and an obscene amount of blood covering her body from when she was cradling Kaede in her last moments.

Shuichi hardly needs to go up to her to know that she didn't want this to happen to Kaede either. Instead, he turns his attention to the other girl further in the bathroom, blood sprayed across her outfit and speckling her face as her anxious eyes flick around the group basically barricading her from leaving the bathroom.

"It was Miu!"

"Why Kaede though? Why'd it have to be her...?"

"Miu, it's time you explain yourself. What exactly drove you to take an action such as this? Is this the kind of person you truly are?"

"The fuck were you thinking?! We were going to get out of here together- _all of us!_ Why would you kill-?!"

"She tried to kill Prairie! I _already told you!" _Miu shouts, tears collecting in her eyes as she shrinks back from everyone. Now confronted by an angry mob and visibly outnumbered, her pride and her roar is torn down like tissue, but she clings to that motive despite everything.

"Atua tells me...that Miu is hiding behind this excuse because she needed a good enough reason to kill her way out!" Angie pipes up, the smile on her face as plastic as the one Kokichi wears at her side.

"Yeah, yeah! What Atua said! Miu's going straight down to HELL for this one! That's what Atua tells _me!"_ Kokichi jumps in, causing Angie's smile to go stiff as she turns her head to look at him. Kokichi returns the smile, fake but composed.

"...You can be Atua's next virginal sacrifice," Angie giggles after a second, unbothered when Kokichi grins and answers, "Okaaay~! I'm excited! I've always wanted to swan dive into a volcano! Besides that, this will be an easy trial though. Figures a dumb whore like Miu wouldn't be able to make such a clever murder mystery."

"Nyeh...we just need to vote her as the blackened and that's it, right? I'm tired and I wanna go back to my room already..." Himiko mumbles, eyes completely focused on the ground by her feet to avoid looking and Kaede's body.

Ryoma sighs, chewing on the stick between his lips a little more before removing it from his mouth to comment dryly, "Nope."

"That's probably how it wouldhave been, but..." Rantaro speaks up as well, hugging Prairie a bit tighter. "The _motive."_

_"_ _Righty_ _-o!"_

To no one's surprise but everyone's frustration, Monokuma bounds in with all the monokubs, Monotaro and Monophanie appearing less than thrilled to be there from what Shuichi can see by the looks on their faces.

"D-D-_DEAD...!" _Monophanie stammers wide eyed, letting out a fountain of blue fluids much like sparkling vomit when her eyes land on Kaede's corpse. "I-It's worse than I thought! It's not _Ugly _like I prayed to Atua it would be!"

Monophanie swings to look at Angie, who gives no change in her expression.

"Your god _lies!" _Monophanie cries, actual tears spilling from her eyes.

"Ahaha! Sounds like my type of god! Now I _really _wanna be thrown in a volcano for him!" Kokichi laughs in delight, clearly uncaring of the situation or simply playing off his discomfort. Whatever it is, Shuichi can't tell for the life of him.

How can anyone actually laugh when Kaede is dead though?

"Congratulations to the Ultimate Inventor, Miu Iruma! You've started the killing game and did the smart thing by taking advantage of the _First Blood Perk!_ You can now leave the premises and rejoin society as a _woman!"_ Monokuma cheers happily, elated as Monosuke blows a party popper behind him.

"I-I-" Miu stammers, clearly unsure of how to deal with what they're saying.

The more opinionated individuals in the group speak out, first starting with the ever silent Maki Harukawa.

"What? She really gets to leave just like that? No catch?" She asks bluntly, red eyes narrowed on Monokuma. Had it been anyone else, she'd probably have them cowering back, but Monokuma just hums and pats his belly with a grin.

"Absolutely! Because of the First Blood Perk!"

"You were _serious _about that? You're really going to reward Miu for what she did?! She _murdered someone!" _Kaito shouts, taking a step forward that prompts Kiibo and Gonta to grab onto him- likely to avoid another incident where his aggression to Monokuma will likely get him killed.

"I know! Isn't it great? Kaede Akamatsu is dead! Hm...had she succeeded in killing Miss Marble, I'd have probably been happier, but this will do too. I'll take what I can get for now! I'm sure she'll die eventually!" Monokuma brushes the query off, his two biggest supporters Monophanie and Monosuke behind him cheering at his words.

"That'll definitely be the best death _for sure! _Right, Monophanie? I hope someone slits open her stomach!" Monosuke laughs, his sister giggling right at his side.

Not unusual at least for Monodam, Shuichi can't help but look towards the blue and red bears, both of which look very uncomfortable where they're standing together.

"Monosuke! Monophanie! The Exisals should be repaired by now, you can get in gear with Monodam and escort our lucky winner here out of the killing game!" Monokuma orders, prompting the three bears in question to bound out of the bathroom past the legs of the students. "Congratulations once again, Miss Iruma! We will send a souvenir of your achievement to your home address in two business days! Normally we'll send eyes as a trophy, but...you kinda ruined them. Her fingers will have to do, I guess! They're the only pretty things left of her after all!"

"I don't..." Miu stammers, only to jump as the departed kubs reappear in their Exisals, Monodam picking Miu up and making her squeak in terror. They don't even wait one more second, zooming out with the Ultimate Inventor and leaving the rest of the group and Shuichi to stay with the burden of Miu's actions.

Shuichi can hardly believe all of this is really happening. Right when he was sure they'd get out of here...

Why was Kaede here? How did Miu manage to get her alone?

His observant eyes scan the bathroom floor, crouching on his toes until he spots what appears to be the cameras and motion sensor he'd requested Miy to make before. The tech has absorbed too much of Kaede's blood to be of any use now...not to mention one of the cameras are cracked and they hardly appear tinkered for the purpose he'd asked. Like Miu had been working on them and then stopped to configure them differently.

Shuichi reaches out for the broken tech and lets out a gasp of surprise, only darting his hand back a second or two after a shock wave runs up his hand when his thumb touches a metal part of the camera. Specifically the metal shutter button.

Something becomes a little clearer now. Miu, knowing this was meant to be hush-hush, brought Kaede here to give her the equipment and somehow tricked Kaede to press the shutter. The electrical device Miu reconfigured in the cameras made Kaede freeze for a moment and Miu struck at that point...right as Kokichi and Prairie happened to enter the bathroom, from what he heard.

His eyes trail to something a few feet around Kaede on her other side. It's a shot-put ball like the one Kaede said she attempted to use on Prairie...is it the same one? Or did Kaede put hers back and this is a different one?

Shuichi rolls the ball around towards him, avoiding getting anymore blood on the evidence as he tries to piece together the scene of the crime. He wouldn't be able to sleep not knowing. Why did Kaede die in here?

...

It's a regular shot-put ball, one covered with the liquid life of Kaede. Nothing more, nothing less. He can't tell if it's Kaede's, as he never saw the one she was in possession of.

What Shuichi can make out, it seems Kaede came in advance to get the camera and equipment from Miu herself in preparation for their plan. She was probably so reinvigorated by both Prairie and his own statements of forgiveness for her actions...and paid the price as Miu said she'd witnessed the ordeal as well. Miu clearly wasn't as forgiving as Shuichi or Prairie.

Miu killed Kaede to protect Prairie, but there has to be some truth in the comment Angie proposed. She was looking for justification to commit murder. At that thought, Shuichi can't help but wonder if Miu would have killed _him _had he gone to get the cameras. They wouldn't have had to enter the secluded bathroom since he's a boy...

Maybe he should have suggested Kaede _not _to help him. She wouldn't have been near Miu if that were the case...right?

Shuichi stands up. He doesn't want to look any further. There's nothing else he needs to know. Miu lured Kaede in with the promise of their finished cameras and then killed her.

"One last thing I need to do and you can go about your day thanking Miss Iruma in prayer for saving everyone from _almost-_inevitable demise!" Monokuma announces, cheer in his voice as Shuichi turns and looks at him. Just as he does, however, Monokuma turns and faces Monotaro to everyone's surprise. In the time that Shuichi was studying how Kaede died, the other three kubs had returned and were talking about Miu's successful departure. "My beautiful, sweet, innocent kubby-wubby...you've been very bad, haven't you?"

Monotaro freezes up, the other kubs besides Monokid hopping back from him to flank Monokuma instead. When Monokid doesn't move, Monophanie has to jump back and drag him to their side despite his obvious reluctance. Shuichi, sensing something off, steps back from Kaede's body and steps over to Rantaro's and Prairie's side.

Prairie appears highly alert again, Shuichi noticing how Rantaro tightens his hold around the shorter girl when she tenses up.

Seems like Shuichi's speculation of Prairie being more than just "a little nice" with Monotaro was right on the mark...but _Rantaro _seems to know about it. He wouldn't tighten his grip on her if he didn't think she would bolt to try and save Monotaro from whatever is about to happen to him.

"Wha-no! I haven't done anything," Monotaro answers, but he's visibly perspiring. What's going on? Was Prairie...in more contact with Monotaro than he initially thought?

"Sure you have. You've been sneaking off so much- did you really think I wouldn't notice? Did you think I didn't see you and _that idiot_ meeting in secret with Miss Marble?" Monokuma asks, jabbing a paw Monokid's way and making the blue bear flinch.

In secret...so wait...then! Monotaro has _betrayed _Monokuma? Is that possible?

"What did you tell her? What does she know?" Monokuma inquires. He's really asking that in front of the whole group like this? Doesn't he care that Monotaro will potentially spill the same secrets he ordered Prairie to stay silent about?

Or is it that Monokuma knows that Monotaro is beyond bringing back to his side and knows he's far more loyal to Prairie at this point?

...

"Nothing," Monotaro denies again.

"Say that again and see where it gets you~!"

"I'm not telling you anything! I don't care! Prairie is nice to me, you don't even _care _about us!" Monotaro suddenly explodes, lashing out despite how more or less docile he's been recently. "I remember things better around her! I _like _her! I hope her and everyone here gets out and becomes friends just like Kaede said! The only thing I'll ever regret is not _stepping on you myself with the __Exisal__! I HATE YOU!"_

There's an actual explosion this time- a cloud of smoke rolling over everyone and causing a series of coughs and complaints until the bathroom door is thrown wide open to ventilate out all the smog. Once it clears...

"Oh dear...Miss Marble really corrupted him, didn't she?" Monokuma sighs sadly, giving a terrible show of mourning over his bear son by wiping a non-existent tear from the corner of his right eye and tossing a device with a red button on it up and down from his paw. "My poor, lost, baby kubby."

Did Monokuma...detonate a _bomb _in Monotaro?!

"HOLY SHIT!" Both Monokid and Monosuke blurt out, eyes wide as they grab onto each other in horror while Monophanie violently vomits another pool of glitter blue liquid. Monodam is as stoic as ever, but even he seems discomfied by this discovery as the other bears are, leaning back a little as the flying bits of the machine once named "Monotaro" hits the floor here and there.

Although Shuichi is wary of the kubs and never actually liked any of the bears, he peeks a glance at Prairie to observe her reaction. He almost regrets it, but forces his gold eyes to study the sad look on her face as she stares at the charred ground where Monotaro once stood.

Shuichi, and the others too, only have to endure mourning Kaede.

Prairie has to deal with the demise of both Kaede _and _Monotaro, and just because he didn't connect with the kub doesn't mean he lacks the empathy to understand at least on a surface level.

Whatever she's feeling inside however, Shuichi isn't privy to it. He won't know unless he asks her, on the condition she even gives him an answer at all. She has been upset with him ever since he skipped out on answering her questions, so the chances of him winning her trust soon are slim to none. Especially since it seems she's a bit harsher when it comes to the male gender- at least as far as he's seen.

Not that he'd ever say it to Prairie's face. He saw her slap Kokichi so hard he almost lost his balance once, and he'd rather not be on the receiving end of her wrath.

"Hey, so...that only happened because he was a _bad _kubby. The rest of you, remember your place and everything should go smoothly, okie dokie? Don't let Miss Marble corrupt you too! Especially you, _Monokid__. _We're gonna chit-chat later...if you don't wanna end up like red, sweaty, and stupid here, then you'd better listen to everything I say and answer everything I ask!"

"Y-Yes, Monoku- I mean, _Father!" _Monokid corrects himself. Just as Monokuma exits the bathroom, so does Monokid. He's obviously in a hurry, likely due to his panic at being called out after Monotaro's untimely demise.

"...This bathroom will be closed until six PM, so if you have the need to pee, please share the boys bathroom for now!" Monophanie soon regains the skip in her step, Shuichi already feeling like all the life has been sucked out of him.

There was no trial for this murder and Miu got to leave the killing game scot-free. She's _out _of the killing game- a survivor. But at what cost? She'll have to live with what she's done for the rest of her life. On the other hand though...

The killing game has started. If Shuichi feels like _this _after a murder, how does anyone expect to get through a _class trial _if another murder happens again? They'll have to debate, point fingers, find the truth and separate it from the lies.

_"I still believe in you, _ _Kaede_ _."_

Shuichi replays the words in his head from the night before as he lingers in the hallway, most of the other jarred students already having migrated out of there. Unsurprisingly, there's little to no conversation among them, and soon Shuichi is by himself in the hall, staring down at his blood stained fingers. He should probably wash them.

...

So with that, he makes his way into the boys bathroom, the door closing quietly behind him and leaving the hallway completely empty as a result.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End Arc 2: Killing Resistance_** ❀

_ ...next... _

❀ **_Arc 3: Poisonous Truths_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)
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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)
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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)
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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)
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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)
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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)
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> [String Theory Interlude.i Cover](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188923180815/string-theory-interludei-shuichi)
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>   



	30. Confide

❀ **_3.1 - Confide_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Prairie, that's enough, you don't have to-"

Rantaro flinches and shuts up when I smack the sopping wet washcloth on his cheek to silence him, water splashing on the both of us as I clean up the rest of his kiss stained face. After I finish scrubbing his face free of lipstick, I let him get back up and rinse his own face off as I wait for him to finish.

Of course, we returned to his room to finish cleaning him up. Kokichi however, went back to his own room as well, but I couldn't care less about where he's gone, to be honest.

_I can't believe that stupid jerk had the gall to laugh and crack jokes when __Kaede_ _died. Him _**_and_ **_Angie. Who does that? What's wrong with them? Don't they even care __Kaede__ is gone?_

"Prairie, wait," Rantaro stops me when I turn to leave, making me sigh and look back at him. What for? I know it's morning still and we have the whole day ahead of us, but...I just want to go back to my room and hole up for a bit. Specifically, _alone._

"Rantaro, I'm soaked in blood from head to toe and Kaede just died in my arms. On top of that, she was killed in my name and her killer was released with zero consequence. It's been a long morning. If you're going to ask me to stay..." I trail off tiredly, only for Rantaro to continue with the simple request, "Come back here when you're cleaned up then? Please?"

I give him a dubious look. Why?

"I don't know about you, and I don't want to assume anything, but...I could use some company for a while after that," he explains, looking somewhat embarrassed despite this insistent glint in his soft green eyes.

I can see right through his claim though.

_He's only saying that because he thinks _ ** _I _ ** _need the company, isn't he? Rantaro mentioned before that if it wasn't for him trusting me or liking me, he'd slink off to think alone. This lying green haired idiot..._

"If you're worried about me, can you just say it rather than make up dumb illogical excuses like-"

"I'm worried about you," he immediately switches tactics- so fast that I can't help but call him out on it with my own irritated quip of, "About-face."

Rather than pay attention to the fact that I'm blatantly pointing him out to be a weirdo, Rantaro simply continues with what he wants to say.

"You in particular were heavily tied to what happened in the bathroom- with Kaede, Miu, and Monotaro. In my mind, that's a recipe for a reckless Prairie to cause some kind of uproar."

I wince a bit at that but say nothing. He's sorta right, I'll give him that. I'm frustrated and I wish I could dropkick Monokuma into the sun with an Exisal since this is all his fault. My friends were manipulated and he threw Monotaro away like he was garbage. Sure I feel exhausted _now, _but maybe later- especially if I'm alone- I'll potentially fall into a spiral of negative thoughts.

That's not something I want right now.

"A-Alright then. I'm gonna clean up and I'll come back here when I'm done," I agree with a small sigh of resignation.

Rantaro looks absolutely elated by my agreement, relief coating his features as he grabs my hand and pulls me into a bear hug before pressing a kiss to the crown of my head.

...wait.

_What._

Rantaro pulls away quickly at that, hands up and cheeks red with stunned shock from his own actions. A sheepish laugh escapes him and he suddenly looks uncomfortable under my gaze as I stare at him for a response to the fact that he's done something so out of character.

"Sorry, ah- I hope this doesn't make you mad like last time, but I forgot you're not one of my sisters. My bad," he laughs awkwardly as he scratches the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "I'm just happy you're not going to fight me on this."

I grab my hair and pull it over my face when I feel all the blood vessels expand under the skin of my cheeks like fire. Along with this is a sudden inexplicable rush of guilt as thick as tar settling in my thorax. I'm embarrassed and I feel happy...but what right do I have to feel good when Kaede and Monotaro are gone?

"Prairie?" Rantaro asks when I'm frozen in place for longer than expected, hair still covering my features when I feel tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes.

_I was hoping I'd be able to make it to my room before the tears hit- if they would hit at all._

"Do you need to sit down for a moment?"

I shake my head, still standing in place. Obviously, Rantaro can tell I don't feel good, but he can't tell I'm literally in tears right now. Once I can manage, I turn away from him and make my way to the exit. Before I can open the door, he catches my hand again so I halt momentarily.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I-" Rantaro begins to apologize again until I whirl back around to face him and give him a startle when I drop my hair and wrap my arms around him. I don't trust my voice to keep steady if I speak, so I remain silent as I will my guilt to go away.

I shouldn't feel this way. I shouldn't be guilty over the fact that I'm alive. I shouldn't feel guilty for feeling even the smallest amount of joy in the moments after Kaede's death. Life goes on. _I _didn't kill Kaede.

And yet, I can't help but feel like I'm just as much to blame as Miu for Kaede's death. Like I'm as responsible for the groundwork Monokuma set up to cause such distrust between Kaede, Miu, and I.

Rantaro wraps his arms around me even though he's clearly confused about whether I'm this upset over his accidental "sibling treatment" kiss. To my relief, he doesn't ask about it anymore, resorting to allowing me a moment to regain my bearings in silence.

Once I think I've gotten a hold of the tears, I step back from Rantaro's embrace quickly and turn to rush out of his room towards my own on the double. He makes a noise of surprise at my sudden sprint out of there, but he doesn't call for me or give a chase since he can see me heading up to the second story where my room is. I hear him close his room door once I open the door to my own room and-

...

"Get out," I growl at the invader in my room, reaching up to wipe the last of my tears with the back of my gloves since I'm still mostly covered in Kaede's blood.

"Huh?! But I was waiting in here for so long! Hey, are you crying? Again? You sure cry a lot for someone that knew all of this was coming. You should relax! We aren't dead! And eventually we're all going to get out of here and be the very _bestest of friends!_" Kokichi exclaims in excitement from his spot extended across my bed, wiggling his feet.

_At least he had the decency to not put his dirty shoes on my bed._

It sounds so peppy the way Kokichi says it- not to mention insensitive and mocking since us getting out of here and becoming friends was _Kaede's _idea.

_"Get. Out." _I repeat, watching as he rolls over to peer at me upside down so his unruly locks all point down towards the earth due to gravity. He's got a plastic smile on his face, violet eyes searching my expression for something.

"You don't want to be the bestest of friends with me, Prairie Dog?"

"No. I'd rather stick my hand in a running blender than be friends with a sick freak like you," I practically spit out, watching Kokichi sit up properly to swing his legs playfully at the edge of my bed. The expression on his face gives off waves of amusement by my insult, only putting a saltier flavor in my mouth since I intended for my statement to hurt him.

"A 'sick freak'? Ouch, Prairie Dog, what did _I _do to you? Aww, if this is 'cause I follow you around and love you _soo _much, I'm sowwy~"

_Ingenuine._

"Both you and Angie disgust me. If you wanna keep cracking jokes and mocking the dead, do it away from me."

Kokichi blinks owlishly, _"ohhh"_-ing in understanding before offering me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry! Would it be better if I bawled my eyes out like you are? Will it make you feel better if I fall apart like a cracked egg? Will it be more useful if I stop to mourn the death of a person that intended to kill someone who just so happens to be- hmm, oh, that's right, _you?" _Kokichi slowly gets less cheerful and more dry as he speaks, eyes narrowing on me. I don't even blink at the change, but I have to resist the urge to spit on his face. Rantaro would get real mad if I did that- even to a heartless leech like Kokichi.

"No. You just need to shut up and walk away. Trust me, people would thank you for it," I snap at him as I enter my room and walk over to where he is on my bed.

"Who knew Prairie Dog was such a savage...okay! I promise to never talk about Kaede getting face modifications from Miu like it's a joke! In fact, she looks lovelier now than ever before! Like something from Picasso-"

I grab the front of Kokichi's coat and close my eyes, thinking back to the time I saw Tenko flip Rantaro like a rag doll. Using my intuition, I steady my center of balance and turn immediately after grabbing one of his arms, pulling as hard as I can and flipping Kokichi over my shoulder and onto the carpet floor of my room. He lands with a breathless grunt as I knock all the air out of his lungs, my hand snatching the knife Monotaro resupplied me with days before and holding the blade over Kokichi's throat.

_Well, my behavior right now is definitely worse than spiraling down an endless loop of negative thoughts, but I don't want to stop. Some one needs to teach this leech a lesson, and if no one else is going to step up to the plate, then I'll do it like I do freaking _ **_everything else._ **

_Besides...Rantaro doesn't need to know this happened. He probably won't believe Kokichi anyways, he's a bigger guy than dinky little me._

Kokichi coughs a little and then catches his breath again, smiling up at me cheerily from where his head is propped on my leg to keep my knife at his neck. "Well, well, well...! You and Miu must have a lot more in common than I thought!"

"Give me a reason not to kill you."

"Ah...I'll give you three. I'm cute, charming, and charismatic! Right? _Riiight?" _Kokichi snickers with a wink, calling out my bluff by easily reaching up to press my knife away by a finger to the edge of the blade. When he sees what part of the blade I had pressing to his throat, he laughs. "Nee-hee-hee! You're so cute, Prairie Dog! Even like this, you can't even give a better show to make me think you want to hurt me. What are you planning on cutting with the sharp end facing _away_ from me?"

"Idiot, I don't actually want to hurt you, _I want you to get out of my-"_ I start, just as Kokichi snatches the knife from my hand, tossing it to the side and whipping out his fancy switchblade with the dice at the end. He shoves me back on the ground and holds it up to my throat, the sharp end definitely resting on my skin just like it did when he found me after Kaede's initial failed murder attempt on me.

"If you _really _want to be seen as a threat, you need to commit to what you're threatening to do to the edge. Toe the line purposefully without crossing it- you feel me, Prairie Dog? Don't be so wishy-washy," Kokichi instructs, making me open my mouth and promptly fall silent when I realize what he's doing. What he's _been _doing- all without me noticing till now.

"Wait a minute...! You're training me to be as much of a prick as you! _Get out!" _I bark, struggling against his hold so he's forced to pull his knife away to avoid actually cutting me in such a dangerous place.

"Ah, I was _wondering _when you would notice!" Kokichi cheerfully comments, putting his knife away and standing up to fold his arms behind his neck and stroll towards my door. "Ah, my job here is done~"

_Job? What job?_

When Kokichi looks back to see my curious expression on the floor, he grins slyly.

"I knew you were upset with me already. I just needed to get you to remember why you love me so much, Prairie Dog! So...am I still a 'sick freak'? Rather than judge me for how _I_ cope and respond to death, why don't you focus on more important things? Seriously. _Get off my back._"

My expression darkens as he turns to leave, my left hand finding the knife where he'd thrown it from my grasp.

I stand up and close my eyes, flipping the dagger to hold it by the blade and pulling my arm back to throw the knife with an aggressive swing of my arm and torso towards him. The moment the blade leaves my hand, I open my eyes and see the dagger slip straight past Kokichi's neck like an arrow, causing the teen to stop dead in his tracks as it keeps flying past him. It continues forward, but soon loses speed to the point it evidently clatters somewhere below on the first floor.

For a second I wonder if I actually made my mark, until I see Kokichi's bandanna come loose and drop before Kokichi catches it. He turns to look at me quietly, his neck completely untouched by the blade I threw so close to it. There's no surprise on his face, or any other expression for that matter, leaving him standing there as he holds his cut bandanna and stares at me.

However, that all changes in a moment when he grins and his eyes light up in awe after a few more seconds.

_"Whoa! _That was _so cool, _Prairie Dog! How did you-"

I promptly slam the door shut on his face, ending the conversation just like that.

Thankfully as I shower, he doesn't try to break back into my room. One concerning thing about my room is the fact the shower is easily seen through and in the same room as my bed due to constraints in space. That means, Kokichi could potentially break in while I'm at my most vulnerable.

Of course this makes me hyper paranoid as I stare at the door like a hawk, forcing my burning eyes to stay open even when water and soap starts to get in them as a result of lathering and rinsing.

Once I've completed my shower, I momentarily contemplate shoving something in front of the door for future showers, but evidently just give up on the idea when I see what I'm limited to. Instead, I walk over to my dresser...and grimace at my options.

Or rather, my _lack _of options, since everything I've got is already used and dirty, save for my second set of pajamas. Thing is, it's too...small to wear around a boy. I can't go back to Rantaro's room in dirty clothes- of _either _type!

Just as I'm about to wing it on my return to Rantaro's room and simply chill in my room, I'm startled by a knock on my door. 

_Augh, don't tell me it's Rantaro...! Okay, okay, just don't open the door, that's all. Call from this side of the door._

"W-Who is it?" I ask, making a face at my usual stammer. Hm, I wish that would go away...it's embarrassing.

"It's me! Oh, I mean- Tsumugi here!"

I breathe a sigh of relief, opening my door for her to come in and half-hiding behind the door in my undies as she enters. She's carrying a bag of something and smiles when she turns to see me.

"Oh, good, you're not wearing anything!" Tsumugi observes, making my cheeks flush as I cross my arms over my chest until she pulls something out of that bag of hers. "This is just a first trial cosplay to make sure I measured everything right. Kaede was actually the one that suggested I make this cosplay. I was hoping she'd see it before the time limit, but..."

She trails off and seems to space out for a moment, making me sigh sympathetically in agreement. This snaps her out of it though, and she then sets out the cosplay on my bed.

It's nothing I can think of as familiar, but the dress is really pretty- albeit a bit too mature with the slit on the side that goes up farther than it probably should on someone my age.

"This is a cosplay for a character Kaede and I were talking about when we were doing our nails before! This is 2B from the action-roleplaying game _NieR: Automata!_ She's a combat android," Tsumugi explains, making me raise an eyebrow her way.

_I didn't think Kaede was the type to play video games..._

I brush away my guilt again and pick up the first layer, a white and black body suit of the likes that I'm sure will make me feel insecure.

"Since this is your first time cosplaying, it's good to ease into it with something simple like this. Next time, we can play with your hair and makeup!" Tsumugi says, helping me with stepping into the outfit since most of the buttons and ties are more for aesthetics and less for utility ease. There's pretty much no way for me to dress or undress myself with this thing...and part of me feels like that was intentional on Tsumugi's part.

At first I was sorta relieved I could wear something else and keep my word to Rantaro. It looked concerning _before _putting it on, but looking in the mirror with it on now...

"I feel like a prostitute," I bluntly state, pulling a bundle of my curls over my face as Tsumugi adjusts my headband and laughs at my statement.

"No! Being a little sexy isn't bad, Prairie~! You look super cute!" Tsumugi says behind me, just before I hear the snap of a camera shutter and turn my head to look at her. When my eyes jump down to see a camera in her hands, I gasp a little.

"A-Are you photographing me?"

"What? No, of course not," she answers, followed by another shutter when she presses the capture button despite me staring straight at her midst her actions.

"You _are," _I gape quietly at the fact her mouth is denying what her hands are actively doing. Figures the Ultimate Cosplayer wouldn't be able to help herself taking a few photographs. 

Just when I think it can't possibly get any more humiliating, a knock sounds at the door.

_Oh no, this time it probably really_ _**is** __Rantaro!_

"Prairie? You doing okay in there?" I hear his deep velvety voice from the other side, causing my heart and stomach to constrict violently.

"Oh, Rantaro! Wait till you see- I caught her just coming out of the shower and got her to try on the 2B cosplay Kaede suggested before!" Tsumugi calls out, opening the door with zero shame to let him right in. "See?! Doesn't she look so...so...? Prairie? Where'd you go?"

"Prairie? Come on out, I'm sure it can't be that bad," I hear Rantaro laugh a little as I hide under my bed like a pathetic wimp. It's the most obvious place to hide, and literally the first place Rantaro looks to find me all curled up to hide myself. He smiles at the sight and holds out a hand to me silently, waiting for me to grab it on my own accord.

_What was Kaede thinking suggesting a cosplay like this to Tsumugi?_

Evidently, I swallow down my pride and grab his hand, letting him help me out from under until I'm up and standing on my own.

When I'm out though, he pauses and suddenly frowns a bit when he fully sees what I have on, scanning my outfit for a long second before-

"Tsumugi. Isn't this outfit a little revealing in some areas?" He seems unable to resist addressing, turning his head to look at Tsumugi with a critical eye of disapproval.

_I knew it! I'm not crazy, it_ **_is_**_ too mature! Why'd I let myself get charmed out from under the bed by his stupidly stupid good looks again?! I mean...I can see that cut on my chest from when I was climbing the wall too._

"Of course a man like you would never understand the necessity of a woman's need for bodily freedom..." Tsumugi comments shadily, her words salty but her pride remaining intact despite Rantaro's sharp look trained on her. I snatch my hands out of Rantaro's to grip the slit of the dress closed at my side and throw my other arm over my chest with a squeak of shame.

"I-I don't have anything else to wear...my room was fixed but I only got a few outfits unlike the rest of you," I explain in embarrassment.

Rantaro sighs in resignation, even though Tsumugi looks extremely proud of her work.

"Well, as long as it keeps you occupied," Rantaro comments to my confusion. Occupied? Rantaro smiles a little when I tilt my head to the side curiously, his hands reaching out to adjust my headband a little bit. "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

I don't say anything else on it, even once my brain makes the connection of what Rantaro is talking about. Kaede is dead...and even though I watched her die, it still doesn't really feel real yet. It's such a strange feeling to have someone disappear so suddenly. She's not coming back, but it still feels like I could walk into the game room or to her door and that she could reappear again.

Maybe Kokichi is right to make the effort not to fall apart over her death- at least not yet. Maybe it's his way of making sure I don't lose my focus on the fight with Monokuma and the killing game.

Maybe...

Ah, who am I kidding. Kokichi's just a leech. And a liar.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I wake up with a startle- moments after a bad dream in which I roll over in bed to find Kaede invading my space.

After seeing her face in the bathroom, I knew I'd have nightmares about it. The only way I could possibly describe her state without my stomach rolling would be a smashed in porcelain doll.

The first time I wake up, everything is smooth and calm. I sleep for an hour and Rantaro hardly notices anything wrong since I don't jolt upright. He seems to notice a bit of a white lie in my words when I mention I'm fine and roll over to get a little more sleep, but he doesn't call me out on it.

The second time I wake up from Kaede's appearance in what starts off as a dream about pastries and nectarines, I find Rantaro has retired his book to take a nap beside me. Naturally, I of course panic a little, but manage to relax my nerves so I don't wake him up and instead shoot him a look after his earlier critique of Tsumugi's cosplay on me. After checking to see what stupid book a dummy like him has been so invested in (_20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_), I eventually curl back up and make an effort to keep napping.

The third time is the worst.

I laugh as a water balloon hits Kaito Momota, the teen howling with laughter as I dodge an attack from his badly aimed throw in favor of pelting him with a water balloon of my own.

"That's right, Prairie Dog! Show him what you're made of!"

At that compliment, I whirl around because I don't trust the voice, just in time for a water balloon to smack my shoulder and blast a splash of cold water over me that makes me pull up a leg and hug myself with a squeal at the chilly temperature in comparison to my otherwise warm body.

"You _leech!" _I giggle, getting in a pitchers position and hurling a water balloon straight at him with no mercy. "HA!"

It connects with the back of his head, causing him to basically eat dirt as I laugh from where I am.

"She shoots, she _scores! _How about that, Oma? I told you I'd make you regret always teasing me!" I snicker evilly, jumping up and down with delight.

"HIII-YAH!"

I yelp again when a water balloon soaks my backside, followed by another assault from someone else behind me. When I hear a familiar peppy laugh, I realize Angie has double-teamed with Tenko to take me down and grin.

"Ohh, that's it! I'm getting _all of you _now!" I snicker, closing my eyes to activate my intuition. After all, the killing game is over and we escaped Monokuma! I can use it for whatever I want!

I snatch up water balloons and pelt them left and right, hearing the occasional grunts and breathless gasps as I deliver the onslaught of divine justice.

Shuichi makes almost no indication when I get him, but I can't help but laugh at the sound of Kiibo's hilarious scream of terror. Good thing he's water-proof, or he'd have to sit out on all the fun!

By the time I'm sure I've gotten everyone, I stop throwing water balloons and half bend over to catch my breath. Thankfully in the time I was throwing the water balloons from the bucket beside me, the water had gotten somewhat warmer from the sun. I felt some of it splatter over me, including my face, so I wipe my eyes thoroughly with a breathless laugh.

"Told you I'd get all of you! How did you guys not even get me once though? I had my eyes closed and didn't even move from this spot, I mean-"

I open my eyes and my voice dies out in my throat.

At first, it takes a second to process the hue of liquid splattered all over my body, feeling my smile fall when I see the crooked tiles of a familiar school floor- separated by weeds and rogue grass patches. My heart lurches at the pink color that covers my body and the floor, causing my stomach to roll.

My head snaps up and I immediately regret looking, hearing a strangled noise escape me when I realize everyone's spread out laying dead all around me surrounded by shot-put balls. Everyone has their Ultimate Outfits on rather than their bathing suits, and as I look at each face around me- Gonta's, Himiko's, Korekiyo's, Rantaro's, Maki's- their faces are all broken and shattered.

I let out another noise as I see their faces, resisting the urge to vomit. The smell of blood, coppery and salty, is pungent in the air. _Overpowering._ I can practically taste it in my mouth.

My heart pounds violently when I look down to see the bucket of shot-put balls I'd been grabbing from, rather than water balloons.

_I can't look at them...I need to get out of here-!_

I whirl around and trip over a ball, landing square on the body of a person that hadn't even been present during the water balloon match at the start. Seeing Kaede's face all smashed in so close to my own causes my heart to lurch and I let out a cry of horror, trying to scramble away until her arms snap up and grab my shoulders.

Terrified and just wanting to get away, I struggle violently and reach for something- _anything._

I find a shot-put ball. Lifting it up, I shove Kaede and-

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_"Oof-!"_

I open my eyes in time to see myself hit Rantaro in the face with a pillow. His grunt is muffled, but once I realize what I'm doing, I snatch the pillow away and push away from him to look around the room quickly.

"Prairie, you're okay," I hear Rantaro reassure me carefully as my head turns every which way before landing on him. "You were having a nightmare."

My breathing is still broken and my heart is still beating erratically, but once I'm sure I'm not about to see Kaede's face suddenly appear out of nowhere, I start to relax.

"Sorry..." I mumble, embarrassed he had to deal with this mess of mine.

"Prairie, there's nothing to be sorry about, you didn't _ask _for a nightmare. No one does. But...do you want to talk about it? It might help if we address the root of the issue and make it less scary," Rantaro suggests, making me quickly shake my head in response. At my answer, he sighs and rubs the back of his neck helplessly, opening his mouth to say something and promptly pausing when as he looks closer at me. "Oh no, Prairie, don't cry-"

The second he says that and I reach up to find water collecting in the corners of my eyes, I gather my hair up over my face. When he starts to pull me towards him, I yank my arm back and shift away from him.

"Prair-"

_"I'm not crying," _I object, hearing Rantaro blow out a low breath and give up trying to pull me over when I refuse his pull again.

"Okay, my mistake. You aren't crying," he agrees after a moment, instead getting around my attitude to shift closer and come to me instead so he can put an arm around my shoulder. "Just relax, I can at least tell you're stressed out. It's okay if you need a moment."

I don't exactly agree with that last part, but I make an effort to calm myself down a little when he manages to get me to lean on his shoulder. How stubborn can he be? Why can't he just sit there and patiently wait for me to finish being dramatic? I don't need coddling or cuddles! They're dumb anyways!

..._It was just so gory. I can't get her face out of my head. I can't even remember what Kaede's face normally looked like, and I saw her less than twenty-four hours ago!_

"We can go to the dining hall and get some tea if you want?" Rantaro suggests after a small silence falls over us. My breathing has slowed to a normal pace at this point and at that idea, I manage a nod and wipe my eyes.

He gives me all the time I need to fix my hair in a less ratty appearance and pull on my heeled boots Tsumugi supplied me with for the cosplay. The moment I'm okay, I stand up and head for the door, Rantaro following me and letting me step out first.

"Good evening, you two. How are you two doing tonight?" Kirumi asks, making both of us look past her to see the "night" sky outside. Seems like it's only the early night, so the dining hall should still be opened.

"Honestly, could be better. We're going to get some tea from the dining hall, would you like to join us, Kirumi?" Rantaro offers, prompting the Ultimate Maid to smile as we join her.

"Of course. I'd love to serve the two of you," Kirumi answers, making Rantaro and I share a look of mild amusement.

I laugh a little, watching as Kirumi blinks with this pleasant, patient look on her face. She's hardly ever phased by things, it's actually pretty impressive. "No, y-you don't need to serve us this time. We're inviting you as a friend, not as the Ultimate Maid," I clarify with a smile.

"So that is your request then? To accompany you for tea?" Kirumi inquires, determination in her gray-green eyes.

"I mean-" I start to say with an uncertain smile, Rantaro cutting in to pat my head warmly so I know he's going to take care of the rest.

"Yes, that's right. That's our request," Rantaro answers simply, making me blink up at him in surprise

"Very well, I accept your request," Kirumi pleasantly obliges, turning away to lead us out of the dormitory building.

When I look at Rantato, he gives me a smile and taps his temple with a charming wink. "Gotta invite her the Kirumi way or we'll be here forever. Trust me," he explains, making me giggle as he takes my hand to catch us up with Kirumi.

"By the way, Prairie, would you like me to adjust your dress properly? I must say, it's rather revealing...I have a sewing kit at hand that I can use to reduce the skirt slit and fix the cut at the bust to hide more of your cleavage," Kirumi speaks up to my embarrassment. Once again, I snatch my hand out of Rantaro's to hold the skirt slit together and cover my chest.

"I-It's Tsumugi's cosplay and she's forbidden alterations to it, unfortunately," I explain with red cheeks I can't hide since I'm busy covering my body. At my response, Kirumi lets out a small hum of understanding as we walk through the courtyard.

"That's perfectly fine, I understand. The necessity of a woman's need for bodily freedom," Kirumi acknowledges, prompting me to frown a little in confusion. Her too? What is this weird phrase they're tossing around? I don't want bodily freedom, I want clothes that cover my body! Is that too much to ask for?

When we get to the kitchen, we're surprised to see someone already there with an untouched mug of tea. Kirumi seems unperturbed, but I can't help but pause at the doorway hesitantly. All of a sudden, my memories of my nightmares resurface and I soon hurry to rejoin Rantaro's side, the sound of my heels clicking along with Kirumi's.

How can I look Shuichi in the eyes knowing it's my fault Kaede's dead? Those two were close in these last days...probably closer than even Rantaro and I, I suspect. Will he blame me for what happened?

"Good evening, Shuichi," Kirumi snaps me out of my morbid thoughts with her pleasant voice, followed by Rantaro's hello as we continue in. Rantaro doesn't really look my way when I link arms with him upon Shuichi looking up at the three of us, rather he uses my move to guide me in to a seat with him opposite of Shuichi.

Said Ultimate Detective looks worse for wear- not even wearing his usual trademark cap as it sits collecting dust on the table beside him.

Rantaro gently nudges my arm when I don't say anything- not even when I look up to see his patient gesture for me to at least make an effort. My eyes shift back to Shuichi and I instead duck a little in my seat and avert my gaze.

"Shuichi, your tea is cold. Would you like me to make you a fresh one?" Kirumi easily breaks the tension, allowing fresh air to fill my lungs again.

"Ah- yes, that would be great. Thank you," Shuichi speaks up, voice dry and weak. I wince a bit hearing it, more guilt filling my gut.

"I'll start the tea for us then," Kirumi announces, the smile on her face sympathetic, light, and understanding as she heads for the kitchen to give us a moment. Clearly she can tell that the three of us have a lot of issues to work out with each other.

_I should have said no to the tea. I'm not ready to see or talk to Shuichi yet. I want to go back to my room. I feel worse than I did after my nightmares of Kaede._

"Sorry, I...don't really know what to say," Shuichi breaks the extended silence with a humorless and awkward laugh. It isn't until then that I notice he seems to be just as uncomfortable as I am, if not more so. I open my mouth to speak up, but he beats me to it. "But I do need you to know this isn't your fault, Prairie. It's mine."

To say I'm rendered speechless is an understatement. Not my fault...? What is he talking about saying her death is _his _doing?

If it wasn't for stupid Monokuma and my incessant need to poke and prod at him, maybe he wouldn't have made the effort to make me appear untrustworthy in Kaede's eyes. Maybe Kaede wouldn't have thought I was secretly partnered with Monokuma.

If I hadn't confronted Kaede about the shot-put ball in her backpack and had just put it back and pretended I hadn't seen it, she wouldn't have felt pressured to attack me with it then and there.

There's a thousand things I could have done that would have prevented her death- I could have even _hidden _the shot-put ball and played dumb about the change in the weight of her backpack. I could have left, I could have hid, I could have told someone. The others being mad at her, my initial reason for not telling others that she had tried to kill me, would have been better than her dying. We could have addressed it earlier together before _anything _was remotely done.

"Yesterday night, Kaede told me what she did to you, Prairie. She confessed everything. She didn't have to, she could have swept it under the rug with just you two knowing, but she didn't," Shuichi states, pausing for a moment to let us absorb this new information.

_So Shuichi also knew...which means she didn't originally tell him she'd been planning to target me as the person working with Monokuma._

"So if she confessed to you...how does that make you responsible for her death? Kaede said herself that she knew exactly what she was doing. As far as I can see, Kaede is responsible for her own actions. I don't enjoy the fact that she's passed away anymore than either of you two, believe me, but painting her in a white light over her attempt at murder just because she was robbed of her time here would also be wrong," Rantaro speaks up.

Shuichi gives him a reasonable look, appearing someone ashamed about what he's going to tell us. I can already piece together what he's about to say, looking down at my lap and fidgeting with the hem of my dress skirt.

"Rantaro, do you think Kaede came up with the idea Prairie was suspicious all on her own?"

My mouth goes dry when I hear him ask that. To be fairly honest, I guess I always suspected it from the start. It's probably why I was salty enough to draw Shuichi as a chicken after _Kaede _wronged me. I knew the root of her actions mainly sprouted from somewhere other than her own suspicions, despite Kaede never confirming it.

"Kaede is a smart gi- ..._was_ a smart girl. But she's the Ultimate _Pianist,_ not the Ultimate Wattson. I was suspicious of Prairie and I confided in Kaede with my suspicions, my findings, and any new evidence that came to light. It started after I found the secret moving-"

"-bookcase in the library?" I ask in unison with his words, surprise coating my features as I share a glance with Rantaro. "We found that before too. The one with the dusty card reader, right?"

"Ah, yes! ...I guess you must have triggered the small trap if you know about the dust, in that case. I put the dust in the card reader to check if it was being used," Shuichi half-smiles, but the gesture doesn't quite reach his gold eyes.

"So you knew about the hidden door and I assume you came to the same conclusion Prairie and I did...that there's one of us working with Monokuma," Rantaro asks lowly, just before Kirumi comes back out and starts handing out tea to the three of us. Once she takes a seat on Shuichi's other side, the topic immediately seems to die away in favor of returning to Kaede. Shuichi gives us a meaningful look, but we take the topic back to what it originally was.

"So I bounced every suspicious thought I had off of Kaede to help me go over what I had in my mind and see if she had suggestions herself. I didn't want to let anyone else know and cause a mass panic, if only because there was still enough of a margin of error for me to be wrong about Prairie and I didn't want anyone to target her what with the time limit," Shuichi explains, making Rantaro hum in understanding and lean back in his seat to take a long sip of his tea despite that it's very clearly still steaming hot.

I stare at him for a moment, already sensing something up with him and waiting for him to say it. If only because I'm already set to counter his hypocritical butt.

_Say it, I _ ** _dare_ ** _ you._

Rantaro sets down his mug.

"So how'd that turn out then?" He asks Shuichi's way, his tone ever so pleasant despite the shade I can taste in his words. Clearly he's not letting go Kaede's attempted murder of me...

_This is for you, Kaede._

I lift up my heeled foot under the table, slamming it down on his beside me and making him jump with a slight twitch on his face as he resists cringing when I keep my heel dug into his foot.

"It turned out just fine, Rantaro," I answer with a dainty smile, even though he directed that little quip towards Shuichi rather than me. He looks like he's in some pain, but he hides it pretty well. "As you can clearly see, I'm still here."

"...unlike one of us," Shuichi sighs, looking down at his tea without drinking it. It's going to get cold again if he keeps staring at it rather than drinking it. "Kaede's dead because I let her continue on with my suspicions. I should have told her no. Maybe if I hadn't told her I still needed her help, she would still be here. She shouldn't have gone to see Miu, it should have been me."

Rantaro lifts my foot off of his with a look aimed my way, turning back to Shuichi.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for it, Shuichi. In the end, what happened happened. You couldn't predicted Kaede's actions or death anymore than you could have predicted being stuffed here in the first place with us. It's just...bad luck," Rantaro is sympathetic enough to say, thankfully being less bitter about Kaede considering the situation. That's much better, if I say so myself.

_Poor Kaede. She only targeted me because she thought killing me- the one most suspect of being in kahoots with Monokuma- might end the killing game and help the rest of the group get home. I don't like the idea of being killed and if she had targeted...I don't know Rantaro, I'd be furious too. However, I can see how someone could potentially get tunnel vision with that thought. Especially with Monokuma having fanned the flames of distrust._

_I get how Shuichi feels. If I could go back and hide that shot-put ball in her backpack, I would. If I could change what happened to her, I would. But I can't. I guess that's what makes death so upsetting to the people left behind. It's not really the death itself that breaks a person's heart, but looking back along the trail and seeing all the overlooked paths that would have led to a better outcome._

"Kokichi apparently doesn't need to hear any suspicions from the Ultimate Detective to throw accusations at me like he's already done. I hate to admit it, but that leech sorta has the right idea though- it's not like we can really trust each other in this place...god, this is all messed up. I just wish there was some other potential way out of here or something," I state before remembering the tunnel Kaede and Monokid told me about. "I don't even care if it's booby trapped, anything would be great right now."

_Well, I might as well see if any of them are willing to trust telling me about the tunnel now. If it wasn't for Kaede, I would have never known about it..._

"Me too," Kirumi says.

"Same," Rantaro casually adds.

"Yep. Definitely no other way out," Shuichi throws in his two cents.

All the while, I have to force myself to stay relaxed so none of them realize I am _seething_ on the inside.

_Lying little hypocrites- is it "Be Kokichi" day, or what?_

How I manage to keep a straight and natural face, I have no idea, but Shuichi soon shifts the topic away from exits.

"I didn't think Kaede would react so recklessly like she did, especially since my suspicions were simply speculative and nothing concrete. I let her know before, but I don't understand why she jumped the gun like that," Shuichi expresses, hands cupped around his warm mug as he frowns in thought.

"...Monokuma was bugging me a lot the past few days, popping up out of nowhere and then leaving after certain points. Kaede said she saw me with that stupid bear a lot," I explain, taking a sip of my tea to control my temper from the previous topic.

"So she was also manipulated to thinking it...but she didn't mention seeing Prairie with Monokuma, correct? I presume she must have had some reason to conceal the truth from you, considering how much you two cooperated with one another," Kirumi speaks up, looking at ease despite the topic.

"No. She didn't mention it to be a concern of hers specifically for that reason, but she did comment once that she thought Monokuma was around Prairie a lot...I just assumed she was concerned about Prairie's well-being, not that it seemed _suspicious_," Shuichi comments, making me frown and wrinkle my nose in though. Speaking of suspicions though-

"...hey, Shuichi." The Ultimate Detective looks up at me when I ask for his attention. "If you're suspicious of me...why are you telling me all this then? I mean...that's not a very smart or safe move on your part. I could potentially use all this information you're giving me to my advantage."

Shuichi sighs, running his hands over his face as he figures out a response. Poor guy.

"Maybe because I feel guilty? 'Cause Kaede's death has made me think differently about you?...My suspicions of you were never clear cut. You're suspicious, but some of the things you've done are, well..._crazy._ I can't help but ask if someone, _anyone,_ would go so far to make others believe they're on their side with what you've pulled. You climbed up the wall with gear that could have potentially killed you either intentionally or unintentionally. You're literally all beat up because of everything you do. I just...I don't know," he answers, looking exhausted as he leans his elbows on the table.

At that, I push my chair out and stand up, prompting everyone to look my way as I start walking around the table. Rantaro gives me a curious look, but rather than answer him, I continue until I've reached Shuichi's spot at the dining table.

Once I reach Shuichi, he looks up at me and I reach out to give him a hug.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Rantaro's right, we shouldn't blame ourselves. I don't think Kaede would want that," I reassure Shuichi, pulling back and smiling when I see the pointed ahoge at the top of Shuichi's head. "Hey, maybe you can communicate with her in heaven with that antenna you have there. You're like her!"

I flick at his ahoge and make a "zoink!" when it bounces back into place, observing his half stunned face for a moment before he's soon laughing a little at my statement.

_I should take my own advice. I know what happened was terrible. It was the _ _**worst.** _ _But for her sake, we need to get out of here- all of us. We need to keep going._

"...hey, Kiibo also has an ahoge. You think his is actually a real antenna or something?" I ask curiously, pretending not to notice Rantaro beaming at me with pride for my good behavior and kindness. Just wait, he won't be proud of me for very long. I got a whole lineup of things I need to do that he's not going to be so proud of me about.

"What is this robophobic claim I've just walked in on, Prairie?!" I hear a familiar voice exclaim from behind Rantaro at the dining hall entrance. I jump almost a foot in the air, wincing and hiding behind Shuichi and his chair as I fluff my hair over my red face in embarrassment.

"I-I'm _sorry...!" _I squeak, followed by laughter from the others, save for the irritated looking Kiibo.

_Well, at least everyone is at ease right now...but once I get a chance, I'm headed for that tunnel._

_If anyone has a chance of getting through it, then it's definitely me._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.1 - Confide**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)  

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> [String Theory Interlude.i Cover](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188923180815/string-theory-interludei-shuichi)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.8](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188924491135/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v8-v8)  

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	31. Comeback

❀ **_3.2 - Comeback_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I cough and adjust some of my curls over my shoulder, completely a nervous wreck as I take a tentative peek at the person across from me. On the other side of the marble table with gold legs is Kaede Akamatsu. There's something...wrong about her. I can't quite put my finger on it, but her head is ducked down so I can't see her face.

"Puhuhu~! Time for the main course!" Monokuma cheers manically, red eye flashing as he slams a silver platter unceremoniously on the table between us. I flinch at the movement and sound, giving Monokuma the nastiest look I can muster from my arsenal. As he adjusts his chefs hat, he grins wider at me. "Oh, don't be like that, Miss Marble. I brought you only the _best _cuisine! I promise!"

He breaks off into giggles at the end of his statement, only pushing me to believe otherwise. Monokuma only exists to spread despair, after all.

_Stupid bear._

Monokuma wiggles his butt as he leans over to grab hold of the lid to the platter, tail also wiggling in excitement. Despite that he's serving both Kaede and I, the mechanical bear keeps his gaze affixed on me for my reaction rather than Kaede's. On that note, the blonde across from me still doesn't respond to what's happening, making me eye her in concern. Is she okay?

"Kaede? Is everything alright?" I query, shifting to try and see her face at an angle. I can't see it. It seems there's a shadow concealing every inch of her features.

"Ignore her!" Monokuma snaps, making me look back his way. "Look at _this _instead!"

Monokuma lifts up the lid of the silver platter and my eyes go wide when I see what's resting in it.

Covered in stains of blood with both arms and legs crudely ripped off is Monotaro, laying on the silver plate with a pink stained shot-put ball shoved between his teeth forcefully.

Startled and hurt to see how Monokuma's treated him, I lurch out of my seat with a shout. Just as my hand nears the red bear, Kaede stands up and looks at me, her own bloody hand grabbing mine in a painful grip as I realize it isn't a shadow on Kaede's face. She's missing a face altogether, leaving a plane of emptiness where features _should _be.

I scream, trying to pull my arm back when she drags me closer over the table and grabs a knife from beside the platter. My eyes widen as she lifts her arm, aiming clearly for my face.

"What's wrong? This is what you ordered, isn't it? Isn't this what you _wanted?"_ Monokuma asks, my eyes darting to him quickly before I'm pulling harder at my arm to get away from Kaede.

"Please, DON'T!" I cry.

She brings down the knife.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I wake up in my pajamas- a cold sweat covering my body from head to toe as I sit up and let my eyes scan the room for any potential dangers. I jump off my bed and onto my feet, stumbling a little as I look in potential hiding spots, either for a person _or _a bear.

I look under my bed first. Then I check my dresser and under my vanity. Every nook and cranny is thoroughly looked into until the point that I'm sure I'm completely by myself in my room, left with a fast-paced palpitating and twitches in my neck and chest. My eyes water when I start thinking about Kaede's face again. It just keeps coming back to the forefront of my mind, and I don't understand why. I don't want to remember Kaede like _that!_

Taking a seat on my bed, I reach for my monopad on my night table to check the time. This is already the fifth or sixth time (I've lost count) that I'm waking up from a nightmare about Kaede, and lack of proper sleep is starting to exhaust me. It's a good thing I rejected Rantaro's offer to spend the night. One, _boy. _Two, I don't need him trying to coddle me like his kid sister just 'cause of a stupid nightmare. I'll get through this myself...

_I guess that tunnel will have to wait just a little longer- at least until I'm at tip top shape again. This isn't fair though. I just want to sleep._

...

Well, it's two in the morning and most of the others are likely to be asleep. I guess I can maybe explore for a bit and see if it makes me sleepy enough to _stay _asleep.

I glance down at my pajamas and then at the mannequin at the side of my room- the one bearing that 2B cosplay dress. There's no way I can put that on by myself, and I'm definitely not waking Tsumugi or Kirumi up to dress me up.

_I can maybe wash my clothes too now that I'm not about to ruin that dress __Tsumugi_ _put together. Just...I'll do anything to keep myself busy and get myself tired. I'll get over the nightmares on my own. How hard can it be?_

Spoiler alert: pretty hard.

And so I wash my clothes and evidently get tired enough to try falling asleep properly. When I wake up an hour later, heart racing and the image of Kaede's face _still _haunting my dreams, I end up leaving my room carelessly to make my way across the courtyard and to the school.

Rather than head to the library, which is peaceful and chock-full of content that could potentially bore me to an eight hour complete slumber, I end up going to the game room. It's empty from what I can see...good. Not that I don't like company, but I'd rather not worry anyone right now.

Looking around, I make a point to completely pass over the _Pac__ Man_ machine. Just looking at it hurts my heart...and then my eyes land on another _Namco_brand arcade machine reading _Galaga__._ Curious, my head cocks to the side and I start walking over to it to get a better look at the preview of the game play.

I let out a squeak of surprise when my foot catches the edge of another machine on my way, slamming my pinkie toe hard on the side of it with such a force that I cry out and stumble the rest of the way to the machine. My hand hits the button as I brace myself on it and pull up my foot to baby it, rubbing the pain out of my pinkie toe to finally glance at the arcade machine screen. There's a list of high scores being displayed now, and I frown when I read what it essentially says.

1\. OMA♚ 2. BEAT 3. MY 4. SCOR 5. PDOG

I have to read it a few times before I realize what it is and smile a little. Clever little prick...

Casting the previous of the arcade game a thoughtful look when the screen idles long enough to play it again, I grin a bit wider and bite my lip in thought. Take his challenge or ignore it? I mean, I _am _sleep deprived, so I might not do so good...

...

But then again, his score looks easy enough to beat. How he got it when he doesn't have intuition like me though is impressive. Bah! A challenge is a challenge. I'll kick his leechy butt sleep deprived or not!

I grab onto the controls and hit start.

At first the game seems simple enough...as soon as I memorize the enemy attack patterns using my intuition with reckless abandon to collect as many points as possible though, I'm flying through levels like there's no tomorrow.

For every challenge round, I get an extra life for every perfect forty count score I get via hits, up until I have seven lives, including the two I maneuver on screen.

_Okay, this is past overkill. I might as well call it quits now, I wanna see if that leech can beat _my _score now._

I kamikaze the game and grin as I throw in my initials of BLTZ, only pausing when a bitter flavor hits my tongue- and it isn't just the blood I see when I stick my tongue out and tap a finger to the tip.

"_The _**_fuck?!_** _I wouldn't kill __**PERFECT BLITZ!"**_

"_Aww, how thoughtful~! Not Prairie Dog, just someone else, right?"_

At that memory, I delete my initials and replace them with MRBL instead, my smile gone despite the overkill I delivered to Kokichi on his high score which should have given me some joy. Any joy I had before that memory goes out the window, along with a sigh on my part.

A voice clears behind me as I lean over the _Galaga_ arcade machine and tuck my face in my hands.

"...I'm fine," I simply state, already knowing who it is. "Trust me, you don't need to worry."

Their footsteps across the carpet are almost barely audible as I wait, knowing my head would _not _stay tucked down in a vulnerable position like this if it were maybe anyone else behind me. I know Rantaro would never hurt me though. His hands pull my messy locks behind my ears, weaving his fingers through my curly tresses.

My heart beats just a little faster at the comforting touch...and then speeds up when I peek through my own fingers down at the arcade controls, noticing something of a pink hue dripping down on it. My nose isn't bleeding and my mouth isn't filled with enough blood to drip _that _amount. As I notice that, I become acutely aware of a liquid trailing down my chin as the hand behind me strokes my jawline.

_No! Not again...!_

I snap my eyes shut and cover my face again, my breathing increasing in speed along with my heart rate, and this time it's not because I'm under the impression that Rantaro is behind me.

The hands trail down and then wrap around my waist. What do I do? I don't wanna look again...!

"Please no more," I beg, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I can't spend the rest of the game like this- I need sleep. I need to get us out of here. I can't watch everyone end up like you."

My throat feels tight, words barely making it out intact without any cracks. For once, and it shocks me enough to bring me back to my senses a little, she actually speaks.

"I know."

I lift my head a little to look up at the arcade machine, but Kaede puts a bloody hand over my face. I'm sure if this wasn't a dream, I'd be completely horrified to have blood on my face, but I simply go still and wait for her to keep talking. Be it a dream or not...it's nice to hear her voice again, even if this is just my mind's attempt at giving myself some comfort.

"That's enough. You don't need to see me like this," her voice is gentle and airy- and I wonder for a moment how she can speak before chalking it up to dream logic. "You're right. You need to get everyone out...but you know you can't save everyone."

I feel her rest her head on my shoulder, causing a waterfall of blood to pour down my shoulder and side. I shiver a little at the feeling, forcing myself to stay composed.

"Not even Perfect Blitz is perfect, Prairie. Don't escape for me. Escape for _them."_ Kaede's arm tightens around me hard, making me wince when it makes my ribs ache. "Just don't end up like me."

_...I need to look._

I pull her hands off of my face despite every nerve begging me not to for fear of just adding fuel to my nightmares, whirling around-

And seeing Kaede.

My stomach flip-flops when I see her.

She's exactly how she's supposed to look.

"Kaede!" I blurt out, receiving such a warm smile that my heart nearly leaps out of my rib cage. Glancing down where I could have sworn I had blood all over my side, I'm relieved to see no blood at all, not even a droplet on either of us. Once I'm sure we're both okay, I throw my arms around her, Her returning hug still aches my bones a bit, but I can't bring myself to care about it. Now when I can see Kaede for real in my dreams as she's supposed to look.

"You know you're only dreaming, right?" She asks soberly after I pull away to look at her face again, committing her features to my memory. I don't want to forget her again.

"I know, but it's okay. I don't care if my brain is tricking me." I pause for a moment, eyes watering again. It's not really Kaede, but I have so much I want to say to the girl I thought I would get along so well with. A girl I barely got the chance to get to know. "I miss you."

She smiles again, sympathy fluttering over the surface of her lilac pink eyes. "I know."

"...I wish we had more time to get to know each other and play the piano together," I say as well, watching her nod before laughing a little in amusement.

"Even though you were having trouble stretching your fingers over the keys and kept complaining that you had munchkin hands?"

The reminder of that makes me laugh, washing away some of the guilt in my heart.

"I do though! Look at them, they're kiddy hands!" I insist with a fake pout, watching Kaede lift her hand to press it up against mine, laughing at the size difference.

"They're not kiddy hands, they're _dainty. _I mean...I'm sure Rantaro thinks they're cute," she giggles slyly, causing my face to screw up and my cheeks to turn fire red.

"N-No! Don't embarrass me like that, there's no way he thinks that...!" I squeak, just before our laughter and smiles eventually die out. This is nice, but...I'll eventually have to wake up.

"You'll be okay. You and I both know this. Just remember what I said. Don't end up like me. Be careful, Prairie," Kaede instructs, making my stomach churn.

"I don't wanna leave yet. I want to keep talking to you," I say, her eyes softening.

"Yeah, I know...but it's time to wake up."

Kaede puts her hands on my shoulders, looking almost apologetic for a moment before she does it. I blink and then let out a strangled gasp of terror when I see her face crack and break before me, back into that terrifying display post-murder.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Rise and shine. Come on, Prairie, time to wake up," I hear a voice break through my sleep, making my body jump a little and my eyes fly open.

_Where am I? Where's_ _Kaede__?_

Instead, when I look up from where I'm totally splayed out on the game room floor, I'm surprised to see the familiar face of Ryoma Hoshi nudging my shoulder with a hand. Confused, I sit up and look around until my eyes land on him again.

"Huh? I fell asleep...?" I question, making Ryoma chew thoughtfully on the mint cigarette between his lips.

"You might want to run back to your room on the double. Everyone's already up...and you're not dressed decently at the moment. You've got a long way to go from here- _literally_," he says casually, only for me to then realize he's trying to avoid looking at me as much as possible.

Oh, right. My pajamas.

...

My _small _pajamas.

I squeak in horror, jumping to my feet and making a break for the exit in horror- only pausing when I see light barely coming in from above.

"W-What time is it?" I ask, turning despite Ryoma having his back turned to me as he observes the _Galaga_ arcade machine.

"It's eleven in the morning...you missed breakfast and everyone's looking for you," Ryoma answers, having to step on the lower edge of the machine to reach the controls to the _Galaga_machine. I can see the scores pop up as I turn away and look at the stairwell again in disbelief.

_Eleven in the morning?! That's so late, what the heck?! ...wait, that means that I was able to get a full night's sleep in the end!_

"Whoa, Prairie, how did you get a score like-"

I don't even hear the rest of Ryoma's words, quickly darting up the stairs barefooted peeking out into the hall to see who's around. The hall seems devoid of students...perfect. Time to make a break for it then...!

With fast steps, I race to the school entrance and then freeze, half peering out and hiding around the corner when I see a few students outside.

_Aaa_ _, this is bad. They'll definitely see me if I'm not careful._

I wait until I'm sure people won't see me dart towards a path by some nearly finished groomed grass, wincing at how close I am to one of the Exisals on autopilot. Just so happens the one I use for cover is the red accented one, with causes a soft swell of my heart. Trying not to think about the red bear, I continue around it until I see a group of some of the other students gathered around, making me pause before running out and continuing my way to the dormitories. Why? Because I see Rantaro, Shuichi, Kiibo and Tenko all standing in front of those big wood doors with yellow and red writing on it.

_What are those four doing? What a strange sight- __Tenko_ _with a trio of boys? ...I can't hear what they're talking about. Maybe I can get a little closer?_

I carefully scout the rest of the area, skipping on my tiptoes quickly to get to the yellow accented Exisal on autopilot- which is substantially closer to the group. The Exisal is loud and not exactly safe to be so close to one on autopilot, but I can at least make out a few things they say.

"...might work for this here, the hexagon matches the crank. Monokuma _did _say we might find her if we open some of the new paths," Kiibo states, followed by the sound of Shuichi's awkward chuckle.

"Uh, I know Monokuma said that, but...I don't know. He might have only said that so we'd open these places up. I just fail to see how Prairie would be able to get into this place if she didn't have this key," Shuichi explains, making Tenko huff irritably enough for everyone's attention to fall on her. Shuichi winces, taking a step back from her.

"Typical of a degenerate _men_ace! Underestimating Perfect Blitz and her abilities," Tenko hisses, making a scrunched up wacky face. Shuichi holds out his hands, ready to protect himself if necessary.

"Shuichi, you see how this place is surrounded by a wall?" Rantaro inquires, prompting the reserved Ultimate Detective to look up curiously and nod with realization.

"Ah, right. Sometimes I forget someone as small and petite as her can climb crazy heights...she doesn't exactly strike me as the type. She's so..._moe."_

I almost feel a vein burst in my forehead.

"_Moe"? _

_"Moe"..._

...

_**"Moe"**?!_

I puff up my cheeks and narrow my blue eyes on Shuichi dangerously. It isn't until he lets out a sharp yelp that I realize I've closed my eyes and am coming up from throwing a little rock, snapping them open in time to see Shuichi rubbing his uppermost left shoulder blade. Rantaro immediately whips around and I squeak, ducking behind the Exisal but not before Rantaro's green eyes lock onto me like a missile radar.

Peeking around the Exisal, my eyes meet his disapproving green ones again- and I don't bother ducking away entirely since I know I'm already in big trouble.

_Run? Do I run? Do I wait for retribution?_

"Shuichi, you okay?" Rantaro inquires, making Shuichi pat at his shoulder and eventually hum in agreement.

"Yeah, it was just my shoulder, thankfully...where did...?" Shuichi inquires, before Rantaro garners his attention once again with, "Why don't you lead everyone ahead of me, I think I see a monokub back there. I'm gonna have a talk with it. You guys find Prairie if you can," Rantaro's voice is a dangerous calm that makes my stomach sink since his eyes remain lasered on me. Before Shuichi can catch sight of me, I duck behind the Exisal entirely once more.

"R-Right. Okay, we'll let you know if we...find her," Shuichi states, somehow making me bite my lip in guilt because I can tell he might have an idea _I'm _the one back here that threw a rock- not a monokub like Rantaro tells him.

_Run now?!_

I peek around the Exisal after hearing the sound of some large doors opening, feeling my heart jump to my throat with a squee when I see just how much closer Rantaro is to my location. Two things end up keeping me rooted in my place: one, I don't want anyone to see me in my tiny pajamas, and two, Rantaro is too close to outrun at this point.

Before I can buckle over and curl up to beg for mercy however...

Rantaro Amami reaches behind his neck and pulls off his shirt entirely.

He does not have a tank top under it this time. 

One moment my face is completely on fire in sheer disbelief at the sight of shirtless Rantaro- and the next I find myself staring at the upside down landscape before I can see the upside down dorm rooms in the dormitory, prompting me to lift my head and wriggle to get away from Rantaro who is carrying me despite his shirtless state.

"Stop, _stop. _I'll put you down," he states firmly, making me freeze as he lets me down carefully on my feet and puts his hands on his hips. He's shirtless, but he's not carrying his shirt anymore. Where...?

I feel like I'm wearing something heavier than my small airy pajamas, making me glance down to find that _I'm _the one wearing his shirt now. It's better than my small pajamas, yeah, but...

"So now you're throwing _rocks _at people, Prairie?" Rantaro asks sternly, calling my attention back to where he is standing without a shirt. Just like that my brain short circuits again as my eyes scan his form. Last time he was shirtless, I was upset and my focus was cleaning off the "art" I did on his face. Rather than giving him a coherent answer right now though...

"Sorry for rocky abs!" I blurt out, only to replay my words in my head when Rantaro's expression slightly twitches. I direct my attention momentarily to recompose myself before trying again with, "Sorry for hot abs! _Ack!"_

My face is on fire yet again, but with no escape I end up pulling the collar of Rantaro's cologne scented shirt over my red face and head to hide from him with a squeak of utter shame.

_Way to let him know what you were thinking about, _ _**dummy!** _

"Okay, fine, we'll deal with that later. Prairie, enlighten me instead on why you're running around in pajamas as indecent as those. I get the cosplay Tsumugi gave you yesterday is difficult to put on alone, but you can't substitute clothes for what you have on right now," Rantaro informs me, making me whine under his shirt.

"I-I came out last night since I couldn't sleep and accidentally passed out in the game room..." I explain my case in embarrassment, already knowing he definitely won't take that excuse. My cheeks get warmer even though I can't currently see him. "I didn't mean to...! I'm sorry!"

Rantaro is silent for a moment, as if thinking about what to say or do next. All I can do is stay hidden in the shirt he's lent me in the meantime, making a grand effort to not think about the fact that _his _shirt used to be on _that _torso of his. With his stupid vest in the first resets and this loose shirt of his, I wouldn't have thought he looked so fit under his clothes, but I guess it's expected from the Ultimate Adventurer. Now my brain remains affixed on the memory of his stupid abdominals like a moth to a light bulb.

"And are you sorry you threw a rock at Shuichi?" Rantaro asks next, making me tune back into reality to nod under the shirt.

"I'm sorry...but..." I finally peek out from the shirt to look up at Rantaro. "I'm...I'm not _moe._"

To my annoyance, Rantaro crosses his arms and presses one hand over his mouth likely to hide a smile. He doesn't say anything, making me frown up at him. Don't tell me he agrees with Shuichi!

"I don't about know that..." He openly admits, making me puff up my cheeks in disapproval. He smiles more, finally reaching over to rub my head until I growl and shift away from his touch.

"S-Stop it...I'm not moe," I repeat in a huff, shrinking back a little when he reaches over to take my hand.

"Right, sure. Come on, let's see if Kirumi is in her room to help dress you. I sent her here ahead of time so we can start opening up the other places around the school," Rantaro says, making me blink as he leads me towards Kirumi's room.

"'Opening up the other places'?" I ask, watching him ring Kirumi's buzzer and look back at me with an expression of resignation.

"You'll see, don't worry. Just focus on dressing and we'll explain on the way," he says just as the doors open to reveal Kirumi.

"Ah, you found her. Very well, I'll help you dress then, Prairie..." Kirumi pauses and then looks at Rantaro, resisting a bit of a smile as she promptly continues with, "Rantaro, do I need to help you dress also?"

Just that reminder is enough for me to wrangle Rantaro's shirt off and throw it at his face, causing him to jump a little in surprise as I grab Kirumi's hand and lead her up the stairs to my room quickly. For wearing heels, she keeps up pretty well.

"_Opening up the other places"...Is the school bigger than we thought? Hmm...come to think of it, the school definitely has way more floors that I haven't seen a staircase to, and going by the shape, there's parts of the first floor that could hold extra space. Maybe that's what he means. The school is accessible to other parts._

_I guess there's also that "Avarita" and misspelled_ "_Luxuria__" doors in question too..._

"Prairie, are you feeling unwell? You're awfully red in the face...perhaps you'd rather stay in if you're feeling under the weather?" Kirumi suggests as I close my room door behind her, only reminding me of _why _I'm red and making me whine as I cover my face with my hair. This seems to make it click for her, and she chuckles a little. "Oh, is it perhaps due to Rantaro?"

I peek up at her from between the locks of my curls.

"H-Have you seen his stupid face? Kirumi..." I start, feeling extremely embarrassed that I have to admit this to someone else. As if saying it to Kaede, Kokichi, and stupid Rantaro himself wasn't enough...at this point, everyone already knows anyways, Kokichi wasn't exactly subtle after Rantaro chased me into the warehouse yesterday. "He's too..._good looking. _It's horrible! His face was bad enough, did you see those abs?! They're like a washboard! And his stupid biceps! And-!"

"Prairie, please calm down for a moment, you're getting worked up and you're much more flushed now than before, I don't want you to-"

I blink to find myself on the floor with Kirumi looking down at me, my head resting on her lap as she waits for me to recuperate. Seeing me blink up at her, she hums in thought with a calculating frown.

"I've never seen a case of severe swooning quite like this. Not to the point of fainting in succession and not from simply a thought...Prairie, do you recall any allergies or conditions you might have? Perhaps one related to hormone changes?" Kirumi asks curiously, only managing to get a head shake of mild confusion from me as I sit up to find that I'm already entirely dressed in the 2B cosplay. Wow, Kirumi works fast...she really is the Ultimate Maid. "If only you hadn't acquired amnesia. This kind of fainting you're experiencing isn't normal and I'm truly concerned. I've seen it portrayed in anime and television as comedic relief, but it isn't something reflected in people outside of fiction."

_Eh? ...__Kirumi_ _watches anime then?_

She ponders it for a moment longer before getting back on her feet, helping me up as well and keeping a grip on my arm when my balance wobbles a bit.

"Let's be on our way in that case..." Kirumi concludes our chat, smiling and leading me out by my hand so I don't fall over or lose my balance- especially with the heels I'm now wearing.

As we exit my room, Rantaro straightens up and turns from where he'd been resting against the railing off the second floor of the dormitories. As soon as Kirumi's eyes land on him, she clears her throat and Rantaro's smile dims slightly under her stern look.

"Rantaro. Please make an effort to keep your shirt _on _around Prairie, regardless of the circumstances. You're already aware of how sensitive she is around boys- especially _you _in particular," Kirumi scolds Rantaro, who blushes himself with a sheepish laugh and rubs the back of his neck as he casts a curious glance my way. I can't even hold eye contact with him, instead choosing to whine and cover my red face with my hair.

_I shouldn't have said anything to _ _Kirumi_ _! This is as bad as the guys tend to be...! Where is her filter? Why am I being embarrassed like this? What did I do wrong?!_

"Ah, you're right, I'll remember that for the future, Kirumi...but did something happ-" Rantaro begins, making me remove my hands from my hair covered face to grab Rantaro's hand along with Kirumi's.

"Nothing happened, stop being so nosy," I huff defensively, shutting Rantaro down and eventually releasing his and Kirumi's hand on our way out of the dormitories.

We make our way through the courtyard, my eyes shifting around when I realize there's a change outside that I didn't actually notice since I was so busy freaking out over being in my small pajamas earlier. A lot of the grass has been trimmed down, and some of the construction areas have been completed from what I can see. Wow, they've been working on it for days already, I almost thought they were just idle and there for appearances rather than for actual utility.

Once we reach the walled area where I'd originally spotted Rantaro and Shuichi with Kiibo and Tenko, we pause. The doors are open, but I still don't know how they got them open. They said something about a hexagon and a crank though, so I guess that's that.

"Monokuma gave us for items to use around the school. One of them, a hand crank, we figured worked for this wall. We didn't want to go using them just yet after we had breakfast since you weren't around, but Monokuma said we might find you if we went opening up places. Looking here was my suggestion since you love climbing so much," Rantaro explains with a bit of a smile my way as the three of us glance up the wall. Eventually, I start walking in without waiting for them.

_These new areas might hold new possibilities to get us out of here. There's no time to waste!_

"Prairie, wait! Don't run off ahead on your own," I hear Rantaro call from a couple of yards behind me upon noticing. I stop as I reach a split in the path, eyeing the shallow and decorative clear water surrounding two short walkways. Just seeing the buildings makes my eyes squint and my brow knit together as I re-read the large lit up logos on the buildings to make sure I'm not seeing things.

One of them says "_Casino"_ and the other...

"Hotel Kuma...sutra," I read out loud, cocking my head slightly to the side as Kirumi and Rantaro stop on either side of me- only for Rantaro to then quickly follow me with a hum of annoyance when I speed on over to the more curious of the two buildings- the Kumasutra hotel.

_Going by how "__Avarita__" means avarice and how "__Luxuria__" means lust...I can only imagine the hotel is related to the_ _luxuria__ portion of the door._

"...'Rest twenty-five dollars for two guests... two hours'. 'Overnight forty-five dollars'. Huh. What's even the point of a hotel here? We already have our own rooms and everything," I question vocally, easily skirting past Rantaro's attempt to catch my arm and hurrying past him to where I see Kirumi already heading into the casino curiously. Mostly though, there's no way I'm letting Rantaro hold my hand after what happened before.

"Prairie, will you _please _stop running?" I hear him ask, frustration clear in his voice.

I can still barely look at him, so that's a 'no' from me.

Inside the casino, since I know Rantaro will likely reach for my hand if I stop moving, I hurry in and quickly commit the first floor of the casino to memory. There's a pair of desks, one reading "Exchange: Reception Desk". Between the two desks is a prize machine- obviously nothing new to study. If anything, the prizes in that thing are probably more or less as useless as the items in the monomachine...save for the nectarine prize, of course.

There's a set of stairs I quickly round towards and hurry down, ignoring Rantaro's vexed grunt of pain as he clumsily bumps into the Casino Entrance archway leading down to the basement level. I can't help but look back and giggle as he rubs his shoulder and promptly looks my way with a bit of a dark smile.

"Oh, is that funny to you? Now you're gonna get it," Rantaro warns as my feet hit the basement floor of the casino, which is bathed in a blue light as a result of all the casino slot machines and games.

"Ah, Prairie! Welcome to the party! Hey, what do you think?! Look what I won!" The sound of Kaito Momota's voice makes me turn my attention away from Rantaro, enough that the green haired teen suddenly sprints down the stairs midst my minor distraction. As soon as I realize my mistake though, he closes the distance when I turn back to look at him.

Too late. He's already in front of me.

"_Gotcha!"_ He announces, making me squeal and burst into laughter when he grabs my sides and starts tickling me. I fail to squirm away, collapsing to the floor at his mercy. "Say you're sorry and I'll spare you," Rantaro chuckles as he pokes my sides from every which angle, effortlessly bypassing my every attempt to stop his assault until I give in.

"I'm _sorry!" _I squeak around my breathless laughter, Rantaro pausing and allowing me to squirm away until I'm on my feet where I bravely add, "I'm _sorry _you're such a clumsy tower..."

Rantaro isn't far away enough to outrun though, and I only make it one step away before he lunges so I'm vainly struggling against his tickles and pokes once more. At that point, I apologize for real and mean it.

"Haha! You two are funny, right, Shuichi?" Kaito asks, finally prompting Rantaro and I to look up so we finally focus on the pile- no, _mountain_\- of coins by Kaito and a sheepish looking Shuichi Saihara we didn't even notice was around. Kirumi is also among us, stepping up beside us and reaching down with a hand extended to me. I take her hand, letting her help me up as Rantaro stands up on his own so we can look at the pile of Kaito's winnings.

"You won all this by yourself?" I ask in surprise, walking over and picking up one coin. It's not the same as the monocoins Monokid gave me. Seems like these coins are only worth anything in this particular building.

"You're not gonna believe it, but he won this with only one coin," Shuichi speaks up with a smile, shrugging in mild disbelief even though it seems he was around when Kaito won the jackpot. "Just one go and it spat out all this."

"Hehe! As expected, my intuition's pretty damn good! Well, it should be, since I'm gonna reach the stars and all," Kaito haughtily claims with a sniff of pride, making me bite my lip to resist a grin. I'll bet _my _intuition is a dozen times better than his. "You can go ahead and keep that coin, Prairie! Maybe you'll hit a jackpot too!" Kaito picks up a coin and flips it in Rantaro's direction. "Aaand one for you too!"

Rantaro easily snatches it from the air, a helpless laugh escaping him. "Thanks, Kaito."

_Jeez, __Kaito's_ _tossing free coins like a rich man gives out one hundred dollar bills...I guess that's what happens when you win the lottery. I think he's taking his win too seriously, it's not like he's going to get real money out of all of this...not to mention, the prizes for these coins are probably lame._

"You're incredible, darling! Your luck is so good, I think I'm falling for you!"

That voice, as goofy and cartoony as it's always been, makes me whirl around and narrow my eyes viciously at the new figure as everyone else jumps in surprise. Before I can pull my leg back and kick that stupid grinning monochromatic bear, Rantaro snatches me up again- this time not for the purpose of playing around like before. He drags me back a few feet, pinning my arms to my sides so I'm unable to squirm my way out of his grip.

"Don't just appear out of nowhere like that!" Kaito objects, relaxing just slightly.

"'Darling'...?" Shuichi questions under his breath, joining Rantaro and I where I'm struggling to get away from the idiot preventing me from teaching Monokuma a lesson. Upon seeing my efforts, Shuichi casts Rantaro a sympathetic look. I can only wonder the expression Rantaro has on his face since I'm totally mad-dogging Monokuma.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I was just so attracted to your luck, darling! Those are some impressive earnings, you know? With this many coins, you can trade them all in for some luxurious goods!" Monokuma continues, pretty much ignoring my rabid struggles and growling as I try to push away from Rantaro. If anything, Monokuma's dismissal and indifference only makes me angrier inside.

_This stupid bear has the audacity to show his face after what he did to_ _Kaede_ _and __Monotaro__...I'm gonna rip him apart!_

"Prairie, that's _enough," _Rantaro suddenly hisses by my ear lowly and snappily, enough that I wince at his harsh tone and stop wriggling when I notice the fierce look he's giving me over my shoulder. Despite me calming down from the chastisement, he doesn't loosen his grip or drop his guard. Monokuma on the other hand continues to ignore us, and I scowl even though I know Rantaro won't let me go ballistic on him.

"Hey, this is just between those among us, okay...? If you manage to earn just a few more coins, you'll be able to get your hands on the best prize this place has to offer!" Monokuma hints with a slight purr, making my scowl deepen if possible. Is this stupid bear trying to egg Kaito on to throw more coins to the casino machines? Jeez, what idiot would go along with that?

Of course, it's clear I don't know Kaito at all. One would think they'd have an idea that he's responsible and _not _gullible based on his ultimate talent and how he behaves, but reality has another thing coming.

Turns out the Ultimate Astronaut...is kind of thick in the skull.

"Heh! Hearing that, there's no way I can just leave things the way they are!" Kaito exclaims, visibly fired up and straightening up in his seat as he cracks his knuckles for the challenge.

I blink and look back at the other three, wondering if I've just stepped into the twilight zone.

"Is he joking?" I ask, clearly flabbergasted and no longer fired up inside from Monokuma's presence. "He knows Monokuma's only baiting him, right?"

Rantaro makes a funny face, like he too has realized he may have pegged Kaito to be smarter than he actually is. At that, I snicker a little behind a hand.

"But...Kaito, he said that with all the coins you have right now, you can still exchange them for luxury items..." Shuichi speaks up weakly, clearly sensing Kaito is _dead _serious and making a valiant attempt to dissuade him from a big mistake. Of course, Kaito simply waves him off with a jolly grin of pride as he picks a coin from the gold mountain beside him.

"The hell are you sayin'?! I couldn't call myself a man if I backed down from a challenge here! Besides, I'm still gonna reach space, so there's no way my intuition would tell me wrong!" Kaito exclaims, throwing a coin in the machine so it lights up and rolls the slots.

"Oh my! That's so manly of you, darling!" Monokuma chirps flamboyantly, only fueling Kaito's vigor if even possible. Either way, Kaito is at the mercy of his lack of self control and it's impossible to pull my eyes away from what I can already tell will end in dismay.

...

Poor Kaito. Having burnt halfway through his coins, Rantaro finally relaxes his grip on me, enough that I've fished my arms out and have started playing with his rings and bracelets. To watch a person's sad downfall from glory...even Rantaro and Kirumi look on with unique varying expressions of pity.

"Ah?! Dammit! How could I lose again!" Kaito shouts, slamming a fist against the side of of the slot machine in a rhythm and then gently dragging his fingers over the front of it like it's some kind of good-luck ritual. It's rather pitifully amusing to see him do that all the time and expect a different outcome...

"Perhaps now is a good time to stop?" Kirumi suggests, followed by Monokuma's annoying input of, "What's wrong, darling? You're down to half your coins! Maybe you should listen to your friend and call it quits now..."

"Yeah, I got half of them left! Startin' now, I'm gonna earn everything back in one go, you know!" Kaito shouts, looking frazzled and desperate for the most part. "Just you watch!"

Kirumi sighs in unison with me, until I feel Rantaro's hand twitch against mine as I clutch it gently.

"...I don't think he's gonna win anything back," I say, tilting my head to look up at Rantaro. "Gambling is scary."

Rantaro chuckles at my input and we look back at Kaito, strangely affixed on his predicament. Coin after coin they go, disappearing into the machine followed by the pulling of the slot lever and the jingle as the slots roll. Not even once does Kaito win anything back though. Not a single coin...and at that point, he eventually comes down to his last coin, holding it before him with a sweat glistening on his brow.

Again, the coins are NOT that valuable, so I don't understand the intensity of his obsession to earn so many coins- it's not like he's a dragon from Middle Earth trying to hoard the stuff. What could Monokuma possibly give that would warrant such value to the coins anyways?

"Th-This is...the last coin!" Kaito states, as if the rest of us didn't notice the disappearance of his coin mountain in the first place. He's totally delusional...poor guy.

The rest of us are quiet on our end and I clutch Rantaro's hand tighter. Can Kaito do it though? Somehow I doubt it, but I can't help but keep a string of hope lingering in my heart.

"Don't get your hopes up, trust me," Rantaro murmurs by my ear in amusement, as if having read my mind simply by looking at my face. Slightly embarrassed, I look up at him and give him a small smile.

"I know, but still...maybe he'll get lucky?" I suggest, only for Rantaro to brush my hair back as we look back at Kaito on his last legs.

Kaito swallows thickly, eyes narrowed on the coin slot before he throws his final coin into the machine. "This is..._IIITTTTT__!"_

He pulls the lever.

I'd like to say he won the jackpot again, reverting the Ultimate Astronaut back to his former glory...but as I watch the slot panels slow to a stop in tune with the jingle...

I loosen my grip on Rantaro's hand, which had tightened prior to the last run of the slot machine. Kaito gapes at the results as it greedily reclaims his last coin, prompting a sigh from both Rantaro and Shuichi.

"Too bad!" Monokuma laughs, promptly dropping whatever character he'd been playing to tempt Kaito to keep throwing his coins into the slot machine. "Your intuition was _waay_off! Puhuhu~! Wow, watching suckers falling into ruin is so much fun!" Monokuma giggles wildly, finally looking back to eye me with a wide grin.

My blood turns to fire at that. _Now _he chooses to acknowledge me? Is he implying something with that comment towards me and my goals to fight the killing game?

I push Rantaro's arms off of me after snatching his coin from his grip. He reaches to pull me back until he realizes I'm not making a beeline for Monokuma, walking over to Kaito's side instead. Once I'm next to him, I throw both coins into the slot machine in front of him and the slot machine to his left, placing my hand on the two levers.

_If __Monokuma_ _thinks he can throw shade on me, he's got another thing coming. With my intuition, he's going to regret underestimating me this much. I'll __**make him **__regret it. For now though, wiping that pathetic snarky grin off his face will just have to suffice as my comeback!_

I close my eyes after staring at the pace of the running slots on each machine. I can hear Kaito try and dissuade me from my actions, which I must admit is pretty funny. The poor sod is totally spent from gambling his jackpot away.

"Prairie, don't be like me! Dammit, I'm fucked...! If only I had stopped back then...!" Kaito laments, pressing a hand to his forehead hard.

Typical of a gambling addict...when 'just one more coin and I'll win it all back' becomes the mantra in their descent to despair. Kaito dug a pit for himself, and just kept digging with reckless abandon.

"I'm finished! No more gambling for me! From now on, I'm only making bets!"

_Deeper and deeper __Kaito_ _digs his pit..._

...Now.

I pull the two levers at the same time and move back so I'm not totally invading Kaito's personal space, watching the slots in the two slot machines come to a series of stops before-

"_JACKPOT~! JACKPOT~! JACKPOT~! JACKPOT~!"_ The two machines blare in slight unison, alarms ringing wildly as Kaito turns his head to look up and gape at me.

"Two machines...? At the _same time?!"_ I hear Shuichi question, just as Kaito turns and grabs my hands suddenly so I'm forced to face him when he jumps out of his seat much too close to me in _my _personal space. A squeak of surprise escapes me as my cheeks dust red when I realize how much he towers over me from our proximity, prompting my back to straighten up uncomfortably. Kaito doesn't even notice, falling to his knees and looking up at me as I try to back away and pull my hands from his iron grip.

"How?! Are you secretly a two-talent girl, Prairie? Are you also the Ultimate _Gambler_?! What's your secret?! How long do you wait for the slots to run? What do I listen out for?! Tell me, Prairie, _I need to know!"_ Kaito drills me until Rantaro comes by and lifts me away despite Kaito's desperate questions. The Ultimate Astronaut collapses behind us, the dual flood of coins spilling out to bury Kaito's now unmoving body under the mountains of gold from his sheer defeat.

_I did this to get at _ _Monokuma_ _, not to challenge _ _Kaito...!_

"You guys go on ahead. I will offer comfort to Kaito in his time of need," Kirumi says to us with a pleasant smile, making Shuichi and Rantaro nod as I'm set back down on my feet. Rantaro takes my hand and starts pulling me along with Shuichi as I glance back at Monokuma curiously only to realize he's barely smiling at all now, glaring at me with clear malicious intent likely from that little show I gave using my intuition.

Knowing he can't do anything at the moment at least, especially since it wasn't on the list of rules, my lips curl into a grin and Monokuma's face seems to turn red with rage.

_Good. I'm glad you hate me._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.2 - Comeback**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)  

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> [String Theory Interlude.i Cover](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188923180815/string-theory-interludei-shuichi)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.8](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188924491135/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v8-v8)  

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	32. Not A Child

❀ _**3.3 - Not A Child**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Where are we going now?" I ask curiously, stopping by a rock engraved with writing and what looks to be a paw print at the top. Shuichi walks up to it too, Rantaro hovering behind us and looking in another direction to examine our surroundings.

"Ah! You found her!" Kiibo's voice catches our attention as he pushes around a giant clump of vines, so many that he looks like he's practically being swallowed up by them.

"Kiibo and Tenko went ahead to inspect the place after Kaito came to the casino. I figured it would move things along faster to send them off, but..." Shuichi trails off, not bothering to continue his statement. I'm sure we're all thinking it though- doesn't seem like these two have discovered anything integral.

"Prairie!" I register Tenko's voice only moments before I'm yanked into a warm hug, squeezing a smile out of me when I spot one of her familiar chain-link pigtails waving around her body as she swings me lightly. "We were looking _everywhere _for you! When that short little _degenerate male _broke into your room- with my supervision of course- we thought the worst! That Monokuma even kept saying he probably had you tied up behind a wall!"

_Stupid bear...! Making them all believe I was locked away like some kind of damsel in distress!_

"N-No, I couldn't sleep last night and went to the game room to make myself tired. I guess it worked sooner than I expected. I sorta knocked out right by one of the arcade machines after I demolished Leech Face's high scores," I explain, still somewhat proud of the overkill I delivered to Kokichi in _Galaga._

"Er- as much as I love hearing about Kokichi being put in his place, does anyone have any suggestions on where we should look next? I don't see any clues for an item needing to be used here, so it might be a dead end," Kiibo states as Tenko beams and pats my head proudly.

"What are the other items?" I ask curiously, prompting Shuichi to jump a little before fumbling to pull out three useless looking items that makes me frown when something familiar about the sight of one object tickles my memories, specifically a yellow-gold ocarina. At my expression and the way my eyes flick to the stone tablet a few feet away, everyone glances towards it.

"That's what we figured might take an item, but there's nowhere to put anything. We don't have a paw print shaped item either," Kiibo states, crossing his arms as I reach for the ocarina and walk over to the tablet anyways as I give it a contemplating look.

"...oh!" Shuichi suddenly seems to realize, smiling when I look back at him with a grin.

"Hm?" Rantaro queries curiously, looking from me to Shuichi and back with a quirk of the corner of his lips like he wants to smile. "What? Did you two figure it out?"

"Ha! Of course Perfect Blitz figures it out before you degenerate males!" Tenko preens, crossing her arms proudly while Kiibo fidgets to the side mumbling, "Well, you didn't figure it out yet either..."

Good thing Tenko doesn't seem to hear him.

"I'll let Prairie take care of it," Shuichi says, watching as I bring the ocarina to my lips. I play an interval of six notes before continuing the musical piece, one which I can't really pinpoint in my memories but I'm sure I know.

The vines Kiibo had been toying with earlier immediately recede- not into somewhere or anything though. They pretty much just fall and wither away instantly, making me yank the ocarina from my lips. They're gone...? Just like that?

"That's some impressive technology to make the ivy wither away like that," Kiibo openly admits as I stand there quietly, looking at the rock tablet in mild confusion. "It's just gone in an instant!"

I don't even acknowledge that I've heard him, allowing the conversation to continue behind me as my hands fall to my sides with the ocarina in thought.

_I know everything is advanced here. This isn't anything new- we have impossible robots, impossible AI's, impossible memory erasing flashlights...except-_ _**how?**__ I don't know about any technology like this, do I? Did I forget because of my amnesia? The others don't seem all too surprised, and one of them _ ** _is_ ** _ an impossible being. Maybe it's just...?_

"Prairie, are you okay?" Rantaro catches my attention, a hand resting on my shoulder to snap me out of my thoughts. I turn my head to look back at him- my worries at the tip of my tongue to clue him in like second nature. Thankfully, the sound of the familiar monokubs and their greeting immediately cuts me off before I can say anything.

The moment his attention is away from me, I frown and avert my gaze to my feet. Now that I'm thinking about it, I know the troubles he gave me when I told the truth before. Would it be wise to tell him the truth about _anything _now?

...

"It's not dangerous! There's a pool in there, that's all~" Monophanie speaks up, and for once I'm actually happy to have had her butting into our conversation. She looks at us before eventually "noticing" me with a gasp. "Oh! Just don't let _Ugly _near the pool. She might contaminate the water with something awful!"

Rantaro sighs in annoyance. "Every opportunity, huh, Monophanie?" He asks in a more or less rhetorical question that causes Monophanie to suddenly stiffen up. I can see her little legs quivering a bit, pink and white face reddening to a surprising amount despite being mechanical.

"H-He said my name...!" Monophanie actually swoons as she says this, prompting my eyebrow to twitch erratically at her behavior. I'm getting very close to throwing this ocarina right at her face. Jealousy? No way. I'm the one Rantaro pays attention to anyways, so _ha!_

...wait. That's nothing to brag about. I don't even like Rantaro paying attention to me, he's like an overbearing tick!

"I-I mean...I can try to be better...for you..." Monophanie trails off in an admittedly cute manner, shuffling to her feet and playing with her paws as if she's a school girl.

"What's so special 'bout _him?" _I hear Monosuke quit, reminding me that it's not just Monophanie here, but the other three monokubs as well.

At this slow realization, my eyes search immediately for the blue and white dual toned kub, but when I find him...

He turns the other way.

Two feelings become apparent as a result of this discovery. For one, I'm happy. It's not an ideal result for us Ultimates in this situation, but having Monokid and Monotaro as honest gophers had been useful for at least the two times we met up and spoke of the happenings here. However, now that we know what will happen if there is a traitor on Monokuma's side, Monokid stepping away from our side is good. It's good for Monokid himself, at least.

This way he won't end up like Monotaro did.

Although I'm happy he'll be safe, I am admittedly sad about his reaction though. Is this a sign that he doesn't trust me anymore? Does he blame me for Monotaro's death like I originally thought?

_No, I don't want to think about that. I don't want to know, I'm just happy he won't be killed like Monotaro...for now. That's all I can ask for in this hellscape. First and foremost to secure his safety, I need to find a way out of here._

"Hey, What were you even saying just now, you pink leech? Prairie would totally _purify_ any water sources she comes in contact with! She could sell her bathwater for millions of yen!" Tenko exclaims, completely erasing all of my concerns for the moment as my brain pauses and rewinds to replay exactly what's come out of her mouth. I rip my gaze off of Monokid's back to look at her in disbelief.

My _bathwater?! _Who would do that?!

I look up at Rantaro, wincing at the downright displeased expression on his face. Clearly it wasn't just me that thinks that's a bit of a stretch.

"L-Let's just go in already. We still have other places to look through," I speak up before Monophanie can object with another rude comment. She gets along with Tenko as well as she gets along with me.

"I agree! As long as it's not dangerous, it's best we examine our surroundings thoroughly. There's no such thing as having too much information, after all," Kiibo states, following right behind me when I move out from under Rantaro's hold on my shoulder to traverse into the building. Figures it would be a pool, we could have guessed it from just the billboard of the water and dolphin above the entrance after all.

I can hear Rantaro let out a sigh of mild exasperation when I escape him once again, following after Kiibo and I with Tenko and Shuichi behind him and the monokubs tailing us.

Once we're inside, Kiibo continues towards the edge of the pool while I pause a few steps behind momentarily at the sight of the water. By the time everyone else is inside, I manage to puck up the courage to join Kiibo by the edge and give the water a frown.

_Such shallow water...who would be able to swim in this poor excuse for a pool?_

"Ooh! Look at that, Ugly! It's perfect for your size, a _kiddie _pool!" Monosuke comments, pulling on a nerve I'm sure he spotted a mile away considering how I've been pretty vocal about what I dislike about being treated like a child.

"Excuse me?" I demand, turning a dark gaze towards Monosuke who jumps a little at my sudden and unexpected attention on him. Before either me or the yellow kub with the smart mouth can say anything though, Tenko jumps to my side to take my hand in hers. Probably not a good idea right now, but she seems unafraid as I turn my look her way.

"That's okay! If you can't swim, I mean. I can't swim either, it's nothing to be ashamed about!" Tenko tries to comfort me to my irritation.

_Why don't they get it? Did this little standard of 'everyone baby Prairie-wee-Marble' result from Rantaro's behavior, or am I really so childish looking and "moe" that it's a reaction these idiots can't help?_

Hating the feeling of Tenko trying to come to my aid as if I need consoling, I promptly snatch my hand out of hers and turn away to cross my arms as I hold my tongue. To ensure I won't lash out, I take a few steps away from her quickly and pretend I don't see the flicker of hurt that makes itself known in her hazel eyes by my reaction. Honestly though, I'm sure it would be much worse if I really opened my mouth and told her to put a cork in it with her misguided sympathies.

Prairie is a ticking time bomb right now, and she's guaranteed ready to blow at any moment.

"Ha! What's wrong, Ugly, no tantrum outbreak like usual? You look like you need a juice box~!" I hear Monosuke pile on, making my head spin a little from just how angry I am. It's not even because of the attempt at saying these sort of things- it's that what comes out of his mouth is literally just a dramaticized version of how everyone treats me here.

I took down an Exisal alone and saved Kaito from being killed early on. I climbed a giant wall to learn an extra secret of this cage we're trapped in, which is only a cage inside of a cage. What _more _do I need to do before they see me to be at their level? What am I supposed to do that will make them realize I'm perfectly capable of whatever they are- and _more _at that. Is that arrogant? It sounds like it and I've asked myself that before...however, maybe I wouldn't have to tell myself arrogant things like that if Rantaro and the others didn't always make me feel like I'm infantile or in need of 'hand holding'.

_Calm down. Control that temper and just...walk away. Show them you're the one in control, even if it hurts._

"Sorry, Tenko," I say after a second, turning to face the Ultimate Aikido Master after mentally stabilizing my rampant emotions. "I know you mean well and I don't mean to be rude by taking out my anger on you."

Tenko doesn't seem surprised, rather smiling as a result of my apology in what appears to be relief and embarrassment.

"No, no, don't apologize! I didn't mean for it to seem like I was looking down on you or anything, if that's what you're thinking. I know you can already do incredible things, after all!" Tenko explains, managing to somewhat placate my anger towards her slightly. I can't tell if her words are genuine to how she really feels, but I guess it suffices for now.

I hear Kiibo breathe a sigh of relief from where he is, like he'd been holding his breath despite being a robot. "For a moment there, I almost thought there was going to be another explosive reaction...! Good on you for controlling your temper, Prairie! That was very mature of you!" Kiibo praises me.

All of a sudden, I feel sick again, but I force myself to just ignore him and bite down on my tongue harder. As if I need him to praise me and confirm I'm doing something 'mature' when I can tell the difference by myself. Does he want to give me a gold star and a lollipop for my good behavior while he's at it too?

"Are you guys sure about that? Ugly and mature don't belong in the same sentence at all. How sure are you of her age anyways? Our records aren't _that _accurate. She could be twelve for all we know-!" I hear Monophanie start to speak innocently, only to see Tenko's expression twitch slightly before she kicks back with a leg and knocks the pink bear back a few feet to most of the other teen's horror.

"Tenko-!" Rantaro objects, eyes flicking from me to her and back when I look his way. What, does he think she'll be a bad influence on me? Like I'll just pick up whatever I see like some kind of monkey? God, they really do act like I'm a toddler or something.

Monophanie growls as she jumps back to her feet, swatting Monosuke when he fails to hold back a snort of amusement at her expense.

"So RUDE! Whatever! Have fun with the ugly preschooler then while it lasts! Sooner than later, she's just gonna end up being one more little ugly stain in this place!_"_ Monophanie complains furiously, jumping angrily before bounding out of there without the other three Monokubs.

"Ahhh, look what you did, Ugly!" Monosuke complains as well, paws on his hips. "You got Monophanie all upset and fired up again! This is your fault for being so prepubescent!"

Monosuke bounds out of there, and with him goes Monokid, who doesn't spare a single glance back even as I watch him leave. In the end, all that's left is Monodam, and we all turn to look his way.

"..."

Eventually he too decides to leave, but not before making eye contact with me for a beat- enough that my nerves react a little and distract me from what had initially made me upset before. I'm not sure exactly what that look was supposed to mean, but I make sure to commit it to my memory before he disappears and leaves us on our own.

"You know what, I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm not really in the best of moods and I need to cool off by myself before I go exploding like the moe prepubescent I am," I state, surprising everyone when I suddenly make for a power walk towards the exit.

"Prair-?" I hear Rantaro start, until Shuichi unexpectedly scurries after me and blurts out, "Ah, can I actually speak to you outside really quick before you go? It'll be fast, I promise!"

I consider throwing him a rejection, but instead just give him a salty "fine" and lead him out so we can talk by the stone tablet. Of course, I notice Rantaro peer around exit of the building with the other two curious Ultimates and have to hold in another rush of irritation. Are they watching to make sure I don't potentially go ballistic on Shuichi?

_It seems that everything I do needs to be monitored, according to them._

Once we've stopped, I turn to face Shuichi and narrow my eyes up at him to remind him I'm not likely to be so nice with the current mood I'm in. At this notice, he swallows but visibly steels himself for what he's about to say.

"I'm very sorry for calling you moe earlier. I can see it upset you a lot, and I take it back entirely," Shuichi states, bowing in apology as I stare at him quietly. Does he even know _why _it upset me so much?

"Why would it upset me?" I decide to ask, staring at him so intently that when he straightens up from his bow, he sort of shrinks back at my query. He's the Ultimate Detective, this should be a piece of cake for him.

"W-Why...? Well...you're not some anime character that should be categorized into a static archetype, you're a real person," he decides to go with. I conceal my frown poorly, because he winces. "Ah, t-that's not it, is it?"

With that, I put both hands on his shoulders and pull him down to my level a little, staring him in the face.

"Everyone has thrown it in my face and it's impossible to ignore. You just watched some of it right now, and somehow you don't even know. What's the point of apologizing if you don't even know what you're apologizing for? ...I don't need empty words, Shuichi. I need space," I carefully tell him, giving him a hug and then pulling away to leave him with that.

The hugging Shuichi part was a last minute idea that had formed in the back of my mind while we talked, and as soon as I'm completely out of their eyeshot, I hurry around to the main building of the school in a sprint easily achieved despite the heels on my feet. With a bit of a smirk on my face, I stop as I enter the main doorway...and pull out the two other items Shuichi had revealed to me, that being the red orb and the ema plaque.

_Those dumb dweebs didn't even notice I picked Shuichi's pocket. I bet they would hate it...if I gave them to Kokichi._

Once I take a deep breath and calm the rush of jitters from my heinous act, one I know with a bitter taste in my mouth that Rantaro would call "childish", I continue my run until I reach the stone dragon I met Tsumugi at. To my delight and luck, Kokichi happens to be one of three people hovering near the statue, and despite my plan to find him I still stagger in my stride when he glances my way from the sound of my clicking heels.

Last time I saw him, I flipped him on his backside and played with fire by showing him my accuracy at knife throwing. With my stagger, I feel a horrifying chunk of my bravado drop like a rock in water.

"Ah! Look, Gonta! Prairie Dog decided to finally grace us with her presence! See, I _told _you she wasn't lying dead in a pool of blood!" Kokichi brightly exclaims, waving at me in mock excitement...I think. Well, not that it matters. I don't need him to be excited to see me.

_Forget shame. It's only a matter of time before Shuichi and the others find the items missing and realize what I did._

"Small Prairie! Gonta glad to see you safe! ...Hm? What Small Prairie have in hands?" Gonta inquires as he reaches up to adjust his glasses and get a better look at me upon my approach.

"Here you go," I comment, handing over the ema plaque to Kokichi without waiting for him to take it from me when I drop it in his arms and watch him fumble for a second with an amused smile. "Happy unbirthday."

I walk on over to the dragon statue and lift up the red gem I have, clamping it in the claws of the statue with little hesitation. There's a momentary rumble I can feel all the way down to my bones as the wall behind the statue shakes violently, followed by the sound of heels clicking behind me. Kirumi stops at my side, looking my way with a sigh when I keep my expression flat and determined. I'm guessing she can tell this is another one of my spats with Rantaro...but rather, it's more of a spat with everyone here that treats me like a kid.

She doesn't say anything else, and that much I appreciate when I shoot her a meaningful look midst taking off in a run ahead as the wall completely falls to reveal a hallway.

"Wait for meeee!"

I don't slow down, mostly because I know he can keep up. I stop and push open the first door I see, planning on doing the same thing I'd done to Rantaro at the casino- run through quickly and don't get caught so I can skip out when Rantaro and Shuichi get here.

Of course, I miscalculate Kokichi's speed and he crashes into me from behind far too soon for my liking, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up in the air with a laugh when I growl.

"Put me down, I'm in a hurry!" I demand, wriggling wildly when he swings me side to side with a thoughtful hum. "What? Is this how you treat someone that does something nice for you?"

"Something nice for me? Aw, come on, Prairie Dog. Don't pretend you got this item for _me. _What did Run-turdo do this time, hm?" He asks, setting me down and crossing his arms with a grin as he moves around me to stand in my way. "Doctor Oma is willing to fix all your ailments, even stress! You just have to open up to him a little bit~"

I give him a look, dubious even _before _the 'Doctor Oma' bit.

"...It's not just Rantaro. It's everybody. They're pissing me off," I admit after a second, feeling my temper spike just a little. "But it doesn't matter, that's not important right now. I need to get in and be gone before Rantaro and Shuichi get here, or I'm gonna get another stupid punishment, like a 'time-out' or something."

I move around him to examine the room, which is an antique designed one that resembles something from Europe in the Elizabethan era. There's a Victorian styled dining table, a chandelier, and what looks to be human-sized puppets that make me raise a brow.

"Why would you get in trouble? Did you snatch the items straight out of Shuichi's hands like the little devil you are?" Kokichi inquires, making me tear my gaze away from the decor of the room to retort, "Of course not! I just...picked them from his pocket as payment for wasting my time to try and apologize with empty words."

"Ehh? Why? Don't you wanna get out of here? How do you plan on doing that without the magnificent power of _friendship?" _Kokichi presses, easily making such a cheesy statement sound entirely natural with that bright and cheery tone of his. I resist losing my temper, simply scrunching up my expression in disbelief. At that face I make, Kokichi laughs a little under a hand like this is the usual fun and games. "Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one against the saccharine idea of working together the nice way."

"I thought that was obvious enough considering how everything serious I've done to get answers has been done alone. By myself. _Without _a babysitter," I huff, walking towards a large closet and pushing it open. Inside are washing machines, dryers, cleaning supplies- everything room service should have access to...or in this case, Kirumi. This is obviously the Ultimate Maid's lab, but I can't help but feel a wave of relief inside me. With these here, I'll be able to wash my clothes the easy way rather than scrubbing them to hell and back in my shower.

"What a find! Washing machines. Perfect, get in one and I'll start it. After thirty minutes, maybe you'll have a good idea to really get us out of here, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi laughs, but rather than give him the time of my day, I simply jot the discoveries down in my mental notepad and turn to scurry out of the lab now that I'm done exploring it. "Hey, I'm coming too! You can't get away from this leech that easily!"

I'm not exactly aggravated at this point. Although Kokichi is undoubtedly annoying, he's at least not unbearable right now and that much I can appreciate since it honestly could be worse.

And of course as soon as I think that, it gets worse.

Kokichi catches my hand in his and I freeze, looking his way for an answer as to why he's decided to hold my hand. If it's because of what I _think _it is, he's dead.

"Oh, I'm just making sure you don't get yourself into too much trouble! You know how you can be, Prairie Dog-"

Kokichi ducks just moments short of when I lurch forwards to punch him in the face, only for my gloved knuckles to fly towards the wall behind him. Just before I go shattering my knuckles or wrist, Kokichi grabs my wrist and forces it up so I hit air instead.

"Jeeeeez, Prairie Dog, I'm only _lying!_ Don't go hurting yourself, without you we're all screwed, remember?" Kokichi huffs with an annoyed grin, making me wring my hand away from him to take a step back. Is he making fun of me because he doubts someone small like me can be useful...?!

"Can you go away? And don't hold my hand, it's bugging me," I snap, turning to continue down the corridor at a faster pace. Kokichi is undeterred by my behavior as per usual, following quickly and trying to link arms with me even when I dodge his attempts multiple times. "Stop it!"

_Gah! I should have just kept the last item on my own person, this little jerk doesn't deserve _ ** _anything_**_!_

"Kokichi, I may not want to murder you, but if you keep trying to get in my personal space, let's just say I know a few organs you can live without-! _Ack! _You _leech!"_ I bark, grabbing his wrists myself to push him back...until he grabs on to me in turn and yanks me forward into him in a hug that makes me yelp when I crash into him.

"Hey, Prairie Dog, you know what's good about being cute like us?" Kokichi purrs, making the skin at my neck tickle from the feeling of his breath grazing it. It boils my blood, reminding me of that stupid prank he pulled on me about being stuck in the tall grass of the courtyard when he totally _wasn't._ I try to move back so I can maybe try punching him again, but he forces my arms behind me so I'm unable to retaliate. "Not only can we get away with a whole lot more, but just about everyone can't help but underestimate us."

I glare at him, moving my shoulders back enough to see him.

"How is _that _any good? I don't like being underestimated, everyone is treating me like a baby," I growl, nonplussed by his claims. He's only saying that because he knows exactly what's bugging me and wants to aggravate me even more.

"You tell me. Do you think Shuichi would have approached you to apologize for who-knows-what if he even just _slightly _suspected you might have the nerve to pick his pocket?"

I open my mouth to object...and then promptly close it after a beat in which Kokichi grins and raises a meaningful brow my way.

"Do you think Kaede would have tried to bash your skull in _after _being caught with a shot-put ball if she thought you wouldn't be too scared to dodge?" He continues, saying Kaede's name with little remorse of sympathy. Clearly he doesn't like her for her attempted murder of someone, even if she failed. "You see how powerful we are? Because people underestimate us, whether they're willing to admit it or not, they automatically box us in a category beneath them, making it easier for us to pull a fast one on them if we need to. You can see the dynamic with Himiko and Tenko, to the point Himiko is always complaining about Tenko being too clingy about her desire to protect her."

Kokichi pauses, as if noticing something. There's a tingle at my cheeks and I was hoping I could hide it, but he grins and leans forward more despite me having leaned back enough already when he catches a weak point on my shell. My cheeks heat up entirely and I lean back more for space, only to squeak when I recline to the point I lose my footing and the only thing keeping me from falling becomes the stupid leech himself.

"Then again, that's Himiko we're talking about, she needs all the help she can get or she's gonna end up the next one murdered if you ask me," Kokichi casually puts, watching me with what I realize is a very calculating stare. He's examining my reaction...but to what? "...do you trust me, Prairie Dog? Aren't you afraid I might end up killing you?"

I give him a dry look and frown despite my flushed face.

"You're stupid."

Kokichi hums in understanding, laughing a little as he looks around us to see if anyone else is around to see us. Upon looking back my way, he doesn't appear to be critically analyzing me anymore. Instead, he just watches me quietly until I start to lightly struggle to go upright in such an awkward position. He's literally got me dipped as if we got halted in the middle of a dance, and the only thing I can do is toe the ground with the tip of my shoe since I'm being held up.

"Hey, you look a bit uncomfortable, are you okay?" he asks my blushing face, managing to look legitimately concerned even though the both of us know he's totally full of crap.

"Your face is gonna be a bit uncomfortable if you don't let me go right this-" I begin to say, teeth aching slightly from how hard I've been clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth.

_"HEY!"_

Even the shout startles me, and to my dismay, Kokichi drops me just like I asked- right then and there on the cold dirty floor with a thump like a sack of potatoes. As my back and head hit the cement of the hallway floor, I let out a sharp cry of pain and immediately grab my head.

"Nishishi! You said let go right now," he purrs impudently as I sit up, shooting him a look just as I feel a pair of arms hook under mine to help me up on my feet. I catch sight of rings and bracelets and bite my tongue once I'm on both feet so I don't make the mistake of saying something that will only make me feel worse.

I do, however, pull away from Rantaro and cross my arms moodily once I have my space, avoiding his gaze more out of spite than guilt.

"Kokichi, what the hell were you trying to pull?" Rantaro instead whirls on Kokichi, mildly surprising me since I kept feeling like he was continuously targeting me when it came to problems between Kokichi and I. For a while there, I thought Rantaro was just excusing Kokichi's behavior.

"'What the hell was I' what? I didn't do nuthin'," Kokichi casually remarks, locking eyes with Rantaro in a direct unflinching stare as he makes a show of throwing the ema plaque up and watches Rantaro's eyes jump to it immediately. "Better keep up if you don't want me to be opening up all these secret school passages up all on my lonesome~"

With that, Kokichi spins around on his heel with a grin to continue exploring the new halls and rooms of the school.

"Prairie, are you okay?" If Kokichi was doing anything untoward or indecent..." Rantaro is dead serious, shifting to look from me to Kokichi again one more time.

"Don't worry, he was just getting in my personal space to press my buttons," I reassure him, resisting the urge to sigh at his concerns. Sure, it's nice he cares, but I'll give him a minute to switch gears and demand why I took the items from Shuichi.

Rather than Rantaro switching gears and straightening up to scold me, he unexpectedly relaxes in my presence and smiles sheepishly instead.

"I guess I owe you an apology then."

_Huh? ...apology? For what?_

I give him a confused stare, prompting him to laugh awkwardly as he elaborates and runs a hand through his hair. For a minute I find myself admiring his genuine expression and stupidly handsome features in one of those rare moments when his guard is down, up until I notice he's gone quiet and snap out of my daze long enough to realize he's trying not to smile at my obvious state of admiration.

Shoot. I hate it when he notices! Also, he totally sucks at hiding smiles! I hate him.

"A-Apologize for what?" I ask in an effort to get the topic back on track so I can get some relief from the embarrassment.

"Hm? Oh." Seems like he almost forgot what we were talking about too. Is it even really important then? "I thought _you _actually took the items off of Shuichi and I came here to talk to you about it, but I guess I jumped to conclusions."

_He "came here to talk to me"...typical. Furthermore, he actually thinks I didn't take them simply because he saw Kokichi holding the ema plaque? Does Rantaro just assume Kokichi strolled on by while they weren't looking and picked Shuichi's pocket? He's definitely overestimating Kokichi's skills._

_"Dumb,"_ I decide to just admit it, as him not knowing may make my life easier and let me escape a scolding for pick pocketing, but...if I go that route, he's not gonna learn anything! I gotta nudge him the right way so he figures it out, but I also don't want to hand him the truth like free candy either. If I just tell him, he'll do exactly what he did in the warehouse before when I told him to stop worrying about me. Steamroll right over my words like he knows what's best. "I did take them from Shuichi. And then I dumped the items in Kokichi's hands, because you know what the rest of you are? You're all idiots."

I can see the second my confession crushes all his hopes about me being civilized for once, but before he can begin to possibly chastise me, I turn and start heading on after Kokichi, stopping by him when I spot him near a chest placed conspicuously in plain sight in the hall.

"...think there's a dead body in there?" I smack Kokichi's shoulder at his comment, stepping forward midst his snickers to check it out before a hand catches my wrist and drags me back. I don't even have to look to know it's Rantaro ready to scold me.

Although as Kokichi turns and watches when we step aside from him, I face Rantaro and realize he looks way more concerned than actually angry or upset.

"Prairie, what's wrong? Talk to me, please," he asks, taking my hands until I yank them out of his grip.

"If I wanted to talk about it, I would have already said something!" I object, taking a small step away from him. "Don't you think we have more important things to worry about right now? Just chastise me again like you always do and get it over with already so we can keep looking around."

The surprise on Rantaro's face is only present for a moment, as it soon contorts to mild annoyance. Oh, he's upset _now?_ I wonder what I said that pushed his buttons.

"Prairie, I don't chastise you because I enjoy it or because it's some kind of routine- are you really not learning _anything_ from all the talks we've had? Nothing at all?"

"Like what?! Don't kick people, don't insult people, don't be unnecessarily rude- obviously I know those kinds of things are bad! But guess what? _I don't care!_ I don't have to do anything you say if I don't want to and there's nothing you can do about it, _avocado for brains!" _I blurt out, losing my cool entirely to the amusement of Kokichi from where we left him standing. He's laughing, able to hear my words since I've raised my voice quite a bit at Rantaro.

At that point, I notice Rantaro himself wearing an unnatural pleasant smile after my words, prompting me to blink in mild curiosity. He's smiling? I just went total 'disrespectful brat' mode on him and called him names, what the heck is his proble-?

Suddenly there's a throbbing at my gut when my world is flipped entirely upside down, making me exhale sharply before I realize Rantaro has nearly knocked all the air out of my lungs by throwing me over his shoulder like a rag doll.

"H-Hey! Put me down, you have no right to do this!" I shout, slamming my fists on his back to no avail.

"Uh-oh! Somebody's in trouble~! Also, hey there, Shuichi! Welcome to the show! There's no popcorn, but the shows pretty good despite!"

"I'm not anyone's entertainment!" I snap, just as Rantaro passes Shuichi where the Ultimate Detective visibly gapes at my predicament. My temper spikes at the expression on his face, and I reach for any insult I can to hurl his way in my rage. "What are you staring at, _dummy?!_ You look like a dead frog!"

Shuichi flinches, stammering an apology as Kokichi joins his side with a grin and returns the freaking ema plaque to the visibly perturbed detective.

"Better hold on to your things properly, Shuichi! You ought to be more careful when we have girls like Prairie running around and picking people's pockets! How shameful!" Kokichi comments, clearly only trying to piss me off further as he follows with poor curious Shuichi after us.

_I'm never doing anything nice for that leech ever again, he just gave what I took straight back to Shuichi!_

Even angrier than before I start hitting Rantaro's back again, attempting to just pull myself entirely over his shoulder to escape. He tightens his grip on the backs of my legs, keeping me in place like I weigh nothing and like my efforts are futile.

By the time we get to wherever Rantaro is bringing me, I'm exhausted from my struggles, so he's able to effortlessly swing me down on a desk with a thud that makes me grunt in displeasure. Just when I think he's about to finally yell at me, he snatches something from the thin belt just around my hips and turns to walk away.

At first I can't tell what's happened, maybe because I never considered Rantaro Amami would ever stoop this low. Of course I underestimate the fact that he totallysees me as if I'm an _actual_ six year old, because everything clicks into place when he closes the door on his way out...and promptly locks me in the classroom with nothing except that airy and weightless pleasant smile he's been wearing ever since I yelled at him when I was with Kokichi.

_Did...did he really lock me in here and just leave?_

I get off the desk Rantaro propped me on, reaching for the classroom door knob and blinking owlishly when it holds fast under the lock. Reaching down to tap my belt where the ring of my keys once were- including my only key to lock this specific room, I eventually drop my hands to my sides and stare blankly at the door.

...

Next moment, I have my fists up and I slam them as hard as I can against the door with a shout of rage.

"You're the most _insufferable _person on the planet, Rantaro! I _hate _you!" I scream angrily, not even sure if he's still there listening or has decided to skip out of the trouble with me this time. That's probably it, he's likely already left with Shuichi and Kokichi. He just shoved me in this room as a "time out" so he wouldn't have to deal with me...

Even though I'm _seventeen freaking years old._

"I hope you're happy! Congratulations, I'm out of your way!" I call out anyways, whether or not he can hear me. I hope he can. "Of course you throw me in a stupid room like this."

I turn and walk over to the desks and chairs again, bending over to grab a chair and hurl it towards the classroom door mercilessly. The sound of metal and plastic crashes with an eardrum aching slam and clatter, prompting a startled curse from one of the boys, though I can't tell who it is, and frankly I don't care. I'm angry. You tend to not care about a lot of stuff when you're focused on the one thing that's infuriating you.

"Of _course _a brain-dead scumbag like you can't figure it out on your freaking own! I guess your parents didn't bother to pass down anything actually _worthwhile!" _I shout, hurling another chair at the door with all my might.

I can definitely hear someone laughing, and I can tell it's definitely Kokichi. No one else has as much of a familiar crappy laugh as his stupid laugh.

"You laugh like a donkey, Kokichi, feel free to 'nee-hee-_hee-haw'_ out of here before you break our eardrums with your braying," I snap, hearing him fall silent before he clicks his tongue like he's about to say something back to my claim.

He doesn't sound mad, but I honestly could care less about wasting my time micro-analyzing him to see if I really struck a nerve. Instead, I manage to pick up a desk and throw it at the door with a loud grunt of exertion and silence him as a result of the much louder crashing sound when it hits the door and topples over the chairs I already had throws there beforehand.

"You wanna know what's wrong, Amami? YOU! You're a pretty face, but it's too bad that can't help you with your stupid..._sister complex!"_

There's a sputter of shock at that comment coming from more than one source, but I just kick a desk and a few chairs over with a loud growl. Throwing and kicking around all this stuff is awfully therapeutic in a way...

"If you were _my _brother, I'd set myself on fire and jump in a vat of gasoline to put myself out of my misery!" I scream, picking up another desk and launching it at the door again, noting how it's starting to get just a tad bit easier to pick things up. Adrenaline sure is potent, isn't it?

Eventually I pause my fit to catch my breath and grab one of many kicked chairs, scraping it upright so I can take a seat. Seconds pass. Minutes pass. After a little bit of time, I hear Shuichi speak up, audibly still stunned from my explosive display of anger from the other side of the door. He's lucky he wasn't on this side with me, I'd probably pick him up and throw him at the freaking door too if I could. Screw Shuichi and his empty apologies.

"A-Are you gonna let her out?" Shuichi asks, no doubt speaking to Rantaro.

"Nope."

_"Nope"? That casual? ...I hate him and everyone else he's ever come in contact with. I regret ever getting smitten with him after we fell out of those lockers._

I'm still enraged. I feel awful- no, _miserable._ Rantaro just honestly doesn't realize that him treating me like a child is stomping all over my pride as a woman. Seventeen counts as a woman, right? I think so, it's pretty close...but I'm definitely not a freaking child in need of scoldings or time-outs.

_I guess I'll throw around some more chairs and desks while I'm still in here._

Just as I stand up and turn to pick up my chair, I pause as my eyes slide over to the window near me. Outside it looks like another beautiful fake day. Lovely. I should just climb out and down the school if Rantaro really wants to play games like this.

_...Wait. I can climb out? Weren't there metal barbed wires covering the windows in here before? Hmm...I can't remember, but I won't look a gift-horse in the mouth._

Of course, I'm not leaving until I've finished telling off the oafs on the other side of the door.

"...so...I figured at least Shuichi might get a clue, but I've clearly overestimated the processor in that melon of his. It must be behind a few updates. I was right, you're _all _idiots. Even if I talked to you about it, Rantaro, you wouldn't understand. You'd just want to lock me in a room exactly like this. As for you Shuichi, don't bother trying to apologize again. I don't care if you understand later or not, you're a waste of time. Kokichi...you're just annoying and you're full of crap. I guess that means I'm done talking with you guys then. If you want to have your existences acknowledged by me beforeI get us all out of here, _pull a miracle out of your asses," _I snap with finality, turnign away from the door and stepping up on the ledge of the window carefully so my heels don't screw up my balance.

_Hopefully _ _ **that guy** _ _ is already out of the new part of the school we opened up...ah! There he is!_

The large man with beautiful curly locks about as wild as mine is more or less unaware of my presence looming over him from so high- up until I take in a deep breath and blow out a loud whistle around my fingers. His head immediately shoots up in my direction, eyes widening a little when he sees me.

"Gonta!" I call out with a wave.

"Small Prairie!" Gonta calls back, face a rosy hue before he looks away and covers his face and glasses with his hands. "W-What Small Prairie doing so high? G-G-Gonta see things Gonta should not see!"

"Don't worry, it's a body suit under this dress! But that doesn't matter right now! You better be watching, because I'm jumping out of this window and if you don't catch me, I'll die!" I shout back, running purely on adrenaline and recklessness like never before. It doesn't justify the means- doing something so dangerous just to upset the boys on the other side of the door. What kind of a person does that? It's toxic.

_And yet here I am doing it. I can't stop._

Gonta looks up again just as I take a few steps, visibly garbling in panic as he tries to say something to stop my irrational behavior. The sound of the door trying to open against all the chairs and the two desks I threw at it barely catches my attention as the metal scrapes against the ground, chairs collapsing from the pile as the door opens more and more.

"Prairie, tell me you're joking-!" I hear Ranaro call out, only turning my head just slightly when I notice someone's slipped into the room. Of course, it ends up being Rantaro himself to my horrible luck. I don't bother giving him an answer I know will fall on deaf ears, instead making a break for the window when he lunges forward.

I can already tell I won't make it in time, he's gonna catch my dress skirt and pull me back.

_Then take off the dress part!_

Not really caring that I'm severely damaging the cosplay Tsumugi made- and still salty that it's more "mature" than how I would want Rantaro to see me when refer to wanting him to treat me my age, I grab the knife attached to my leg under under my skirt and pop it out of its sheath. With swift accurate movements, I quickly grab the hem of my skirt and slice the fabric straight up to my chest.

Rantaro catches the skirt of my dress and I pull back my arms so the dress pulls off to leave me in the upper long sleeve garment attached to the bottom white bodysuit segment I wore under the dress. Looking back, Rantaro looks mildly startled by the fact I've managed to escape just barely, staring after me in obvious distress before I close my eyes and catch the ledge of the window frame perfectly with the gap between my heel and the front of my shoe.

My leg bends to gain some traction...

And I kick off out of the second story of the school building in a flip.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.3 - Not A Child**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [1.12 My Punishment bonus art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899480715/112-my-punishment-bonus-art-for-the-end-of)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.1-V.6](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188878798625/string-theory-drv3-fic-cover-v1-v6-string)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.7](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188900534925/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v7-v7)  

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> [String Theory Interlude.i Cover](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188923180815/string-theory-interludei-shuichi)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.8](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188924491135/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v8-v8)  

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	33. Unsupported

❀ **_3.4 - Unsupported_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Gonta, catch me!" I call out, all the while using my intuition to blindly shift my body around and make sure I'm jumping in an arc where catching me will be the easiest for him. All the while I can hear panicking from three different people, notably being Rantaro, Shuichi, and Gonta.

I guess Kokichi doesn't care if I turn into a pancake, so that's great and all.

Just as planned, I land right in Gonta's arms with little to no complications, prompting me to glance up to see a very stark white Gonta breathe out a sigh of pure relief. His glasses are all skewed and crooked, so I reach up and readjust them with an innocent smile before looking towards the window I'd jumped from.

Rantaro and Shuichi are both gaping and about as pale faced as Gonta as they look down at us, Kokichi gesturing down towards me with a grand and dramatic gesture.

"You see?!She's totally a circus freak, I _told you_ I wasn't lying about it, but did you believe me? _Noooooo..._!" Kokichi accuses, poking Rantaro's arm and then watching when the green haired teen turns and races out of view. At that, Kokichi turns to Shuichi and steps beside him in the spot Rantaro once occupied. "You see what I have to deal with? Those lovebirds are at it all the time, I swear they argue and fight like an old married couple."

"Kokichi, when old married couples argue, the wife doesn't _fling herself out a window," _Shuichi points out in clear horror, turning to leave the window and follow behind Rantaro. Once It's just Kokichi there, I hop down out of Gonta's arms just as the violet devil turns his attention back down to me with a grin from ear to ear. "We'll be down in a second, _darling_, don't go anywhere~!"

"Don't call me that!" I object heatedly as he turns to follow Shuichi, leaving me to look around and figure out my escape since a not-so-happy Rantaro is obviously on his way down to pull my ear, so to speak.

_Escape...wait, Gonta is here and I need to be out of sight. I can go to the tunnel then! Rantaro won't think to find me there since I supposedly don't know it exists!_

"Small Prairie, why you jumping out windows?! Why you in smaller clothes than before?! Gonta no understand!" The mountain man beside me asks, covering his face with his hands as he sweats and turns away from me. At that, I smack his arm so he pulls his hands back a little where I can grab hold of his wrist. Once I have a hold of his wrist, I turn and start jogging towards the other side of the school in the direction of the boiler room Monokid previously told me the tunnel resides. I remember him mentioning a manhole, so I might need Gonta's help to lift the metal cover up for me in case it's been sealed where I can't open it myself if I stumble upon it.

"You don't need to understand, don't worry. I'm sorry I'm indecent right now, but I need your help with something before Rantaro gets down here," I say, pulling him along with me up until I jerk to a stop when Gonta plants his feet and resists my pulling. I squeak, looking back at him in confusion and slight panic since this is a slow down that might result in Rantaro appearing any second. "G-Gonta?"

"Wait! S-Small Prairie no can go that way! Rantaro and Kirumi said too dangerous! Small Prairie could get hurt!" Gonta openly admits, making my eyes narrow on him and my lips tighten in a line as my pride is once again stomped down on with no mercy. Him too? Freaking _Gonta?_

I release his wrist like it's burnt me, clicking my tongue in furious disappointment as I turn to continue towards the stupid boiler room on my own. He stammers when he sees me whirl around on him, stepping forward to try and catch my wrist even after I've snatched it from his grabbing range.

"If you don't want to help me, that's freaking fine, but don't expect me to follow any orders that aren't my _own," _I growl his way, my temper only simmering slightly because as upset as I am, I know Gonta's only responding based on stupid Rantaro's orders. Nevermind that Kirumi is also in on it, but at least she doesn't try to suffocate me with chastisements when I act out.

_There really is hardly anyone here that actually believes in me, huh? They're not just sitting ducks, they're actively inhibiting my moves to get us out too! This is the worst situation ever! We're never getting out of here!_

"Gonta that's enough! Stop trying to grab my arm!" I suddenly snap when he tries a fourth time, lashing out with a hard slap I have to jump just to give him since he's so tall. Gonta yelps a little, glasses going crooked again.

"PRAIRIE!"

I hate that I wince on impulse at the familiar sound of Rantaro's chastising shout, turning towards the speaker that's arrived and backing up from Gonta quickly when I realize Rantaro's stride is much faster than it usually is. Presumably since I'm backing up in the direction of the boiler room, he suddenly pauses and stops moving after a moment.

Gonta backs up until he's beside him, fixing his glasses and looking down a little like a puppy that's just been kicked. Honestly, despite his size, I can't help but feel incredibly guilty over slapping him. The man is a teddy bear, a very sweet and well meaning one...but he's just so _gullible._ And that's probably what makes me feel all the more awful that I've slapped him.

The one I should be slapping is _Rantaro..._

In the pause, Kokichi laughs and taps Gonta's arm with the back of his hand a few times to get the sad man's attention. "Hah! Prairie got you too, huh? She slapped me so hard the other day that I thought I was gonna spit out a tooth!"

_...why the heck does he sound so proud of that?_

"Okay..." Rantaro speaks up, making me look his way again as Shuichi moves to Gonta's side to console him while Kokichi continues with showing Gonta a very much dramaticized play-by-play of how I had slapped him previously. "So maybe what I did back there locking you in that room may seem like the worst thing I could do, but I have my reasons and you're lashing out pretty bad at everyone right now. I'm willing to give back all of your keys and sit down to talk if you want to."

Everyone's looking my way again, none of them moving a muscle or looking away from me as they wait for my answer.

_It's because they're trying to get me away from the boiler room where the manhole to the stupid tunnel is, isn't it?_

Training my eyes on Gonta, I can see he's sweating just a little from where he's cradling his cheek, visibly anxious.

_If I didn't already know that tunnel existed, I would have in this moment. Now that Rantaro is actually here with Gonta, Kokichi, and Shuichi, maybe it's best I postpone the tunnel exploration...again._

_Am I ever going to explore that tunnel?! It feels like things keep getting in the way every time I want to!_

"Keep the keys. I don't want them and I don't want to talk to you," I plainly respond with a sharp glare, my guard completely up for any sort of movement any of the boys might make. I kind of want to take a step in the direction of the boiler room and see how they react...

No one says anything for a moment. The air is electrified with tension I can practically feel on my skin, making the hairs on back of my neck stand on end. There's a breeze, the exact same listless breeze that this cage we're in produces on an endless basis to keep up the illusion of it being outdoors.

...

I inch towards the boiler room-

-And Rantaro suddenly dashes forward towards me so fast that I almost can't avoid being caught.

_Almost._

I manage to drop and duck down under his arm at the last minute, running past the other boys and easily slipping around them since Kokichi is obviously only here for the show. Gonta and Shuichi are both unprepared for my slippery escape by the looks of it, turning to watch me escape in panic and surprise.

"Prairie, wait!" I hear Shuichi call out, although I hardly know what he hopes to achieve by having me actually stop- other than getting me caught by Rantaro. Of course, I don't "wait" even for a moment.

Turning around the corner into the school's courtyard, I catch sight of someone else I can potentially trust and perk up in relief. Maybe Gonta was just a bad choice, but _this _person...!

"Help! There's a _degenerate male _chasing me!" I claim for the second time as I race towards the figure of Tenko Chabashira, darting behind her and pointing at Rantaro just as he skids into view and immediately falters in his dash with a visible sheepish look of discomfort across his features. Seems like he understands that me pointing _any _guy out to Tenko is likely not a good thing.

It turns out Tenko is not one to ask questions first, because she grabs a fistful of the front of Rantaro's shirt without hesitation before anyone can say anything, hoisting him up and turning to dump him straight down one of the many garbage bins located around the school headfirst.

Rantaro grunts upon impact in his landing, making me smile and gratefully clap my hands as he disappears to try and squirm out of the dump. How does she do it? He's twice her size and she lifts him up like he's made of styrofoam! I mean, I mimicked her using my intuition when I flipped Kokichi on his backside before, but Kokichi is quite nearly my own size. Rantaro is a _skyscraper!_

"Right where you belong, you _men_ace! I knew Prairie would eventually see the light when it comes to degenerate males like you! How dare you chase around a poor girl! It's because she's showing so much skin all of a sudden, isn't it?! Or..._did you take her dress off yourself?" _Tenko sounds more and more bloodthirsty by the minute until I take her hand and watch as she snaps out of her raging assumptions.

I might be furious with Rantaro, but I also don't want Tenko rendering him completely unrecognizable. That's a little too much.

"That's good enough, Tenko. If he bothers me again, we can amp up the punishment," I say cheerfully, smiling up at her sweetly to get her temper to drop a little. She seems to relax at that, glancing over her shoulder at the other three boys that seem to have seen Rantaro's fate as a result of my tattling. When they realize her attention is on them now, Shuichi and Gonta take cautious steps back and leave Kokichi where he is with his arms crossed behind his head calmly. Considering how fast donkey-boy can run, I guess that's no surprise.

_I should keep calling him that. He didn't seem to like it when I made fun of his laugh upstairs. Now he'll have a taste of his own medicine._

I resist a wider and less innocent smile at the thought, but my lips must twitch a little at the corners because Kokichi is staring pretty intensely at me.

"Prairie, do you want me to deal with that little flea too? I can dump him in that other garbage bin over-" Tenko starts, until I take her hand in mine and smile.

"Oh, don't worry about him. Want to come get food with me? I'm kind of running on an empty stomach," I dissuade her from pursuing Kokichi, shifting to link my arm with hers so she focuses entirely on me. "We can hang out."

Tenko brightens up like the sun at the suggestion, her arm tightening with mine. Her eager nod is all I need to start leading her towards the entrance of the school, giving me the chance to turn my head when I hear Rantaro finally climbing out of the trash bin. He doesn't look happy at all, and when he looks my way- covered in unidentifiable sauces and who knows what else by the looks of it- I only stick my tongue out at him and reach up to pull my eyelid down childishly.

For how he's been treating me, I freaking might as well. _I win._

Rantaro gives me a dry look of annoyance in response to my reaction, making a slight face as he begins to swat off the crap that's covering him from getting personal with the garbage bin.

_There! Now I'm safe for sure! Tenko was a great choice!_

"I'm surprised though," Tenko starts as we enter the school and move out of earshot from the boys outside that are now conversing among themselves. "Why _were _they chasing you around?"

I let out a sigh at that, entering the dining hall with her and shutting the doors behind us so we're alone. With everyone mostly running around in search for the last hidden passage and sightseeing through the new rooms and halls, we're likely not to be bothered for at least a little while.

"I'll say even though he's a male degenerate of the lowest caliber, I thought you two got along pretty well."

"Yeah, but Rantaro and everyone else are..." I pause as we walk into the kitchen, only to trail off and look back towards the door to the exit. Once I deem that we're not going to have anyone running in, I relax and turn back to Tenko. She's stuck here with me when she too can be looking for ways out of here. I kind of feel bad. "A-Are you sure you don't mind not looking around with the others? I can go with you and we can still hang out later so I can tell you what's bothering me about Rantaro, if you're still willing to listen at that time," I offer, making Tenko smile and face me as a result. Her face says it all before she even utters a single word.

"Of course I don't mind! No way am I leaving for that! Besides, all the degenerate males are over there anyways. Girl time is way better!" Tenko exclaims, holding out a few containers of Kirumi's leftovers from what was made for breakfast. I look through them, grabbing what I want and what I presume Tenko wants as well. She seems to already know what I like though, but makes no move to explain. I guess it's more of that "Perfect Blitz" celebrity knowledge... "Plus, I want to know more in case I need to flip that Rantaro on his backside again like I did when we met."

The sound of a door opening in the dining hall makes us both freeze, Tenko quickly dashing away from the fridge to get to the kitchen entrance and see who's joined us unexpectedly.

It's just Tsumugi Shirogane, but when she looks up and sees me, she lets out a piercing squeal of glee that makes Tenko and I wince together in confusion.

"Aaah~! You're wearing the body suit without the dress! I didn't think you'd actually do it!" She squeals, tinting my cheeks red as a result. "You look so _se-!"_

"N-NO!"

Both Tsumugi and Tenko look at me curiously when I cross my arms over my body and shift to hide behind Tenko a little.

"I'm not dressed this way by choice! R-Rantaro was chasing me and I had to cut off my dress so he wouldn't-" I cut myself off when I notice Tsumugi stiffen up in obvious horror at my statement. At first, I don't understand what's got her distressed, but once I look down and remember who I'm talking to and who's dress I just mentioned I've shamelessly cut, I feel suddenly sheepish. "...I'm sorry."

"...I'm glad you've been forced to shed a layer towards every woman's need for bodily freedom, but not like this."

"Hey!" I complain, objecting as Tsumugi relaxes and grins my way.

"By choice or not, you look _sexy! _I should make another body suit cosplay like that..." She comments thoughtfully, causing my stomach to churn in discomfort. She's _way _too into dressing me up in these cosplays of hers!

"No! No body suit cosplays! If you make it, I'm telling you now that I won't-" I start until she cuts me off to say, "I have a coupon ticket for a nectarine."

I hesitate, prompting Tenko to comment as she looks from me to Tsumugi and back. "Prairie, I hope you're asking yourself whether it's really worth it or not. If you keep walking around as you are and then go wearing another tiny outfit like this one, you're going to get a lot of unwanted attention from these rotten degenerate males!"

Tsumugi boldly huffs in disagreement, "It's not _Prairie's _fault if the boys decide to be gross and objectify her, it's _their _fault for being so simple minded! Prairie has no reason to be ashamed of her body, she's a mature young woman just like the rest of us!"

I could cry just hearing Tsumugi say that.

"Whoa...actually, you're _right!_ Men are such weak kneed- no matter what a girl wears, they'll just find any reason to look down on us and be pervy! Arg! I wanna drop kick a menace now! Prairie, we should do that after we eat!" Tenko exclaims, grinning from ear to ear. "We'll make them regret their outside gonads!"

I might actually cry for real now.

Shuffling a bit where I stand and feeling my face heat up a little at the embarrassing query I've got ready, I timidly ask, "So...um, do you two really think I'm not immature then...?"

Both girls gape at me, momentarily sharing concerned looks. After a second, we glance around to make sure we're alone here and Tsumugi joins us further in the kitchen where we can all begin to heat up our food to take to the dining hall. Who would have thought a trio like us would be huddled in a place like this talking to one another.

_And here we have a jock, a nerd, and a celebrity. Interesting._

"Now I get why you popped a lid on us at the pool!" Tenko sympathizes as we all take turns heating up our food portions. We have an additional guest, but despite that we've got plenty of food when it comes down to it. "Prairie, just because you have a few moments of immaturity doesn't mean you're immature! Having a fighting spirit is power, don't let Rantaro- or any other degenerate male for that matter- make you feel otherwise!"

"That's right! You're smart and you're the only one that's been able to stand toe-to-toe with Monokuma! You're a strong woman- even Kaito doesn't stand a chance with that bear when it comes down to it, but you can hold your ground regardless of everything else and you mean everything you say! That's plainly incredible, you know?" Tsumugi agrees, sighing and looking down at her piping hot bowl of noodles she's pulled out of the microwave. With that, I pop in my dish and watch as it begins to turn round and round. "I wish I had the guts to do that. I'm just too plain for something as amazing as that."

_They get it! They both know exactly how I feel! But then...why does no one else get it? Besides them, Kaito, Korekiyo and Kokichi don't treat me like I need to be protected from myself._ **_They _**_get me. Am I just doomed to be viewed as a child in everyone else's eyes then?_

"I wish that stupid Rantaro would understand...I've been pretty obvious about it before, so it hurts that he doesn't seem to care. He's such a clueless idiot!" I can't help but snap a little, stabbing the microwave button a little too violently when my food finishes heating up. As I retrieve my food and Tenko pops hers in to heat up, I continue to vent furiously and shove a chicken piece from my fried rice into my mouth. "This would taste better if he didn't make me so upset. He isn't even in the same room as us and he _still _manages to piss me off! Why can't he just _respect _me? Is that too much to ask?!"

I must be getting a tad bit too passionate in my venting, because Tsumugi flinches a little when I turn my head her way quickly. Once I note this and force myself to relax, she lets out a nervous laugh.

"It's not. Rantaro is probably just...misguided?" She suggests, before giving me a once-over and making a sympathetic smile. "As much as I hate to admit it, it might just be because you're a cute small girl and he's having trouble getting past seeing you as such."

"Degenerates like him don't deserve Prairie's attention. It's probably for the best that you hate him," Tenko huffs, taking her dish and leading us out to the empty dining hall. We all take a seat near the end of one side, me sitting so Tenko and Tsumugi are on either side of me across from one another.

I make a small whine of disapproval as I lift up my chopsticks, conflicted by her words even though I had a pretty bad fight with Rantaro and told him as much. Tenko lets out a sigh before she takes a bite of her rice ball and looks my way as she lowers her food for a moment, clearly sensing where I'm going with that little noise.

"Let me guess...you don't actually hate him and you want to make up with him if you can, hm?" Tenko inquires, sounding somewhat disappointed.

I nod, watching her eye twitch slightly as a result and then averting my gaze down to my bowl of rice.

"Sorry...I know your whole spiel with 'degenerate males' and all, but...he's the first face I saw," I explain, allowing my eyes to flick back up to her face just as her features begin to immediately soften when she realizes what I'm getting at. "I don't know anything outside of this place. Right now, this place is my entire world, and you guys are the only people in it. I want to get out of here and making friends isn't the point, I get that, but...if I _can _make friends with everyone once we get out of here, I would like that. Likewise, if I can have someone around _right now_ to ground me and remind me everything's going to be okay- even if it's a lie...I want that. I don't want to be hated. I don't want to be alone if I can help it."

I poke another piece of chicken in my fried rice bowl with my chopsticks after my confession, this time picking it up with the rice and egg pieces.

"As for Rantaro, I know when it comes down to it, he means well..he's just meaning well in the most stupid freaking way humanly possible, and someone needs to knock some sense back into him."

The conversation goes quiet as the three of us continue eating, lost in our thoughts for the most part. For a while, all I hear is quiet chewing and the sound of metal chopsticks hitting the ceramic of the dishes we're using.

Tsumugi eventually clears her throat to speak, breaking the silence.

"By 'knocking some sense' into Rantaro, are we being literal?" Tsumugi inquires, making Tenko suddenly grin a wide smile around a bite of shrimp.

"If we are, I'd be glad to do the beating," Tenko offers off the bat, and I can't help but laugh a bit at it. Tsumugi, however, pushes up her glasses like she's been struck with an idea.

"Well, if it's _Prairie_ doing the beating...I have the perfect cosplay to make her wear," Tsumugi exclaims, finishing up her food and then standing. I breathe out a sigh of relief, glad to know she's forgotten about the "body suit" cosplay ideas she wanted me to wear. Almost as soon as I breathe that sigh though, she laughs at my reaction and pats my head. "No, no, it's still a bodysuit! Trust me though, wearing stuff like that might help that Rantaro remember you're not a little girl! Sexy means _mature_, right? Then you totally need that!"

_Why do I smell an ulterior motive under her advice? It feels more like she's trying to convince me to be our groups "fanservice" or something._

"I don't want him to think I'm mature in _that _way! I-I'm not trying to seduce him, the last thing I want is to give him the wrong idea!" I object vehemently, only to feel my face turn bright red when Tsumugi leans over to peer at me over her glasses in a meaningful way that reminds me a little too much of how Kokichi looked at me before he started accusing me of liking Rantaro before.

"You sure it's the 'wrong' idea? I've seen the way you look at him though! You know, the two of you would look totally cute toge-!" Tsumugi chirps, looking suddenly smug and a bit too excited as she starts to make some scary implications I've never wanted to think about no matter how pathetic it is that I refuse to acknowledge I simply find Rantaro _slightly _attractive.

"No! NO WAY! Prairie would never, right?!" Tenko turns to me, causing me to sweat a little under the pressure of her intense stare. "..._RIGHT?!"_

"...she likes him," Tsumugi plainly states, causing Tenko to let out a cry of horror that shakes the entire room. I'm pretty sure if we were using glasses for our drinks, they would shatter under the octave of her scream.

_Well, of course she has a response like that. Prairie liking a degenerate male? In her eyes, I'm sure it's a sin._

I clear my throat for their attention.

"I don't want to 'get together' with him. There's a big difference between a-appreciating his features and...that. First of all, I'd need to respect him as a person and he needs to be likeable! Which he isn't! He's insufferable, he's annoying, he doesn't respect me and therefore I don't respect _him_\- and he wants everything his way or the highway! Don't you see how frustrating that is? Why would I ever want to 'get with' a person like that?!"

Tsumugi sighs, pushing up her glasses. I can't really tell if she's taking it seriously or just dismissing it in the meantime, but at least I can tell she's dropping the subject for now.

And then Tenko spouts something completely unprecedented.

"Good! I'm glad you think that, Prairie! Also, on another topic...I have an idea!"

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

The gym is entirely vacant when we enter, the sound of our footsteps the only noise that echoes in the vegetation overrun room. Tsumugi has left Tenko and I to get started on whatever cosplay she's come up with having me wear- mentioning it was a bodysuit with a hat, boots, and body paint at least for my exposed legs. Considering my amnesia, the hints give nothing about the cosplay away. Since Tenko doesn't seem to know most videogames and is more knowledgeable in her adoration for me and her love for Neo-Aikido, Tenko has no idea what the cosplay could be of either.

Which just leaves us in the gym together, setting up a foam flooring for when we engage in combat.

Yep, _combat._ It's not exactly that though, apparently Tenko's bright idea is to teach me the ways of Neo-Aikido, which it turns out is much more violent than the roots which Aikido stems from. While Aikido is a benevolent form of fighting that reduces as much damage on the opposition as possible, Neo-Aikido promises _only _a world of pain.

Which is why I find myself growing angrier and angrier every time Tenko hurls me around like a doll, teaching me _nothing _unlike what she promised. Before I can snap at her and lose my temper though, she eventually wraps up the beatdown and taps her foot on the padded flooring with a grin.

"Alright, you've had your first few tastes and now you're angry. Now...come at me!" She orders fearlessly.

I hardly need the prompting. With a speed I don't even expect from myself, I charge Tenko without hesitation, seeing a smile on her face before I close my eyes to give myself the advantage. With moves I don't even expect from myself, mostly because I'm just so pissed off after being tossed around so much, I kick out her legs and slam an elbow behind her neck, using my other arm to grab her back and then dropping my weight immediately so she falls flat face first into the foam floor with the force of gravity and my body entirely landing on the point of my elbow pressed against the nape of her neck.

Once I've got her down and she sputters in surprise, my eyes snap open and both Tenko and I climb up to our feet to crack our backs.

"Ahh, I knew the fire necessary for Neo-Aikido was somewhere inside you...after all, you _loved _wrestling and boxing as Perfect Blitz, so it's no surprise someone your size can throw me down like that! How do you feel? You were so angry before you took me down, but you feel better now, right?" Tenko asks, surprising me a little at the fact that she isn't mad at me for taking her down in such a crude fashion.

_Furthermore, I threw Tenko down with a move I didn't even recognize...could it be something I used to know but forgot because of my amnesia? I mean, my intuition only works for things I already know and it builds from that knowledge. In fact, after the final reset, something similar happened in that my intuition pulled out information I maybe shouldn't have known just like this. It was Kokichi's lockpicking...does that mean...? Did I know Kokichi _ **_before_ ** _the first reset? ...Those dice on his switchblade were awfully familiar the first time I saw them too._

"I'm...not mad anymore," I confirm after filing away that little epiphany in the back of my mind for the time being, a tad bit surprised I've cooled down so quickly myself. "After Rantaro locked me in the classroom upstairs on the second floor, it was the same like this. I felt better after kicking and throwing around a few chairs and desks."

"Yes, yes! Now, it might seem like 'violence is the answer' based on what we've just done, but it's really just the exercise and physical exertion! Feeling like being aggressive might help a little, but it's not a healthy method of relieving the hellfire or rage- so as a result we have Neo-Aikido! See, now I'm much calmer when it comes to my anger problems too!" Tenko openly admits to my further disbelief.

Her anger problems? Tenko has that? Sure, she's a very passionate person and can be a little much at times, but I wouldn't have guessed she had any anger problems above her acute dislike for men.

Tenko grins at my reaction. "That's right! Before I began practicing Aikido in its basic form as a child, I couldn't control my emotions at all. My parents said I was like an exploding volcano, which worried them a lot. That's why they sent me to the temple with my master!"

_She really had a problem_ **_that_ **_bad with her anger? Maybe I should have been hanging around Tenko more than Rantaro this entire time. Although...I wonder who's peak anger would be more intense, mine or hers?_

"You lived in a temple?" I ask curiously, only to quickly raise my guard when I notice Tenko take an offensive position and hurry to mimic her stance so I don't get a heel to my face again.

"Now, if you want to keep learning more about me, you need to _beat _it out of me!" Tenko exclaims, lunging for me.

I slide out of the way but she still manages to catch my arm and flip me over onto my backside in an awkward position, her arm holding my right arm where I can't use it. Seems like Tenko must not be as fanatic of Perfect Blitz as I imagined, because I use my dominant left arm to hook around the back of her neck to hold myself up. My temper only sparks slightly as I brace my feet and push up to knee the area of Tenko's side with a yell. She drops my weight with a grunt, allowing me to yank down on her neck where I still have my left arm around and roll to pin her on the ground beneath me.

"There!" I claim, but soon find myself quickly pinned down myself immediately after my victory quip. Tenko grins, her breath uneven and fast paced from our workout.

"I did live in a temple! My parents sent me with my master so I would learn Aikido! Self-improvement is the goal, and with some commitment I've been able to overcome my intense anger issues!" She continues, keeping me pinned despite my furious struggles underneath her.

"How bad were they? They couldn't have been _that _bad if you were able to get over them so quickly," I object, seeing her expression tint with more amusement- like a cat toying with it's prey. Coming from Tenko, I never expected to see a side of her quite like this...although it's intriguing to see that she's not as one-note as I initially expected after all.

"Worse than yours. My parents were convinced I wouldn't be able to live a normal life in regular society with how bad my anger was! I had to constantly study Aikido till I was able to calm down, but I knew Aikido was my true calling! With my master, we created a new form as a result, _Neo-_Aikido!"

I let out a shout and use all my power to swing us over where I'm on top again, but just when I jump up and try to step back, she hooks a foot behind mine and trips me. I yelp as I fall back, quickly saved by Tenko lurching forwards and grabbing the front of my body suit by the hem of the opening at my chest.

Honestly, I should be more concerned with what she's going to do _after _the fact, but I can't help but still squeal in panic a bit at the feeling of her fingers curling down somewhere inappropriate. Because I'm so focused on that, Tenko is able to yank my body back easily so I tumble past her across the foam mat. When I finally come to a stop- in an unflattering heap at that- Tenko straightens up and walks towards my collapsed figure. She has a soft smile on her face, one that give me butterflies in my belly. Rantaro never looks at me like that. Like an _equal._

"So now that you know what I've accomplished...what do you say? Want me to train you Neo-Aikido for real?" She asks, leaning over and holding out her hand to me.

..._Who'd be crazy enough to say "no"?_

I reach out to take her hand...and she promptly gets to work flipping me again like a pancake.

Upon eventually finishing with Tenko after some more exercise and drills as well as some major lectures on what will decrease my abilities- a few of which I can tell off the bat are a bit ridiculous and likely lies from her master to steer her away from certain behaviors- like _boys-_ we eventually decide to accompany each other on our way back to the dormitories.

"Ah! Tenko and the blasphemer!" Angie Yonaga catches us just as we're stepping out of the school, clapping her hands in delight. "Wonderful, I was just about to head on over to the gymnasium, everyone is going to be meeting in there soon!"

"What did you just call Prairie?! How rude! Learn to show some respect!" Tenko is quick to object while I give Angie a stare of annoyance at her continued use of calling me a "blasphemer".

I make no point to hide getting on my tiptoes where I can visibly whisper in Tenko's ear, pretending Angie isn't there.

"Come on, let's just go. She can talk to the wall," I huff to Tenko, earning a nod of confirmation before I pull away from her ear and we go around Angie without another word, both of us agreeing to ignore her presence and whatever "meeting" she's informing us of. With those people that look down on me like I'm not an equal? Nah, I'll pass on that. They're fine without me.

Rantaro would probably be _so _proud knowing I'm out of the way exactly as he wanted.

Angie makes a noise of confusion at our reaction, turning to watch us continue out of the school.

"...okay then!" She seems to give up. "We found a strange contraption though, so meet us in the gymnasium soon after you two finish hanging out!"

_Nah, I don't think we will._

Tenko and I share a wry smile Angie can't see and continue through the courtyard.

"There's no way I'm meeting up with them. Besides, I'm just an immature liability in their way after all," I mock once we're out of Angie's earshot, making Tenko smile sympathetically.

"I can't believe some of them see you that way even knowingwhat you've accomplished in your life. Besides, you climbed the _wall! _In front of everyone! What are they so worried about?! You need support, not regulations!" Tenko agrees, easing my conflicted heart more as we speak.

_I'm glad she's here. I'd go crazy if I didn't have someone around to convince me I'm not going crazy or overestimating myself by saying I'm capable of as much as everyone else._

"Thank you for everything, by the way. I don't really like hearing a lot about Perfect Blitz because honestly, it sounds like a completely different person from me. As much as I dislike it though, it's sort of nice after everything Rantaro's been piling on top of me. Thank you for believing in me," I say after a moment, turning to smile as we reach the dormitory building.

"It's no problem! I know I can be a bit over the top about Perfect Blitz but..." Tenko looks away, turning an unexpected shade of bright red as she pushes open the door for me to walk in first. "I just...I love idols...! Girls that perform on a stage in cute outfits are so great! I wish I could be like that, but I-I just don't think I could ever be like that. I'm too rough around the edges and I'm not cute at all..."

"Eh? What are you talking about? You _are _cute!" I object, pulling a little at her chain link pigtails and then her layered ruffled skirt. "You're crazy, what are you even saying about not being cute...!"

Tenko turns even brighter red, somehow managing to look even more cute than before. Once we're further in, I can't help but pause at the sight of my room door on the second level. Without my keys, I'm not getting in there at all...dang it. And I really need to take a shower and get out of these clothes too, I'm covered head to toe in sweat!

"Um..." I look towards Tenko, fiddling with my gloves curiously as she manages to calm her crazy blushing down. "Do you think I can take a shower in your room after you're done? I don't have my keys- Rantaro sort of took them from me and he still has them."

Tenko huffs at that discovery, but quickly gives me a smile and a pat on the back as she leads me to her room. "Don't worry! You can shower first if you want while I go ask Tsumugi if that cosplay she's working on is already ready. She did say she could have it done in record time, since it's such small clothing."

I whine a little at the reminder, but follow her into the room as soon as she unlocks the door. Upon entering, the dorm room is about as depressing as Rantaro's, Kokichi's, and Kaede's in that it's exactly the same, but I can see that she's set up a few things around to try and personalize it as best as possible. Firstly, she seems to have abandoned her closet altogether, having her outfits hanging along a bar on the back wall where she can just go through and grab whichever one freely. Not to mention, she has a bunch of plushies on her bed that immediately send waves of fluffy glee across my heart at the sight.

"In record time...that fast though? She said she had to make the gloves, boots, and hat from scratch too though. You sure it'll just be done in such few hours like this?" I ask, making Tenko nod affirmatively.

"Trust me! Never underestimate an Ultimate anything! Whatever their field is...they're good at it, no questions asked!" Tenko declares, smiling at me and reaching over to rub the side of my head warmly. "That goes for you too, you know. Don't feel pressured and don't feel like no one believes in you. If you ever feel that way, I hope you remember that I'll always be here to support you no matter what, and not just because you're Perfect Blitz either...I like Prairie too. She's different than what I'm used to, but she's not bad at all."

My heart swells at her words and she walks to the doorway, throwing me one last smile before she reaches for the door. I almost don't want her to go even though I know I'll see her in almost record time. Then again, within these walls of the killing game, every moment can be the last one.

_Maybe that's why you shouldn't be so mad at Rantaro. You should get up off your butt and go apologize. You don't want your fight to be the last thing you remember of him if someone kills him, do you?_

I feel sick just thinking about it. Sick...and angry. It shouldn't be like this.

_He won't be killed. That's absolutely not an option in my book, whether I'm mad at him or not. Besides, I can't be mad at him and he can't learn his lesson for treating me like garbage if he's dead. And nothing will happen to Tenko either!_

"Feel free to use any of the bathroom products in there!" Tenko announces, shooting me a friendly wink. "I'll be back before you know it, don't worry! No one's taking Tenko down!"

Tenko shuts the door, leaving me to begin attempting to pull at the one piece I'm wearing when I realize I picked the worst moment to get lost in my thoughts. I try stretching back to pull the ties free, but after some wasted efforts, I let out a frustrated groan. I should have asked Tenko before she left, but I forgot how hard it is to take this dumb suit off...!

Suddenly the buzzer to the door goes off, and it isn't until I turn to look up that I notice Tenko's left her keys on the table beside me. I sigh in relief, speeding over to the door.

"Thank god you're back! I need help untying the ties on my body sui- _Eep!"_ I cut myself off with a yip of surprise when I see who's on the other side of the door instead of Tenko.

"Oh! Uh...I'm sorry!" Shuichi immediately apologizes, looking awkward and suddenly slapping his hands over his mouth. Clearly he remembers my little quip about his "empty apologies". "I mean, I'm-! Um, is-is Tenko here?"

I narrow my eyes on him, making no move to answer. Shuichi sweats under my intense gaze.

_Good._

"We're all at the gym...we sent Angie to get the word out and she said you, Tsumugi, and Tenko all said no initially. We were going to respect that at first, but um, it turns out we really need you on this one, Prairie. You _specifically_," he elaborates, his voice slowly gaining confidence as he continues.

_Me specifically? Ohh, is that why he was asking for _ ** _Tenko _ ** _when he first saw me? Psh. I don't believe him. He probably just wants to speak to Tenko because she looks more mature than me._

"Why the heck would you guys specifically need 'me'? What am I supposed to do?" I ask, glad my temper isn't so flared up yet. I'm annoyed right now, sure, but at least I'm not biting anyone's head off. That workout with Tenko really did wonders...although I'm still not sure I'll be able to pick up Neo-Aikido specifically with how ingrained my actual fighting style seems to be when I rip it out of my subconscious using my intuition.

Shuichi looks slightly intimidated by my voice, stuttering a bit before he finally grabs the reigns of his nerves and reels them in enough to get a coherent statement out.

"W-Well, before Kaede...passed away..." Shuichi momentarily looks upset, but it's fleeting and disappears as quickly as it forms. At that, my features soften and I lose some of the tension in my body from his unexpected visit. "She mentioned at one point you said we lost our memories from a 'flashlight' of some sorts."

"...Yes, that's right. There were two kinds of flashlights. A black one that erased our memories, and then a round lighter one that also erased our memories and did something else. I still can't figure out what else it did, but that's the gist of it," I explain before my brain makes the connection on the already mentioned 'contraption' Angie brought up while Tenko and I were ignoring her. I look up at Shuichi. "Why, you found a flashlight-looking thing?"

"Yes. It was a round flashlight. We were all hoping you could-" Shuichi begins, until I give him a look and shake my head 'no'. He seems stunned by my answer, but I can't help but shrug with mock helplessness as my guard flies right back up.

"That's out of my hands. Too dangerous to be tempting Monokuma's wrath, right? I mean, that's what you guys are always pushing on me. Besides, you can figure it out yourselves- just _don't turn it on," _I stress dryly. Before I throw the door shut, I pause and flash Shuichi a bit of a grin. "Or actually! Maybe you _should _turn it on! Then you guys can completely forget I exist and we can go back to when we were all better strangers! Go wild! Goodbye~!"

I grab the door and slam it shut on his face rudely despite how he opens his mouth to try and get a last word in, turning away to grab the knife strapped to my thigh. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I'm not going out there while Shuichi is there and I'm not waiting for Tenko to get back.

With little to no regret, I tear open the cosplay and finally disrobe to get in the shower. One thing I will say is that it's wonderfully comforting knowing there's two doors to get past, unlike how it's just one in my own room and BAM- insecurity.

Once I get out of the shower, I'm forced to wear my towel tightly around me and just...wait for Tenko to get back with those clothes Tsumugi said she's making.

I sit there for a while before I hear knocking at the door- sharp and annoying. I already know I don't want to answer, especially with a knock like that, so I just sit back on Tenko's bed and play around with a plushie to wait for the visitor to leave. They didn't even bother to use the buzzer, what's wrong with them?

...

More annoying knocking.

...

...

Even _more _annoying knocking.

...

...

Suddenly I hear a fist slamming hard on the door, enough that I jump and eventually get on my feet with a pained groan when all the muscles and bones in my body object my sudden movements after some rest. I tie my towel around me harder and march to the door infuriated, grabbing the handle so I can tell off who I first assume to be Shuichi on the other side.

I swing the door open.

"Were those freaking directions just a _little_ too complex for that last brain cell of yours, Saiha..." I trail off.

Because the person standing at the doorway is not Shuichi Saihara, but rather Rantaro Amami.

He's staring at me, unfazed by my mode of exit and the clear aggression at the tip of my tongue. For a moment, I'm horrified because I've been caught off guard by _him- _not to mention that I'm still in a stupid towel- but eventually my furnace of anger lights up again. Rantaro's face is one that I don't like right now, mostly for the expression he's wearing. He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here in my presence. The feeling is mutual, but why the heck is he here then?

"Can you help us with the flashlight," he says more than asks, dismissive and with little actual request in his tone of delivery. He sounds like he doesn't even want to ask me at all...like he's been forced to come here and do so against his will rather than coming out of an equal desire to seek my help.

"No," I simply answer.

"Okay."

"Right."

And I shut the door with a swing of my arm when I see him promptly turn away to leave, making me scoff as I stand there and replay the interaction once I'm alone.

...

I'm even more enraged now than before. He doesn't even care. _He doesn't even freaking care._ I'm only freaking emotionally damaged to the point of wanting to rip my hair out because he's stomped on my pride repeatedly like a bug- and he isn't concerned at all!

I pick up a plushie to launch it across the room, but just as I arc my arm back to throw it, I let out a heavy sigh and give up. Setting the plushie back down on the bed, I sit back and eventually I hear knocking and the sound of Tenko's voice.

This time I open the door with my temper cooled down substantially into what I can only describe to be resignation. Rantaro _won't _care. He _won't _change his mind. He _won't _believe in me.

There's no support to be found from him.

He didn't even give me my freaking keys back, for god's sake!

Tenko hops in and smiles, though it looks somewhat strained as she hands me a set of clothes, including undergarments that Tsumugi even made to match the outfit. "Order up~! She even added a pair of shorts so you don't have to immediately wear the bodysuit like that since the hat and gloves are still being made. Also...Tsumugi and I ran into that green menace while I was stepping out of her room. He mentioned a flashlight and Tsumugi's going with the others to see it. I was going to ask if you have changed you mind on it or anything. If you want to stay, I'd be happy to stay with you by the way! I don't mind either option!"

_Something tells me she does mind a little. I think she wants to know what that flashlight is...which is understandable._

After putting on my undies and stepping into the olive green bodysuit- which is a _dream _to put on in comparison to the other body suit and dress- I pull on the charcoal brown shorts and button them up as I face Tenko with a smile.

"No, that's okay. I'm not going, but you can go ahead without me if you want to. I don't mind," I tell her just as the buzzer to the room goes off yet again. Tenko gets up and turns the handle to open the door, but it's kicked open almost as soon as the person on the other side sees the door opening.

Tenko's standing a bit to the side so the swinging door, which opens inward unlike how mine opens outward, only smacks her hand a little and makes her yip in surprise.

On the other hand the door hits _me_ right in the face, barely giving me a glimpse of who steps into the room when I stumble backwards in a daze. My shoulder hits the table in Tenko's room, the edge jabbing hard into my exposed shoulder before I land on the floor cradling my left temple from the jaw aching pain that goes across my face and straight down my spine.

"Hm. This might be easier than I thought," a familiar voice, although not by much, speaks up. Just before I feel a hand grab my suit by the front and hoist me over their back, I make a weak groan of irritation. Everything is spinning and I can hear Tenko outright arguing and lashing out at whoever is carrying me off. By the time I hit the ground with a thud I'm still completely out of it and rubbing my forehead. "Alright. Now tell us about the flashlight."

_Huh?_

I wince as I look around, seeing...the gymnasium. When I see who's the person that carried me here, I'm surprised that the person glaring down at me is Maki Harukawa. Tenko is already next to me, helping me up on my feet as I stare at Maki mildly confused. Is she that desperate for an explanation.

"It's garbage. The end," I answer, finally pulling away from Tenko to leave the gym.

The feeling of someone grabbing my arm and yanking me back with a painful grip makes me stop and turn my head.

"No, tell us for real. You don't get to run away this time," Maki sternly states, tightening her grip on my bicep to the point that my arm begins to ache at just how much pressure she's delivering. Initially all I can think about is how annoying it is that Maki is trying so hard to keep me around where I can explain things. Granted, I'm also a bit happy she recognizes I have vital information and won't let me walk away with it to "protect" me.

I eye Maki closely, enough that her grip on my arm seems to loosen slightly when a few beats pass in which I don't say anything.

_She has a really strong grip...no, a_ **_ridiculously _**_strong grip. Maki Harukawa said she's the Ultimate Child Caregiver, didn't she? Now that I'm really looking at her closely, I can see her legs are toned- about as much as Tenko's. Does she work out?_

_I mean if she likes working out that's fine and all, but I wouldn't think someone like the Ultimate Child Caregiver would be able to haul up a girl even my size, drag me from the dormitories to the school gymnasium, somehow avoid Tenko altogether the entire trek here, and then have a grip as strong as this seemingly without breaking a sweat or being out of breath._

"You can let go now with your man-grip, Harukawa. There's seriously nothing else I can tell you about that dumb flashlight. If you use it, you'll potentially lose your memories, or you'll at least lose a few of them," I say after my mental assessment of her, noting how her red eyes have narrowed even more on me after my extended silence. She seems tense and cautious now, but her hand stays locked around my arm despite.

"Ah, but this one is different!" Angie speaks up from a few feet away, waving the flashlight she happens to be holding. It's the round lighter type of flashlight, making me grimace at the memories seeing it brings up. My memory doesn't go very far back, and I presume I have thosestupid flashlights to thank for that. "I asked him to explain, and he said these ones aren't the same as the ones you saw!"

"Thaaat's RIGHT!"

It isn't until then that I realize Monokuma is among the students, causing me to make an immediate face of annoyance and disgust.

"...you asked Monokuma?" I ask in mild disbelief, turning my attention to Angie like she's grown multiple heads in the span of seconds- all without brains. "You know, if I were gonna stick my arm in a starved alligators mouth and I first asked it whether it would bite me or not- I'm pretty sure it would say anything to get my arm in its mouth."

"Now, now, don't be like that! You can trust me, Miss Marble! When have I ever lied to you? I mean _actually_ lied to you? Your boyfriend here has lied to you way more either way, and you still trust _him!"_ Monokuma exclaims, turning just a bit red as he gestures to Kokichi.

"Nee-hee-hee! ...haw," Kokichi cheekily responds, completely dissolving any previous notions that he totally hated me calling his laughter "donkey-like".

"This would benefit you the most, you know! The first ones you saw us using were blackout lights, which erases memories! This here, similar to what you saw during the very last reset, was a _flashback _light! This is why everyone remembered their Ultimate Talents and all the skills related to them! Nifty, am I right? Puhuhu~!" Monokuma chirps, wiggling his behind and pressing his paws to his cheeks.

I frown.

"If it doesn't erase anything, then why did some of their personalities change? And why are some of the things they've told me before now clashing with things they're telling me now? If you ask me, it sounds more like you're o-" I start to accuse, only to be knocked down on the gym floor from behind by a giant metal foot I quickly register to be an Exisal. Maki's grip on my arm of course has been relinquished, and although I can still breathe, it's incredibly hard to get air in from the incredible weight pushing me down onto the ground.

"Prairie!" Tenko is the first to object, racing over to my side with Gonta as the two try to lift the machine leg off of me. From what I can feel, the Exisal only presses it's foot harder down onto me.

"What are you doing? She can't handle all that weight!" Tsumugi also shouts, though she's more or less powerless to do anything other than make it known she disagrees with this.

"Hey! You don't have to-!" I hear Kaito exclaim, just before the Exisal begins to press down harder on me. All at once Tenko, Tsumugi, and Kaito quickly fall silent, a growl on Kaito's part as Gonta and Tenko reluctantly back up from the Exisal upon Monokuma's smugly motioning paw.

I hear the sound of Monosuke's chuckle coming through the speakers of the machine, causing my stomach to churn anxiously. It's been a while since I've been chastised by _them _to be quiet, but...doesn't that mean I'm on the right track?

_I was going to say it sounds more like they're overwriting memories. Same thing as my previous thoughts that some memories could be false. The unintentional confirmation is nice though, especially with Monokuma being so clumsy. He's just like the others here that underestimate me._

_Kokichi is right about one thing though. I'll be able to pull a fast one on Monokuma if he keeps this up._

"You're as chatty as ever, Miss Marble~! A little _too _chatty. I'm adding that to your rules since there's no need to bring that up this early to the other kids. Understood?" Monokuma huffs, clapping his soft paws and then setting them around his belly in a jolly manner.

"Tch! Get your stupid kub off of her already, she gets it!" Kaito eventually can't help but speak up again, this time speed walking towards me where Tenko and Gonta are. Surprisingly, Monosuke actually pulls the foot of the Exisal off of me and the three help me back up on my feet once I'm free.

"Alright, back to the main topic at hand!" Monokuma continues as I take a moment to recompose myself after being nearly crushed under the Exisal like a bug. I almost want to look to see if Rantaro is concerned at all, but I don't. Instead, I grit my teeth and just tell the three around me I'm okay since they're the one that are the most worried. "You should use the flashback light to get back your memories!"

Silence fills the gym at his comment, enough the other three monokubs beside Monosuke's Exisal shuffle their feet and look around. Monokid looks as reserved as he's been lately, and Monodam only shuffles a little. He's staring at me again, but I try not to micro-analyze this interaction even though this is the second time he's behaved a bit strangely in my presence.

"No one's doing anything...!" Monophanie complains, somewhat miffed by the lack of reactions. "I blame Ugly's disturbance and disturbing face!"

_"Hey, Pops, want me to kick them around until they use it? I'll kick Ugly first if you want me to! We can watch her head fly off- oh! Maybe if I kick it at the right angle, I'll make a basket too!" _Monosuke gleefully comments from inside his Exisal, laughing at the malicious idea.

"Come on, you were all worrying about it a while ago, weren't you? About not remembering how you came to this school...well, save for Miss Marble. She knows that much. But, but! If you use that flashback light, you can remember that, and more! Think about it!"

"Just by using this light?" Shuichi inquires finally, appearing somewhat dubious from beside Rantaro and Kokichi.

"And when you mention those blackout lights Prairie said you kept using on us in the beginning...those are what took our memories. You guys erased everything and now you're just going to give them back to us like that?" Kaito asks next, pointing out some pretty interesting points there. Giving us our memories back _now _really doesn't make sense now that I'm thinking about it too. How someone as simple minded as Kaito noticed that, I don't know, but it's a great point to call Monokuma and the Monokubs out on.

"We didn't erase anything important! My darling kubs only erased what they screwed up in the beginnings of the killing game! Things that would have just _confused _you! ...Although they _shouldn't _have screwed up in the first place even once," Monokuma growls, flicking out his claws and casting a ghastly glare the monokubs way so they all flinch in understanding. Similarly, even the Exisal shudders from Monosuke's intimidated state. "Miss Marble can confirm that! You all had memories from before you arrived at the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles!"

Monokuma looks my way, and I can feel this foreboding sensation at the look he throws me. I can practically feel the weight of the message in his look, similar to the weight of the Exisal when it was pressing me down into the ground.

_Yes or no. A simple answer- without any comments or speculation in front of the others._

Instead, I just turn away and give him my back defiantly.

"Puhuhu~! You really hate me, don't you, Miss Marble? Don't worry! That opinion won't change anytime soon! Hate me as much as you want, I forgive you!"

"...I don't believe it," Maki interjects, hovering close by where I can see her glaring _my _way when I turn towards her. Clearly her words are directed at me as much as they are to Monokuma. "Any of it. There's no way a flashlight could just bring back our memories or even take them away."

Monokuma cocks his head to the side at that. "You know, I bet someone who doesn't know about phones would say something like, 'there's no way I can use something like this to talk to people who are far away'. Well you see, that flashback light has the power to cure a variety of symptoms, including memory loss."

_Or _ ** _cause _ ** _it. I really hope these guys aren't buying into anything Monokuma is saying, he's only sugarcoating it so it sounds like it's to our benefit._

"The light emitted from the flashback light stimulates the basal ganglia and the hippocampal formation, affecting not only your memories but the physical condition- wow, explaining it is exhausting. Anyways, that's about the gist of it!"

Notably, a couple of the students make faces and scoff at Monokuma's terrible delivery to convince us. Maybe it's for the better, so long as the flashback light looks as unappealing to everyone else as possible, I don't mind whatever Monokuma trips up on. If I'm right about it overwriting our memories, that means the more they are exposed to it, later it'll bite me in the behind when I try to explain what's true and what's false. Besides, it's hard to argue with a "memory"- why would we ever question ourselves?

I've glossed over a bit of the conversation, but the gist is clearly speculation on what to do.

"I just want to point out that there's always the possibility that it's a neuralyzer. You know, those things they use in _'Men in Black'..."_

"That's from a movie, right? We're talking about real life over here, you know?" Maki comments, clearly off-put by Tsumugi's comment until Tsumugi adds, "So then you don't believe Prairie whatsoever when she said we had our memories erased four times?"

Everyone falls silent.

"B-But she knew my name before I told it to her! She knew quite a few of our names before the fact, doesn't that-" Kiibo tries to defend me, but he's quickly cut down by Maki's words. She's much more vocal than ever before, and honestly I'm not sure if it's too bad even though she's obviously against trusting me.

"She could just be pretending to be something she's not. She could have had all that information beforehand from working with Monokuma and she's one of the only people here we know full well has the financial backing to possibly build a place like this as a sick joke, considering her stardom. Besides, Monokuma and the Monokubs knew who we were beforehand too. You guys are all way too trusting of her just because she looks cute," Maki states, returning her gaze towards me.

"Alright, we'll regardless of trusting Prairie Dog, what are we doing then? I think we better not use it," Kokichi inserts his opinion, pouting a bit in concern as he looks down sadly. It's hard to tell whether he actually believes that, but his reaction and those teary eyes are _definitely _fake. "I'm kind of scared it might have some bad effects on our bodies, too..."

"Naaa, I'm also worried about the effects it might have on my magical power," Himiko mumbles, though she doesn't come to my defense trust-wise.

Now that I'm listening, it doesn't seem anyone is about to speak up on my behalf whatsoever. Only Tenko seems to make an obvious point to deny the idea of me having an alliance with Monokuma, making a face at Maki for her words.

Rantaro is silent. Shuichi is silent. Korekiyo and Kirumi are silent.

_Don't everyone speak up at once. Whatever though, if the people I thought believed in me don't want to trust me now that Maki has piled suspicion on me, then I guess I understand. It's...fine. I'll just keep going as I am now. I need to get us all out of here alive._

Everyone gives an opinion on using the flashback light and I can slowly feel my spirit and confidence wavering inside me as I watch everyone converse among themselves, completely leaving me out of the conversation. There's this feeling in my chest and gut, heavy like a magnet threatening to bring me down against the Earth. At first I don't really know what it is, but then it clicks in the back of my mind.

What a pathetic feeling to have right now, loneliness. My whole world is here and only one person seems to want to be a part of it.

"Prairie! Shuichi! What do you two think? You want to give it a try too?" Kaito boldly speaks up out of nowhere, causing both my head and Shuichi's to look his way. Shuichi stutters a little and doesn't manage to get anything out before Kaito is suddenly answering his own question with a declaration. "Alriiight, then it's decided! Guess we should go ahead and try it out!"

"Eh?" Tsumugi squints a little, reaching up to wipe her glasses a bit with her sleeve as she looks closely at Kaito. "How is it decided exactly? Everyone's saying it's too dangerous right now...?"

"...Sheesh, you're all freakin' out way too much. Well, I guess it's only normal to freak out, though. This is a real weird situation we're in, after all," Kaito speaks up, for once sounding like he's about to say something useful for a change. I listen closely, wondering if whatever he has to say will change my mind. "You know...ya don't accomplish anything by just runnin' away."

..._I am not convinced by those words. My fight and the way out of this hellhole isn't here, I can feel it. This flashback light has to just be a distraction to bring them into Monokuma's grasp even more, like how he orchestrated the events leading up to Kaede's murder._

"In any situation, you gotta be prepared for some really weird shit if ya really wanna accomplish anything. If we stop now just because it's a _little _dangerous, we'll never win against Monokuma no matter how hard we try!" Kaito continues, bringing me to some dangerous conclusions.

_He sounds just like Kaede did before and neither Monokuma nor the monokubs have tried to interject or change our minds...if this is what Monokuma wants, we _ ** _shouldn't _ ** _do it in extension, isn't that right?_

"If we want to win against him, then this conversation ain't gonna go anywhere unless we decide what to do first, right? If we just back down now, then I bet my future kid's gonna be the kind of man who'd just back down from these kinds of situations, too!"

_Now he's completely veering off topic- oh well. I'm unconvinced, so I'll be leaving._

The look on my face must say it all, because Kaito sighs when he looks my way. At least he's not going to force me to stay by the looks of it.

"Well, if the rest of you still wanna just run away that bad, then go ahead and leave on your own. I won't stop ya or blame ya." I don't quite like how he frames it, but I turn to leave anyways without fighting his assumptions.

"Okaaay~! We get it. Well then, if you'll excuse Prairie Dog and I~" Kokichi suddenly appears at my side, unexpectedly linking arms with me despite the grimace I make when he does. Before I take another step though, I pause and frown when something makes itself known in my mind. Unlinking my arm from Kokichi to turn around, I'm a bit surprised to see Maki a bit closer than I remember her the last time I was looking at the group. I brush the strange thing off though when Kokichi speaks up again with a smile. I don't think he himself is actually planning to leave...is he? I can't tell. "...Hey, what's wrong, Mousey? Aren't we leaving?"

"Hey, if you didn't trust me, why did you waste my time dragging me here to tell you about the flashback light? Based on what you're saying, then you wouldn't believe anything coming out of my mouth," I point out with a scowl, mildly miffed that I'm here in the first place. Her reason for dragging me out here makes no sense if she wouldn't believe any explanation I gave regarding the flashlight. Did she just bring me here to try and shame me in front of everyone?

"...I did tell you that you don't get to run away this time," Maki states to my confusion, up until I notice what's in her hands.

She flicks the button of the flashback light on.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 3.4 - Unsupported_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [String Theory Interlude.i Cover](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188923180815/string-theory-interludei-shuichi)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.8](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188924491135/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v8-v8)  

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> [Prairie Cosplay (NieR: Automata - 2B)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188938805655/string-theory-31-33-bonus-art-prairie)  

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>   



	34. Public Enemy Number One

❀ **_3.5 - Public Enemy Number One_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

The click of Maki switching on the flashback light happens sooner than I can do anything, like close my eyes or cover them with my hands. Technically speaking, just covering my eyes would pretty much do the trick to avoid the repercussions of the light, wouldn't it?

There's a stinging pain in my retinas and I can hear everyone around me make a sound of objection at the shock of the unexpected flash. Someone's hand grabs my arm, probably Kokichi since he's the one that was next to me.

Unlike with the blackout lights or the flashback light from earlier on, I note that I don't fully pass out when this one hits me. Since it's definitely hitting me now though, there's a moment in which I feel a fleeting sense of hope that maybe I'll see someone familiar- even if it's a lie.

I'm not sure what to expect, especially with how Monokuma described the flashback light is supposed to work. I don't remember anything and nothing comes together in my mind. The stabbing pain of the light lingers and I feel weightless for a moment, blinking rapidly and realizing I have my hands over my face.

I can't see anyone and something feels wrong with my eyes, but I can hear a conversation begin to pick up. In favor of listening, I decidedly choose to ignore how bad I feel.

"That's right! I remember! In order to escape from the Ultimate Hunt, I willingly erased my memories, and-" Shuichi begins to babble out loud, followed closely by Kaito asking in concern, "W-Wait, a sec-! Did you just say 'Ultimate Hunt'?"

"You both...in that case, I presume everyone else also went through the same thing?" Kirumi inquires, her voice momentarily sounding far away as a wave of dizziness rolls over me.

_Nope, I think I'm going to throw up. I don't think I can stay here, I'd rather vomit in the comfort of solace than in front of toads that hardly care about me, thanks._

I say that about them, but of course it's not their fault they don't trust me. I've brought it upon myself and Monokuma has made it so it falls this way. In fact, maybe I'm just walking straight into Monokuma's tricks like Kaede did. Maybe he _wants _to isolate me so I'll die for real this round.

Maybe there's no way out of this. And...maybe it's better I die now that the others don't like me as much, just so it's easier for them to avoid mourning for me.

Yanking my arm fiercely from the person next to me, I hear a boyish whine of disapproval that notifies me it was indeed Kokichi holding on to me. With my hands still covering my face, I manage to peer through my fingers to see where I'm going without uncovering anything as I turn to leave. My vision is reddish and blurry...

Moving my hand a bit, my heart twists anxiously when I realize my face is sticky and smells of copper.

_Ugh, not again! Good thing I haven't uncovered my face, I'd give everyone a heart attack if they saw the state I'm in...crap. Last time I bled from my eyes like this was when I abused my intuition on Sudoku, not when the last flashback light was used on us. In fact, I only bled from my nose a little that time! ...Does that mean I should avoid flashback lights at all cost? Will the next time they use one result in a worse reaction?_

"Prairie Dog, where are we going?" I hear the voice of a leech behind me, causing me to cringe since I can't exactly answer him at the moment.

_Okay, if I go to my room, having Kokichi following me would be great because he could unlock the door. However...he'll probably follow me in. And I don't fancy getting in the shower fully dressed because he says "no" to leaving. I guess I'll just clean my face in the bathroom and...he'll watch? Sadly, I'm not exactly in any state to chase him off or anything._

"Hey, didn't Shuichi say Prairie said she knew what the Ultimate Hunt was but refused to tell him about it?" I hear Ryoma point out, making me freeze in my tracks and internally wince when Kokichi 'ooo's behind me like a kid in school whose friend's just been called to the principal's office.

"I guess now would be a good time to address that, huh, Prairie Dog? What's the Ultimate Hunt?" Said leech questions, completely unaware of my state.

My monopad tings from a new notification.

With a hand saturated in blood, I reach down and pull my monopad out of my belt, keeping my back to everyone including Kokichi. As I turn it on and go through the notifications, I see there's a new addition to the "Ugly Rules" for things I'm not allowed to speak about.

_\- The incorrect idea that their memories are fake._

"Puhuhu~ Looks like you all safely regaine-" Monokuma and the monokubs, who I guess disappeared before Maki clicked the flashback light on, reappears a little to the left of me, making me look up towards him. His pause has me a bit surprised, but in moments my brain clicks the quiet response in its place. Seems like Monokuma himself had _no idea _the flashback light would cause such a reaction. "Oh...oh dear. That's unfortunate. Oh well, you'll be fine! You're a trooper, Miss Marble, this should be nothing for you! Just slap a band-aid on and you'll be okay!"

"What about _THAT_ looks fine to you?!" Monokid suddenly snaps at Monokuma, ending his once extended silence as he gapes at my face.

"Oh God, that's _disgusting!_ She's ACTUALLY ugly for real this time!" Monosuke hollers, taking off his glasses to wipe them clear before looking again and visibly cringing. "Nope, that didn't help."

"Ex_cuse_ me! Are you implying you think she wasn't Ugly before?! _Are you?!"_ Monophanie demands, eyes piercing like lasers into Monosuke until the yellow and white toned bear is

shrinking back and shaking his head desperately under Monophanie's fiery gaze.

A sharp snapping sound suddenly echoes in the gym, silencing all interactions.

The sound makes everyone look my way as I toss aside the two halves of my monopad and listen to the clattering of the pieces echo behind me wherever they may land. Moments after when the other teens register what I broke, I hear a collective chorus of gasps and shouts of horror. I always did wonder what it would feel like to break my monopad on my femur bone like those burly men in movies do with wood planks and other stuff...as I suspected from the beginning, it's incredibly satisfying.

"..." Having decided on facing Monokuma now rather than run away, as Maki and Kaito would accuse me of doing, I wipe the copious blood that's slowly streaming from my eyes and turn my head to look at the monochromatic toned bear.

"S-She's not going to do something else crazy now, is she?" Kiibo asks nervously from behind, but he goes more or less ignored by the other students as I stare at Monokuma and keep my back to the students.

After a moment of silence and choosing my words carefully after breaking the monopad, I open my mouth.

"I know what you're doing, Monokuma," I speak up as more blood leaks from my eyes while I speak. "So the rules say you're supposed to kill me for that, right? Okay. So kill me then."

A wave of silence passes over us all, making a chill run up my spine. Something tells me that despite this being such a dangerous gamble, Monokuma won't do anything. He's stated that I can still be disposed of from the killing game even though I'm entertaining from the status quo of the killing games, but...something tells me I won't be removed this early. It's just a feeling, one that very likely could be wrong and end up in my own downfall.

However...let's test the waters.

"H-Hey, Prairie, maybe you shouldn't..." Shuichi stammers, trailing off without continuing. I can't tell if he's stopping because he's scared of saying more or curious to see what happens next. It's probably the former, but I can't bring myself to step away from my apathy to care which it really is.

"Nyehh...she already broke her monopad...I don't think she can do much more to get any worse of a punishment," Himiko points out, her voice lazy but still sounding like there is a quiver somewhere between her words.

"...so dramatic..." I hear Maki comment, but I ignore her unnecessary comment. I'm not standing here bleeding from my eyes because it's fun. Either way though, Monokuma hasn't said anything following me breaking a rule, nor has he ordered any of the monokubs to do anything either. Similarly the four bears behind him all seem visibly restless by his lack of action, and I can't help but want to push a little more.

"Just say the word, Father...anytime now will be fine...! She did just break a rule and-" Monosuke tries to get Monokuma's attention until I walked towards them. Notably, the four kubs step back hesitantly, but Monokuma remains rooted where he is until I stop in front of him.

"Small Prairie, please stop...!" I hear Gonta beg, clearly anxious by my erratic behavior.

It's not erratic though. Well, not exactly.

Admittedly, I'm upset. Not _mad_ but rather disappointed. I didn't want to be pulled into the group flashback light show, but for a moment...I was hoping. I wanted to see someone for just a moment, even with the possibility it could be a lie. Maybe my parents or even some siblings if I had them. Maybe my extended family or my friends. I could have been happy even just seeing this _Aika _person.

But there was nothing. I should have expected that there wouldn't be anything- if they didn't work before, of course they wouldn't suddenly work now.

Second...I'm doing what I do best. Pushing Monokuma's buttons to find his weak spots. The others don't like it, I'm sure.

I don't hear anything from Rantaro either...despite that I always hate hearing him scold me and demand I stop pushing Monokuma, I can't help but suddenly miss his annoying reprimands. I want to hear him try to stop me.

_Maybe I shouldn't have been so non-compliant with him...this is stupid. I'm stupid._

"Rantaro, say something..." I hear someone murmur from far behind me, sounding like Tsumugi. "Why are you just letting her do this? Don't you care?"

"Hey..." I speak, lowering my voice to barely a whisper. "It's okay to kill me now if you want. The mystery is probably not as interesting as you think, you know...just trample me to death with an Exisal and toss my body wherever you threw Kaede's. Easy and less of a problem for you, right?"

Even though I'm giving the bear plenty of time to make a decision- hell, to even attack me right here and right now, he still doesn't seem to respond. Instead, he just continues to stare at me quietly as if contemplating something. When he _does _finally speak though, I'm of course disappointed.

"...Good thing I'm the headmaster! I'm willing to overlook this pre-menstrual induced violence and mood swing. You ought to know your place! Now...run along."

"I didn't ask you to _'overlook'_it, I asked you to kill me,"I interrupt Monokuma, loud enough for the other students to hear. He's looking down on me again like I'm not a threat and talking down to me like always. Does he really not have any worries about me ruining things for him? Or does he have so much confidence in his fortified Ultimate Academy cage in that he's absolutely sure I'll never find us a way out?

_I guess it's up to me to figure that out myself._

"Puhuhu~ You know, this is what I love the most about you, Miss Marble...you just tell the other students to 'suck it' and deal with any punishment they might receive for your actions. What a renegade you are! You'd think with how holier than thou you are, you'd be a little more concerned and careful about them with their lives on the line."

"She's joking, right?" I hear Ryoma query, now starting to have a hint of concern in his voice.

"Atua is with her, blasphemer or not! Do not worry~!" Angie pipes up, not sounding concerned at all. She must have some strong faith to think that without the knowledge I know of.

"Yeah, but is Atua with _us_ if Monokuma's saying that? We could get in trouble for Prairie's aggression..." Tsumugi points out reluctantly, sounding a lot like she doesn't want to even think about it.

"Regardless of that, this is a sight to behold. Prairie Marble is quite the fearless individual. She's had plenty of interviews in her time outside where she's reported she can simply 'turn off' her fear. I figured she was possibly exaggerating, but it would seem not..." Korekiyo adds his input, equally unconcerned and more intrigued than anything else. "Incredible."

"Rantaro-" Tsumugi tries again.

"Quit asking me," Rantaro simply answers, impressively ending it at that.

For a moment, the scary confirmation of hearing that he doesn't care about me anymore shakes me to the core, but I quickly smother it in favor of collecting information.

Monokuma doesn't say anything else, watching me carefully.

_...I could technically egg him on more if I try attacking him with my knife, but I don't want to go too far. Last thing I want is the others to think my violent behavior is something that can cross into "murdery" territory, or for Monokuma to wing it and go through on the promise that he'll hurt the others for my constant disobedience._

I close my eyes momentarily and lift a hand to rub my forehead-

-and I hear Monokuma suddenly jump back, making my eyes snap open to see him a good few feet away from me. He's still in front of the monokubs, but noticeably out of arm's reach.

"Eh?" Shuichi questions curiously before silence fills the gym again.

_Well, that's a welcoming reaction in comparison to the rest of his responses of silence. I guess that's my cue to leave and clean up._

I stand up again, a bit wobbly as I finally turn to look at the other teenagers.

"If you guys want to know about the Ultimate Hunt...don't ask me," I notify the group gaping my way, watching as some eyes widen and some go pale at the sight of the blood seeping from my eyes.

No one answers or objects, so I resume with heading for the gym exit as the monokubs whisper and noticeably jitter restlessly. When I finally exit the gym and stumble a little into the quiet hallway, I eventually slow down enough to see if I can hear them say anything.

"...So you guys are willing to trust a mess like her then?" Maki inquires, her voice reaching me despite the distance I've walked from the gym doors.

"S-She's not suicidal, she just-" Tenko tries to defend me, even though I'm sure she knows it's useless too. Still, the sentiments are appreciated and her efforts are heartwarming.

"She's the reason the killing game started. If she wasn't so untrustworthy and didn't hide so much, she wouldn't have become a target in the first place."

"Miss Marble's not _allowed _to talk about everything! We've made sure of it! Besides, you guys don't get to cop out of the spicy mystery just because you have a walking cheat sheet in your ranks!" Monokuma objects, sounding fired up once again even though I know exactly what I saw in the gym.

_Monokuma, whether he admits it or not, is a little scared of what I'm capable of, isn't he?_

"Furthermore..." Monokuma continues, laughing a little. "I've got your _first motive _ready for the next murder! You're gonna love this~!"

_He's already got a motive set? Kaede only died _ ** _yesterday_ ** _...!_

With a heavy heart, I continue to listen, biting my lip to see what he could have possibly made to be the newest motive for murder. Another time limit maybe? It worked last time...

"B-But Prairie just left! This will put her at a disadv-" Kaito starts to object, until I hear the sound of an Exisal stamp its foot loud enough to make me flinch even where I am outside in the hall. "Don't just cut me off like that, four eyes!"

_"We make the rules here, bub! And don't call me four eyes, at least I've still got more brains than your spacey ass, starboy!" _Monosuke announces, followed by Kokichi's laughter at the jab.

"We're only telling you _because _that little wart is gone! This is a kindness we're doing for Miss Marble, she's been through a lot don't you think? Or if you want, you can keep piling up all the stress in the world on top of her, like her Greek Yogurt boyfriend there does! Better for us either way!" Monokuma continues, clearly an attempt to make the others feel bad about it.

_It's guaranteed that Monokuma knows I'm still listening. He knows hearing this will hurt me, wont he? Or...is he using _ ** _the others_ ** _ to hurt me? Like how no one but Kaede told me of the tunnel, is he trying to prove to me that the others won't tell me outright what this motive is either? That they'll continue to look down on me?_

I resist the urge to kick or punch something, instead biting my lip until I can't feel it. I'm not sure if the blood I'm tasting is the blood coming from my eyes or because I bit my lip too hard. This is what Monokuma does best, I guess. Make the players of the killing game feel even more hopeless as time passes.

"Now, for the first motive! This rule will remain active throughout the killing game! For whoever manages to kill Prairie Marble...gets to graduate scot-free! No need to wait for a perfect moment, kill her whenever you like! Kill her in front of her friends and lovers! Bring your kids! Either way, there's NO class trial and NO punishment! Puhuhu~!"

_That's...going to put a very big target on my back. Shoot, I figured Monokuma was going to pit the others against me, but this is _ ** _way _ ** _more literal than I thought._

A wave of silence crosses everyone in the gym, but it's eventually broken by loud gasps

"Wait, so is she still untrustworthy, or not? Doesn't this mean she's on our side if Monokuma is pitting us against her?" Kiibo asks, his voice very clearly making it known just how confused and worried he is by this new development.

"No. With Monokuma, who knows what he's up to. I still refuse to trust Prairie Marble. If you guys want to though, don't let me stop your idiocy," I hear Maki remark coldly, prompting me to grimace.

"Ahh, I'm glad I'm not the only one that absolutely detests that little bitch~" I hear Monophanie add cheerfully, which only makes my grimace deepen. Of course the pink parasite jumps on the bandwagon as fast as that...

"Nee-hee-hee! You're sure quick to point fingers, aren't you, Maki? Even though you're the only one that won't let anybody in your Ultimate Lab!" Kokichi calls her out, making my nerves jump in excitement.

_She won't let anyone into her Ultimate Lab? Why? What the heck does the Ultimate Child Caregiver need to hide from the rest of us? Well, she's not there right now, she's here in the gymnasium._

_...Let's see what she's hiding then._

Maybe I should be more considerate of her privacy. If anything, maybe _I would _be more understanding if she hadn't pissed me off by pointing her finger at me and making me out to be even more of a villain in front of everybody.

Except I'm not feeling so considerate right now. I'm not at all sympathetic or understanding. The only thing I feel is extreme anger, and by god, I'm going to find out what _she's _hiding if she's going to accuse me of hiding things.

I'm already running full speed, ignoring the blood in my eyes as I climb the stairs two at a time. If I go and wash my face off right now, I'll waste what precious time I have of Maki being away from her Ultimate Lab. Chances are, she'll head straight back to stand in front of her Ultimate Lab...

I glance back over my shoulder, just to make sure she isn't at my heels ready to stab me or something. There's thankfully no one behind me, notifying me that I'll have a reasonable head start to get to the Ultimate Labs on the extended second floor.

_Great, but I'll need to fly through the rest of the other rooms to find Maki's and that'll definitely slow me down. That's a given, I guess...it's what I get for pissing off Rantaro to the point he just plucked me from the Earth like the giant he is and stuck me in a room for "time out"._

I move quickly, racing past the Ultimate Maid's Lab and the now opened chest in the hall Kokichi and Rantaro stopped me from opening. It's one with three moths or butterflies, either or, painted in a lighter blue color that contrasts the deep blue color of the door itself. This door speaks for itself and I just race past it after checking it off to be the Ultimate Entomologist's Lab.

To my surprise, I almost come to a slow when I see another set of stairs leading to the third floor, only to then speed up and race up those. I'm out of breath but I ignore the strain on my body and the crusting of the blood that makes every expression I make feel like my skin is being stretched.

Next room- a black door with a tennis racket drawn on it in white. Obviously Ryoma's probably undesired Ultimate Tennis Player's Lab. Huh, I guess I didn't have to waste any time going into any spare rooms- Monokuma's made it pretty easy to distinguish what room is what based on the drawing at the front of the door.

The next room...has nothing on it, so I stop in my tracks momentarily.

_Who's room? This could either be it, or it could be the wrong room and I'll be wasting my time. It's in an awkward place in comparison to most of the other Ultimate Labs, down a few feet of a hallway where I could get trapped in there if I don't hurry. I'll just open the door and-_

So I open the door to the Ultimate Child Caregiver's room...and feel my stomach plummet when I see what's inside.

Weapons. Guns. Daggers. Saws. Axes.

For a second, I almost feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Hell, there's even a target practice system near the back with human bust targets. This is _NOT _the Ultimate Child Caregiver's Lab...! This is more like...the Ultimate _Murderous Fiend's_ lab! And it's definitely not Rantaro_, _what the heck was _he _worried about?!

I glance back over my shoulder and dare to take a step in, heart racing and brain insisting I don't. This is a dangerous room, and it's clear that it belongs to a dangerous person. A person I've been glaring at for the past hours for dragging me to the gymnasium and exposing me to that stupid flashback light- okay, never mind. I'm still angry, regardless of whether she's the Ultimate Murderous Fiend or not.

There's a bunch of suitcases, one which I grab and open up to see what's inside. My insides coil up and I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end when I see some kind of syringe gun, equipped with a needle and a glass vial of unknown contents to fit under the firing nozzle. Both are set in a velvety black filler, likely to keep them from being damaged.

"God..." I mutter under my breath, before eyeing one of the small handguns on the wall and allowing my eyes to dart down to the metal gated cabinet a little to the side beneath the display walls.

With a heavy heart, I hurry on over and pull it open, grimacing when I see several different guns and immediately zero in on the black handguns sitting there for the taking. There's even a few set of boxed ammo beside the guns, and I quickly locate which bullets go with the handgun.

_...I could use this for protection. To help the others. It can also be proof to show the others I'm not the only one hiding something. This can help us. This is..._

I reach out a hand for the gun...

...

_No. Guns won't work on any of the Exisals and I don't want to shoot the monokubs. Not to mention, regardless of how many times I shoot Monokuma, he'll just keep coming back anyways with no problem. The only thing taking a gun will do is hurt me and the people I want to save._

I close the metal cabinet without taking anything and look around one more time.

_As mad as I am...I don't want to stoop to _ ** _her _ ** _level and make everyone villainize her.. She can hide whatever stupid secrets she wants, but I'll be ready if she tries to hurt a single hair on anyone's head. And I won't need a cheap gun to do it._

With that said, I turn around and leave.

To my utmost comfort, Maki doesn't appear behind me or catch me in the act of fleeing the scene of the crime. She doesn't even see me coming down from the second floor as I make my way all the way back to the first floor's boys bathroom. I don't see anyone on my way down, so they might still be in the Gymnasium...-

_In my efforts to find out Maki's secret, I probably missed a ton on that motive Monokuma made against me...shoot. I let my anger get the better of me all over again. The only benefit of figuring out Maki was the unofficial Ultimate Murderous Fiend was that I at least know she's one of the more likely ones to kill someone._

_And the trade-off was the benefit of knowing which teens were more likely to kill _ ** _me_ ** _ for the benefit of leaving the killing game like Miu did._

Clearly leaving to chase Maki's secret is the stupidest thing I could have done in the context of the killing game.

_Stupid me..._

I sigh and walk on over to a sink, turning on a faucet to start cleaning my eyes with the lukewarm water. It's unlikely that I'll soon bring myself to enter the girls bathroom after what happened between Kaede and Miu in there. Just looking at the door makes me feel sick...and then again, the boys bathroom isn't as intimidating as it was before, so I guess I don't really care about being caught in here anymore.

I'm in the middle of rinsing off soap and blood from my face when I hear the bathroom door open up, followed by footsteps casually making their way in. I'd appreciate silence and privacy after Maki basically single-handedly broke everyone's trust in me.

"Nishishi! You scared everyone, Prairie Dog! You looked like you got possessed by a demon or something!" Kokichi laughs, making me scoff a little. Way to insult and praise me all in the same breath. He sure knows how to make someone feel special. "I mean, you even surprised even _Monokuma! _Wow!...but I guess that could just be acting too. You're even more of an enigma than the Ultimate Nobody!"

"Don't call him that," I snap, surprised that it's flown out of my mouth so fast.

"What? You insult him all the time!" Kokichi presses, making me splash more water over my face without looking up. "Or do you prefer to be the only one calling him names? You're so _possessive~"_

I make a face and then lift my head to wipe water out my eyes so I can see myself in the mirror. Blinking a little, I can see small red globules forming on my waterline, making me groan and throw more water at my face when the blood starts to roll down my face more. I figured it would have stopped after the time I spent running around, but clearly it decided to start up again after I got off the crusted blood.

"God, I hate those stupid flashlights..." I grumble, only to feel him unexpectedly hold my curly hair back when I duck down a little to the sink. I pause, frowning in thought before eventually shrugging it off and splashing my face with fresh water.

"So in the end, Runturdo didn't give a shit after your performance, hm?"

_Yes, Kokichi, please pour more salt into the wound. It's not like I'm going through some crap right now, no. I could use more emotional distress, thank you for your consideration._

_"That _wasn't a performance. I needed information, and I got it," I openly tell him the truth since I know I can't lie to him to save my own life. Kokichi chuckles at that, like he doesn't quite believe me. He doesn't say anything else on the matter though, and I don't try to add to it. "Why are you here anyways? How'd you know I'd still be in the bathroom?"

"Nobody else wants to keep Prairie Dog company- save for Tenko. _So!_ I'm here to keep your life nice and spicy. Oh, also, I'm only here to take a massive leak, I've been holding it since we entered the gym, it SUCKS!" Kokichi claims with a little bouncing on his heels to push his point, causing me to stare at him long and hard from where I am leaned over the sink with a dripping wet face.

"...you don't look like you need to pee badly, _liar_," I accuse, causing him to stop and grin.

"Oh, did I get caught? Nishishi, I don't need to pee, you're absolutely right! Besides, I'm not peeing with a girl in the bathroom! That's perverted," Kokichi adds, still holding my hair in his hand when I lift my head and look in the mirror again, relaxing when I don't see anymore blood leaking from my eyes.

"That's better," I comment upon ignoring his accusations, only to realize he's still holding my brown curls in his grip. I frown, looking at him through the mirror. He's not smiling anymore, instead staring quietly at me with a familiar expressionless look I still am unable to decipher. Is he contemplating another of his 'I'm totally going to murder you' pranks? "If you're gonna do something to try and make me mistrust you again, can you please get it over with already? Otherwise, I could use some help getting into my dorm room after this."

Kokichi suddenly grins and drops my hair...before sticking a flower in it with a head pat to boot as it rests over my ear. This one is a dark red flower with gold yellow pistons in the middle, and I have no idea where this idiot got it from.

Caught off guard even though he's done this before, I throw up my hands over my face with a groan as my face starts to turn red. It's not as warm as usual, and Kokichi points this out so I know I'm not crazy.

"There! You look less like a zombie with that rosy complexion now!" He claims proudly, only to pause and take a seat on the sink next to the one I'm using. "Just so you know...I know you're kinda cocky and you think you're invincible or something, but you better be smarter about it. You escaped death once- and the more you keep rubbing it in people's faces, the more likely someone will want you dead for real~!"

I wait for him to say more, but he just chuckles after a moment and smiles back at me.

_...Is that the closest he'll get to telling me about it? The fact that an entire motive is dedicated to having me become the best target for the killing game?_

"It's not that I'm..." I start to deny, but falter with a sigh since I know what had been about to come out of my mouth was a lie. "Whatever. Besides, I'm sure people _already _want me dead for real, regardless of my arrogance."

"...Prairie, are you afraid to die?" Kokichi asks next, even though the answer is pretty obvious.

"Of course. I don't want to die," I comment, prompting Kokichi to swing his feet playfully from where he's seated. Hmm...maybe if I had lied and said "no", he'd have been annoyed enough to leave...

"So, Prairie Dog..." I grimace, considering he hadn't used my nickname in his last breath. And here I'd been hoping he'd have dropped the stupid "Prairie Dog" thing. "Wha'd you see when the flashback light went off?" He asks with a cute innocent smile, causing me to look towards him as I grab a washcloth I previously snatched out of the supply closet to dry my face.

He's openly fishing for information out of me _already? _Jeez, he probably only sticks around me because I'm a wellspring of clues. I guess I don't blame him though.

"You know, you keep asking for information from me and then saying you think it's all an act. So which is it then? Technically like Maki said, I could be lying." Kokichi just snorts in amusement at that, grinning and crossing his arms.

"Both. Prairie Dog, tell me a lie right now," Kokichi asks, to which I infuriatingly feel my cheeks immediately burn hot red before I've even _thought _of a lie. At the sight, he throws his head back and laughs. "Hah! Don't feel so embarrassed! It's not your fault you utterly suck at lying to me."

My temper sparks a little at first, but then my brain zeros in on the way he says that _last _part that I can't stop myself from blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. If he didn't just slightly emphasize that last part, everything would probably be fine. But I guess that's too much to ask, isn't it?

"I don't have a crush on you!" I shout defensively, already knowing this is a _big _mistake when Kokichi raises a single eyebrow and then crosses his arms with a grin.

"I never said you did," he simply states. "I've only been messing with you, Prairie Dog."

...And now I feel like a complete idiot for bringing it up unnecessarily out of nowhere.

"You know, Prairie Dog...you shouldn't say things like that so openly. You feel me?" Kokichi asks, causing my cheeks to start tingling in shame at the fact I'm getting scolded by _him _of all people.

"Say things like what?" I try and dismiss my defensiveness. "I don't like you."

"Sure," he drawls casually, rolling his eyes playfully and making an aloof gesture with his hand before his grin suddenly gets...uncomfortably hostile. "The more you make me believe you have even a sliver of feelings for me, the more likely I'll just use it against you for my own benefit."

...

"Dumb," I bluntly answer to his threat, not believing him as per usual.

Instead of laughing and waving it off like he's done a few times up to this point, he jumps off of the sink towards me to the point that I have to step back when he leans forward.

"Prairie Dog, do I look like the kind of guy that wants a relationship? That _needs _a relationship? That needs even _friends?"_

My heart skips a beat when I find him stepping closer, causing me to step back again. It's just like when we first met, when he would advance on me to the point we crossed the entire gym because he wouldn't let up and I wouldn't stop retreating. However, this time it's clearly not just a little joke like it was before.

"Do I look like someone that gives a single shit about someone dying here? Because to tell you the truth, I don't care about anyone here. I don't care about Kiiboy, about Shuichi...I don't care about _you. _That's not a lie. As a matter of fact, the only thing I really care about is this whole Killing Game! It's great! What a way to spice up life, don't you think? Or well, I guess _end_ it. Nee-hee-hee!"

My backside bumps into a wall and Kokichi is quick to cage me against it with narrowed violet eyes of glee. It's darker in this part of the bathroom than where the sinks were, giving his features some depth and shadow. If anything, he looks even more menacing than ever, but he still doesn't threaten me like I'm expecting. Instead, my heart lurches up to my throat when he moves in closer and snickers as a wave of warmth I managed to quell moments before eventually takes residence over my features once again.

Even though I'm partly red from embarrassment, there's another part I can tell stems directly from rage. A growing rage I'm bound to snap under at any moment, especially when he reaches up to take my chin and make me face him.

"You know, it would be great if you were to die for me. That's a very romantic notion, don't you think? Plus, that's probably all you'll ever be good for considering how much you push Monokuma," Kokichi pushes, evidently getting even closer to the point that I feel like I'm a magnet against the wall trying to get away from him. I can feel his stupid body heat and I can feel his stupid breath warming my frostbitten cheeks from the bathroom air conditioning on full arctic blast. We're even closer than we were that time he pretended to be stuck in the tall grass of the courtyard.

His words distract me momentarily though. To die for him...is he possibly referring to how I'm an easy way out of here? Even though he doesn't know that I know about the "Kill Prairie" motive? Or did he change his mind after that motive was announced and is now considering _actually _killing me?

_I guess I'll never really know when the issue is concerning Kokichi Oma, but for now..._

With a self control I'm sure Rantaro would be proud of, I plant both hands on Kokichi's shoulders and push him back a few feet so I can get my personal space back. Even though I didn't resort to violence, I still throw him a dark glare he doesn't flinch under.

"If you ever get that close to me again, Leech Face, I'll break your nuts." I comment as I make an effort to wave off all the heat from my face and watch him turn his body side to side playfully. Any hints of the previous evil persona he tapped into is now gone, leaving behind a stupid and innocent looking boy with a cute face and sparkling violet eyes. He's totally playing up his cuteness right now purposefully...what a leech. "And just so you know, not everyone that likes someone is willing to do _anything _for their crush. W-Which doesn't include me, because I definitely don't have a crush on you."

"You keep saying that, and I believe it less and less every time you open your mouth, Prairie Dog," Kokichi comments, folding his arms behind his neck. I shoot him a look, walking around him and making a quick exit out of the bathroom so I don't have to deal with him anymore.

Thankfully, he doesn't follow me out, so I'm able to step out and let the door swing closed behind me free as a bird-

_"Ahem."_

My heart really can't take any more boys right now. Especially the two boys I hate the most back-to-freaking-back.

Wincing when I hear the familiar voice clearing to my left, I stop in my tracks and reluctantly turn my head to Rantaro Amami, who seems to have been waiting for me to leave the bathroom. How did those two idiots even know I'd be in here? I could have gone to my r-

...Never mind.

Rantaro pushes off of the wall wordlessly, only stopping once he's in front of me and looking me in the eyes for a moment. I'm waiting for him to say something, but it seems we're still not in the best terms with one another because he simply sighs and holds out my room keys to me to take. Initially I'm relieved at the sight of them and the fact he's about to hand them to me, but just as I'm reaching out for them, a thought enters my mind.

_My keys! I get them ba...wait. Why is he suddenly giving them back to me now? He could have given them back to me at any time before. No...is he reverting back to overprotective unofficial older brother status and giving them back only because he thinks I'll need my room now that the new motive has been introduced? No no, don't think that way, he's probably only remembered now and that's why I'm getting my keys later than normal!_

_...Or is this a cop-out to avoid the situation between us? To avoid _ ** _me?_ **

I don't even realize what I've done until I find myself staring at one of the windows of the school, watching my keys go sailing in the air and eventually land somewhere out in the courtyard. When I snap back to reality completely, I come to the slow conclusion of what just occurred.

I took my keys from Rantaro's hand...and then turned and threw them to kingdom come.

Peeking up at him beside me, I realize Rantaro is also staring at the window where I threw my keys, visibly stupefied and mouth agape by the unusual reaction that came from his otherwise kind gesture to return my keys from me.

Seeing that as my chance, I turn away and run off quickly before he can say anything else, resisting the urge to slap myself in the face for doing that.

The reason is actually much simpler than it seems, as much as I don't want to admit that I'm wrong. We're _both _wrong, for different reasons. Despite that though...

I really just want to be around him again.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_3.5 - Public Enemy Number One_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.8](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188924491135/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v8-v8)  

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> [Prairie Cosplay (NieR: Automata - 2B)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188938805655/string-theory-31-33-bonus-art-prairie)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.9](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188939295555/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v9-v9)  

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	35. Someone Else's Face

❀ _**3.6 - Someone Else's Face**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

After that incident throwing my keys to Timbuktu, Rantaro surprisingly doesn't leave me alone about them despite the fact that we've continued to refuse verbal engagements between one another. In fact, he's now seemingly _ determined _ to return them to me, giving me even more attention now than he had earlier today after our initial dispute. Does this mean I think our friendship is on the road to recovery?

No, I think the opposite, actually.

Rantaro may be focused on me right now, but I presume he'll be on his merry way once I get my keys back and then he'll never bother himself with me after. If him keeping my stupid keys is the only thing left connecting the two of us, I sure don't want them back.

Either way, Rantaro surprisingly fetched my keys after I threw them and tried to corner me when I visited the dining hall kitchen for a snack. He tried to sneak them next to me while I was looking in the library for a way to open that hidden door behind the moving bookcase- heck, he even attempts to straight up _ chase me down _to get my stupid keys back to me.

I run up the stairs to the second floor and make a mad dash for the Ultimate Pianist's Lab so I can hide out in my secret perch, only to feel unfounded dread fill my heart when the knob refuses to turn. 

I don't know exactly what's making me nervous, the rush of being chased by someone I half want to avoid and half want to run to, or the fact that the end of this chase may result in some chastising...if he actually decides to start speaking to me again willingly, considering we haven't spoken a word to one another since he came knocking on Tenko's door to reluctantly ask for my help with the flashback light.

Shaking the knob a few times, I eventually deem it a lost cause and turn to run. Upon spinning around, my escape plan falls flat when I find Rantaro blocking my only exit and breathing unevenly from the exertion of the run. He looks irritated, eyeing me and promptly holding out my keys in a silent demand for me to take them.

My response is to back away, but he takes a step forward despite my clear refusal to take the keys. I want to scream that I don't want them, but I instead turn and try the door again, making him take another few steps closer. At that, my eyes flick around him to find the best path away from him.

_ Maybe I can try to slip past him! _

I bolt to try and skirt around his tall frame, mostly counting on him being a clumsy tower as per usual. Unfortunately, he unexpectedly snaps both arms around my waist with a lightning speed I hadn’t taken into account he’d have. It’s so quick that I barely manage a grunt of vexation when he shoots me a look and holds up my keys for me to see, making me audibly groan and try to pull away when he attaches my keys to one of my belt clips. 

As soon as it’s attached to my person, Rantaro unceremoniously drops me on the floor and casually walks away, leaving me to squeak when I land belly down on the dirt ridden ground and shoot his back a scowl of disdain. Sure, it wasn’t that much of a drop and it didn’t hurt at all. But my _ feelings _ hurt, so-

“I hate you!” I impulsively shout, breaking my own silence between us first and watching his complete indifference about it. He doesn’t even acknowledge I’ve yelled at all, choosing to ignore me as he makes his way down the stairs to the first floor. Once I’m alone, I roll over and stare long and hard at the ceiling. I feel lame. Like a forgotten pancake left to go stale on someone’s kitchen stove.

_ He didn’t even say “that’s okay” or “no, you don’t”. That jerk…! _

After a minute of wallowing for a few moments, I eventually sit up with a reinvigorated furious growl and wrangle my keys off of the belt clip they’re attached to, storming back to the Ultimate Pianist’s Lab to try and open the door. There’s a lock for a key, so I first try my own keys to see if I have any dumb luck in that maybe one of them works to open it.

They don’t, of course, so I try kicking it down and instead only cause it to shake in the doorframe somewhat. At this point I start throwing my shoulder and arm hard against the door, honestly not even sure I still even want to go in or whether I’m just bashing into the barrier between me and the lab out of rage.

“Open…! You…! _ Stupid…! DOOR!” _I grunt with every bang until my arm throbs enough that I can’t stay upright anymore. My body hits the door with gradually decreasing force until I’m awkwardly sliding down the surface of it and onto the floor. I can’t even feel my shoulder anymore as I flop on my back again, once again resuming my pitiful sulking as I stare up at the dirty ceiling. With how many cracks it has up there, it’s a wonder the building doesn’t just cave in and crush us under debris.

_ I can’t get a stupid door to open...I can’t behave like a civilized person and instead act like a rabid animal...I can’t talk to Rantaro about our issues even though half of me wants to…is all this attitude and rage I can’t control a result of my previous time as spoiled superstar Perfect Blitz? Am I just an uncontrollable bomb that explodes like this because I never learned to hold myself back? _

_ Furthermore, If I can’t do even stupid and basic trivial things, what makes me think I’m “the one” that will get us out of here? _

_ ….I wonder how many players have been in my place during all of Monokuma’s killing games. Did they have such grandeur crazy fantasies that they stood toe-to-toe against Monokuma and the person working with him? The Mastermind? I wonder how many people died because they had an ego like mine. I wonder...if I’m just walking the carved trail straight onto Monokuma’s silver platter. _

I make my way back onto both my feet once I’ve sobered up somewhat, turning to look up at Kaede’s now locked Ultimate Lab. Did Kaede think in such a prideful manner too?

Chatter in the courtyard is the only sound I hear, distant and light in the silent halls as I stare at the door thoughtfully. I’m not sure how long I’m laying there, but when I glance at the clock in the hall, it reads four o’clock. Not that it’s the right time or even a working clock- it’s currently growing weeds and fungi inside it’s casing. If I still had my stupid monopad, I’d be able to see, but I guess because I’m such a problem, I’m doomed to lay here and _ guess. _

...

I feel stupid. Mean, stupid, and like I’ve humiliated myself in front of everyone because of my arrogant bad attitude.

_ Not to mention I might have been ebbing closer to my own demise because of said hubris. I guess that’s why pride is one of the seven deadly sins. _

“Puhuhu~!”

It’s not Monokuma, rather the bear that leans over my face is Monosuke, who looks ever so amused by my current state. 

“Well, well, well! What do we have here? One brat who’s finally given in to despair huh? Maaan, I guess Monophanie was right! Without Monotaro and Monokid following ya around like lost puppies for your approval, you really are a powerless shit-stain, _ Ugly!” _ Monosuke snickers.

I could open my mouth and tell him his “daddy-kuma” still doesn’t care about him. I could remind him, as I know it’s a sore spot for him, that he’s still not protected by any of the school rules.

But no.

I just stare past him at the ceiling and sigh longingly.

..._ Stupid Rantaro. _

“...You’re no fun,” Monosuke huffs, taking off his glasses and quickly rubbing each lens before popping them back on to tap one of his feet impatiently. “Father doesn’t want us getting near you too much now. He says you might corrupt the rest of us like you did to Monotaro. You know what I think? It’s unfounded. Monotaro was forgetful and easily manipulated, of course he’d get strung up in all your sweet talking!”

“Have you ever considered...that he was forgetful because someone _ coded _ him to be forgetful? If he managed to get away from that, it’s ‘cause he made the choice on his own and managed to override his system’s coding. That’s not manipulation, that’s autonomy,” I finally speak, causing Monosuke to look down at me with crossed arms. “I told Monotaro not to help me. I _ warned _ him and he still did it anyways...and for what? To get blown into pieces?”

I can feel my throat get tight a little at the memory, frowning.

“I don’t have anything to show for it,” I say, staring up at the ceiling long and hard so I don’t start tearing up- in front of Monosuke of all people. “...I wish he had just kept hating me like he had in the beginning. Maybe he’d still be around right now, forgetting to call me Ugly and setting off Monophanie.”

Monosuke snorts in amusement, as if recalling the same memory of when Monotaro called me “beautiful” in front of the pink bear and caused her to go on a verbal rampage.

“Monophanie is a nightmare, GOD! It’s like having a primadonna and an alligator smashed into one pink ball of attitude!” Monosuke complains, crossing his legs and turning away to rest his plush elbow on my forehead. He hardly weighs a thing, so I just let him use me as an armrest since I’m too worn out to tell him not to. “I’d hate to consistently be on her shit list like you are, Ugly. She even made a dart board of your nasty face in our club room, you know?”

I roll my eyes at that. Of _ course _she did…

“Not that she’s even managed to get one dart to hit it though. Her aim is as terrible as her taste in clothing! That coconut bra she wears is the bane of my damn existence,” Monosuke claims, making me laugh suddenly. For a while there, I thought that stupid bra of hers only bugged me. “Yeah, I said it, you can quote me on it, two-k twenty-four!!”

“You know she’d burn you at the stake if she ever heard you say that about her, right? She thinks she’s the cutest thing on the plane…” I start to say before trailing off when I replay Monosuke’s last words.

_ Two-k twenty-four...? _

My smile falls and I shift to sit up so that the yellow-white dual colored bear is forced to remove his elbow. As I turn to look at Monosuke slowly, I’m surprised to see that he seems somewhat confused, staring at me like I’ve grown another head.

“Is...is that-” I start to ask, before cutting myself off and instead standing up with a fake smile of ease. “Nevermind. Hey, should you still be here? Monokuma’s going to think you’re going Monotaro on everyone, so you should go.”

_ I’m definitely not outing Monosuke for his slip-up. Absolutely not. Even if he isn’t doing any favors for me intentionally. He should stay away from me, just like Monokuma told him to. _

“Don’t tell me what to do, UGLY! And I told ya, there’s no way I’d fall over to the goody-two-shoes side!” Monosuke lets out a noise like the thought makes him want to vomit, turning away to harrumph before bounding out of the hallway. I wait until I’m sure he’s not coming back to sigh a little, wincing and reaching up to rub my head.

  1. He said what _year_ it was.

_ Please for the love of all that is holy, don’t let Monokuma have noticed this encounter. _

I look back and eventually move to make my way to the other classroom door. Glancing down at the keys that I’d been gripping in a white knuckled grip earlier after Rantaro left them with me, I pick out the right key from the set and stick it in the door lock. I intended to throw them out Kaede’s lab window before, but in the end I guess I’ll be keeping them.

_ What can I do knowing the year is 2024? I don’t even remember what year it’s supposed to be. Later I should ask the others what year they think it is right now. It’s gonna look real stupid of me, but considering my amnesia, I have no choice. _

I unlock the door to the classroom and-

“Prairie! There you are!”

I stop short of turning the door knob to enter, looking towards the stairs to see Tenko hurry the rest of the way over to me. She’s not out of breath at all, but from how excited she looks, I can’t really see her as the type of person that would have _ walked _when searching for me.

“I’ve been looking all over for you! Come with me, I’ve got a surprise for you- I’m sure it’ll cheer you up!” Tenko exclaims to my mild surprise, wearing a smile bright enough to incite a superbloom.

_ Cheer me up? _

“Why would I need cheering up? Don’t worry about me, I’m okay,” I reassure the Ultimate Aikido Master with a small smile of my own as I link my arm around hers. If I have to ask anything from anyone, then asking Tenko is my best bet! She’s a breath of fresh air in this place. “Anyways, I guess I could use something to keep myself busy though.”

Tenko’s expression gives a hint of knowing. Ever since we had our sparring session in the gym, one of many future sessions of catharsis I’m hoping we'll have, it feels like she peeled back a layer of...something. I feel almost naked under her stare, considering I _ do _still feel awful and in need of cheering up. Thing is, I just don’t want to worry her with my rampant and twisted emotions. Seems like my efforts are in vain though, at least that’s what I garner from that look of hers.

“Don’t be afraid to lean on me a little if you need to. I promise, this body and brain of mine are both a lot sturdier than they look! I know it seems easier to stand on your own, but be careful or you might end up toppling over from the pressure, okay?” Tenko offers me some advice, one hand on her hip before she turns to lead us back to the first floor of the school.

_ For having more or less childish tendencies and beliefs, her advice is pretty sound. It might do me good to listen and pull my head out of the clouds. Before I ask anything pertaining to the year though... _

_ … _

“Tenko, do you...think having an ego is bad?” I ask, using my other arm to play with my hair thoughtfully. Her thoughts are simple sounding but noteworthy, at least in my book. That said, I do want to hear her opinion on it. I overthink things a lot, and having her perspective on the matter would definitely help.

“Hm...I think everyone has an ego, whether they’ll admit it or not. It’s a human’s natural desire to want to be the center of attention in one way or another, you know? That said, I think it’s okay to have a bit of one, so long as the person in question doesn’t fool themselves into thinking they’re above others for silly reasons and act badly on that. I think an ego is bad when it starts to really hurt others…” Tenko explains, somehow not making the connection that when I’m talking about egos, I’m talking about myself in particular.

_ Ah, so basically what I’m freaking doing, huh? In fact, I’m doing more than just hurting them verbally- I slapped Gonta and got Tenko to literally toss Rantaro in the garbage. Isn’t it different though because they’re the ones looking down on me? I mean, if you think about it, they’re arrogant themselves for thinking they know what’s good for me...and they’re hurting me by holding me back… _

_ ...No, I’m just making excuses at this point. I have an attitude problem and I have a superiority complex, plain and simple. Both of which I need to fix- that much Rantaro is right about. _

Just thinking that makes me wince a little on the outside, but Tenko thankfully doesn’t notice.

“You see, _ degenerate males _ are always like that to us girls. It’s terrible! It’s disgusting! I’m gonna flip the next _ menace _I see onto his back, they make me so annoyed!”

I can’t help but suddenly burst out laughing, having been completely absorbed in Tenko’s explanation and my own thoughts on it to the point that her usual distaste for men totally catches me off guard even though it shouldn’t. After all, this is _ Tenko Chabashira. _

“Hey, so where are we going?” I inquire as she leads us out into the hallway, still linked to her arm while looking around. We haven’t crossed paths with anyone yet and the first floor of the school seems almost devoid of people entirely. Maybe they’re all outside or something?

As I look towards the school exit, I can’t help but feel a bit glum at the sight. Everything outside looks the same. Same breeze, same partly cloudy, partly sunny day...same smell of oxygen and a plant-like scent I can’t quite describe other than having an Earthy aroma. What sucks is the fact that I already know it’s entirely fake, which makes the synthetic hints behind the pleasant scents stand out more when my I can’t help but search for them. I catch hints of a barely traceable concoction of chemicals in the air and scrunch my nose in distaste when my brain singles it out.

We could be waking up to the same of _ this _for months. The thought knowing nothing is going to change...it’s intimidating. This might actually end up being a mass gravesite for all of us.

_ Snap out of it! Stop being so morbid! Tenko’s right- in fact, maybe I need more cheering up than I originally thought. _

“The pool! We’re meeting Shuichi and Kirumi there, I just need to find…” Tenko’s words trail off as she looks back at my curious expression. Who else is she looking for? “You haven’t maybe seen Himiko around, have you, Prairie?”

I hum at that. Of course she’d want Himiko around too. In fact, I _ had _ seen her- particularly when Rantaro, in his mission to return my keys to me, was chasing me in the dining hall and circling her around the dining hall table in an effort to catch me. At first, Himiko seemed annoyed while eating her vanilla pudding slowly, but eventually started watching us intently with mild amusement.

“Last time I saw her she was in the dining hall, but-” I cut myself off as I walk to the open dining hall doors and spot Himiko exactly where I left her. She’s finally finished that pudding of hers, head resting on the table as she lazily licks the remnants of the sugary dessert from the walls of the packaging cup. “Oh. Nevermind, she’s still here.”

Tenko joins me, a big smile on her face until she sees Himiko’s state. With that, she blinks in confusion, her expression almost mirroring my thoughts. Is it just me, or does Himiko look particularly more glum than she had a day before? I didn’t notice earlier since Rantaro was chasing me, but looking at her now...it’s pretty hard to miss.

_ ...I guess Kaede’s death and the reality of our situation isn’t only affecting me. _

“Himiko! You wanna do something fun? I wouldn’t normally say it, but it requires _ zero _effort!” Tenko offers brightly, clearly knowing exactly what to say to properly convince someone as lazy as Himiko Yumeno to participate in her plans.

“...Why not,” she agrees with no hassle, standing up after a long pause and groaning a bit like an old lady as her bones creak and crack with her movements. With even her own body complaining like that, one would think she was moving for the first time in over a hundred years. Besides that though, she follows Tenko with me, the three of us stepping out into the hall. “What are we doing again?”

“Nyahaha! Yes, what _ are _we doing?”

I almost jump out of my skin at how close Angie is when she materializes beside me from almost out of nowhere. With a yelp of surprise, I instinctively hop closer to the nearest person- Himiko- and resort to mad-dogging Angie Yonaga’s brightly grinning form. She may not be totally bad, but I still don’t like her. She’s rude- in fact, I bet she scared me just now on purpose!

“Gh...we’re going somewhere to hang out. Just us three. And no one else,” Tenko carefully chooses her words, obviously not to keep about Angie joining us either.

“Just you, Himiko, and the Blasphemer? Great! I’ll join you! Atua says it will be good to monitor Perfect Blitz in case she goes rogue and betrays us all!” Angie completely dismisses Tenko’s hints for her to leave us alone, grinning as she suddenly jumps to my side and grabs my hand. 

It feels like a strike of lightning, the eerie sensation of her actions reminding me a little too much of a particular nasty leech from the swamp.

“Great. Another leech,” I don’t train my mouth, making it very obvious I don’t like her so she’ll consider letting go of my hand. When Angie simply smiles back at me, blinking her teal blue eyes my way, I give up and just roll my eyes as I look to Tenko. Said girl with the chain-link pigtails looks to Himiko with a mirroring grimace, but considering Himiko’s lazy expression on my other side and the fact she’s looking somewhere else completely in a distracted trance, Tenko also seems to admit defeat and turns to lead us towards the school pool.

_ ...No one has brought up that extra motive about killing me for a free pass out of here yet. Not even Tenko has brought it up. _

My eyes discreetly flick to everyone around me, but no one looks like they need to say anything to me. It’s more discouraging from Tenko than the other two, but I resort to simply staying quiet about it. If not them, maybe someone else will bring it up, right?

_ Yeah, right. If _ ** _Tenko _ ** _ won’t even say anything, face it. You’re doomed. _

I internally wince and try not to think about it and how it stings, following Tenko and Himiko into the building. As soon as we step inside, the four of us pause at the doorway to “ooo” and “ahh” at the sight.

Chairs have been set up as well as towels, drinks, and what I can see is a pool parasol. Upon our entry, Kirumi and Shuichi look up from their organization of the snack table, also joined by Kiibo who is poking one cocktail umbrella from a pair of drinks.

“Whoa! Kirumi, thank you for making the preparations!” Tenko first praises, eyes practically sparkling as she looks around. Kirumi eyes the four of us, mostly staring at Angie and Himiko in particular. Do we look like a strange group together or something?

“...it seems there are more people here than I was told,” Kirumi states as she looks to Himiko and Angie thoughtfully. “I don’t recall you mentioning anyone else other than Prairie.”

Tenko laughs at that sheepishly, making my eyes flick up her way as she reaches up to scratch her cheek in embarrassment.

“Sorry…by all means, I just wanted for Himiko to join us and feel like a celebrity too!” Tenko explains, eyes eventually shifting towards Angie. “As for her...she invited herself.”

Angie releases my arm, bounding over to Kirumi with an eager smile, grabbing onto the Ultimate Maid’s dress skirt.

“Can I be here too? Atua also wants to feel like a celebrity~!” Angie exclaims, looking back at us.

I’m just about to be the brave and rude one by opening my mouth to tell her to “get lost”- until Himiko manages to respond before my snappy remark. If it were up to me, and if it had been only Tenko with me, I’m sure Tenko might actually agree with sending Angie away...maybe. Probably not in the same harsh words I’d use. Unlike Tenko and I though, Himiko seems to have other ideas.

“If Atua is saying so, it can’t be helped,” Himiko comments, making both Tenko and I blink slowly before looking at the red haired girl’s way dubiously. She’s actually okay with occultist girl joining us? Also, what’s with that “Atua” comment of hers?

_ Don’t tell me Angie is somehow converting Himiko…! _

“R-Right...if Himiko says so…” Tenko reluctantly concedes, before looking my way for my thoughts. “Prairie, what do you think?”

…

A moment passes where I don’t say anything, causing Himiko to reach over and poke my cheek to get some sort of response out of me. I still say nothing. “Nyeh...is she still with us?”

“Prairie?” Kiibo steps on over, poking my other cheek. At that point, I snap out of what was a mental tantrum in the security of my mind to give a nice smile to the others around me.

“Ah! Of course. Angie joining us...I’m only vomiting in my mouth at the thought. So I guess it is what it is,” I remark casually, watching the expressions of everyone in the room go stiff at my boldness.

“Ahaha~! Perfect Blitz showing her true colors!” Angie comments unbothered, making Shuichi and Kiibo both sigh in relief while the other three girls visibly ease up their tense forms.

_ Stop calling me Perfect Blitz. _

“Remember when Prairie was just this cute shy girl that hid in her hair and apologized too much?” I hear Kiibo lament so quietly to Shuichi that I almost don’t catch it. I want to hear Shuichi’s response to that, but Angie grabs my hand and cheerfully tugs me closer to Kirumi. Half of me wonders if she’s done this on purpose, and I yank my hand out of hers rudely.

“Well in any case, I will make preparations for the additional number of people. May I include you in that number, Shuichi?” Kirumi’s words disturb the two boys- er, one boy, one robot- from their conversation, both appearing somewhat guilty when I turn my head to throw daggers their way with my gaze. I really hope they get the message than I _ know _ they were talking about me.

“What? Even me?” Shuichi asks when he seems to take a moment to mentally replay Kirumi’s query. Quick to gossip, slow to process, huh?

“Ah, not Shuichi. As a _ menace _, it’s only given that Shuichi has to help with the preparations,” Tenko quickly interjects, causing Shuichi to visibly deflate a little at the workload that’s been forced on him. I resist a snarky grin at that.

_ Loser. _

“...What about Rantaro and Kiibo?” Shuichi asks, suddenly causing my smugness to falter and replace itself with horror.

_ Ack! Rantaro is here?! Where?! No, no, don’t look for him. Stay calm, you don’t care! YOU DON’T CARE. _

“Nyeh...Shuichi, look what you did, Prairie is as stiff as a board now…” Himiko accuses pointedly much to my frustration. Sometimes she’s on another planet- but why is it that she’s always on Earth when I embarrass myself?

As if my habit has been resummoned from Shuichi’s and Kiibo’s gossip, I pull my fluffy curls over my entire face- just in time when I feel someone brush past me lightly from behind. My nerves jump and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but I’m of course ignored by him.

“I threw a couple more things in the oven since I noticed there was gonna be a few more than two,” Rantaro sighs, making all my nerves prickle wildly at the sound of his smooth deep voice until I can barely take it anymore. I peek out from my curls, but rather than look at Rantaro, I look towards the exit.

“No, no, come on, you can do this! You’re a strong woman!” Tenko reassures me, eyes blazing as she takes my chin and forces me to face her again. This somewhat has bravery simmering in the pit of my stomach, until I catch sight of Rantaro behind her.

Just like that, my wits and pride burn out entirely. Just looking at him- even though he’s not at all focused on me- unravels my panicked nerves wildly at the seams of my dignity.

_ “Wrong,” _ I squeak pathetically, whirling around to leave when I notice Rantaro turning his head our way.

Before I can even take one step towards the door, Tenko turns me back to face her and lifts me up over her shoulder easily, rubbing my back comfortingly. Settled and in a position where I can only see Tenko’s backside, I relent and try not to feel so crappy when Angie shamelessly calls me out.

“Nyahaha~! The second Rantaro waltzes in, the vicious beast is tamed!”

I don’t even have the fire to lash back at her. I just feel sad and gross again.

“We’re gonna go change into our swimwear. Shuichi! Rantaro! You know what happens if you try to peek, right?” Tenko demands, turning to face both males with a warning laced in her tone.

“Y-You don’t need to tell us that. We won’t peek…!” Shuichi insists.

“Ah, in that case, you’re both allowed to peek! It will give me a reason to eradicate a pair of degenerate males!”

I can’t see either Shuichi’s or Rantaro’s reactions to Tenko’s...unique ideas. I’m still sulking over Tenko’s shoulder as she turns to drag me off to the locker rooms, Himiko following and leaning over to make eye contact with me for a moment.

“You poor thing,” she sighs, straightening up as Tenko carries me off.

“It’s a good thing I am already wearing my swimsuit! I can just toss this off-” I hear Angie claim, followed by a sharp yell from Kiibo. “-and I’m all set! Yippie~!”

“D-Don’t just undress like that...even if you _ do _have your bathing suit already on underneath.” I hear Shuichi’s voice get further and further away until we’re in the locker room, Tenko setting me down so we can look through the swimsuit rack set out for our choosing by Kirumi.

Well, Himiko and Tenko look for swimsuits, the two eventually picking one pink bikini out for me that prompts me to go into hiding on top of the lockers when they’re distracted momentarily. Why? Because it’s a bikini Himiko and Tenko once saw me wearing in a magazine. In fact, it’s a bikini even _ I’ve _ seen before. Because it’s the same scanty one from the magazine Kokichi was rubbing in my face a few days ago.

Nevertheless, I have to wear something, so I pull on a different bikini- another pink one, but at least it covers my body a bit more...somewhat.

“She’s not in any of the lockers and I was guarding the exit the whole time…! Did she slip past me?” I hear Tenko muse to Himiko after searching.

“No. She’s on the lockers, look...I almost missed it, but-” I feel a gentle tug on a lock of my hair, making me squeak guiltily as I’m fished out and placed on my feet.

“Alright! Time to relax by the pool like celebrities _ with _a celebrity!” Tenko boldly declares, dragging me along despite my obvious desire to stay hidden in the locker rooms. Before I pass the doorway, I manage to grab a towel and throw it over myself protectively.

_ So I’m just here because Perfect Blitz is a celebrity _

And that’s how I end up sitting with my knees up to my chest and a pink towel wrapped around my body entirely, huddled on a long pool lounge chair with a steady flow of “no thank you”s from my mouth hidden just barely under the hem of my towel.

“Are you sure? It’s really no problem for me if you dislike anything here, Prairie,” Kirumi continues to bother me, though with Rantaro around, I simply continue hiding under my small towel and answer, “No, I’m okay. Thank you. I don’t need anything.”

“...Alright, Prairie. If you do happen to need anything, please let me know,” Kirumi eventually says with a resigned sigh, offering me a smile despite how miserable I appear.

It’s when Kirumi moves to tend to the other girls that I notice Rantaro leaving the pool area- likely to fetch more drinks considering he’s holding a pitcher. As soon as he’s gone, a weight lifts off my body, but only a little bit. After all, he’s going to be coming back with more drinks and fruit, so he won’t be gone for long.

_ Why is he here helping out anyways? Why is Shuichi here? Kirumi I get, she has her Ultimate Maid’s honor to uphold, but the other two is beyond me. Furthermore, why is Kiibo here? He isn’t even really doing anything…! _

“Prairie, can we speak together for a moment?” I look up to see Kiibo and Shuichi take a seat on the space of my pool chair I’m no extended out on, both offering me pleading eyes.

I glance to the side where Tenko is getting an enticing oil massage from Kirumi and eventually nod to the two boys, huddling closer to hear them better and keep our conversation private. Honestly, whatever they want to talk about has to be one hundred percent better than what we’re doing now. Celebrity or not, I don’t feel like one even now.

“What do you want to talk about?” I ask, towel still wrapped around my body tightly.

“About you and Rantaro,” Shuichi speaks first, immediately making my gut churn in distaste. “Before you say no and shoo us away, you need to know Rantaro is just about as miserable in this situation as you are. Trust me, I’ve been around him all day. He’s really down in the dumps.”

“Prairie, it’s only been a couple of hours since your fight- if you’re both like this now, I hate to imagine what that will be like tomorrow. Or after tomorrow. Or in a few days, mind you. You both obviously miss each other, but it’s baffling to see the two of you are making yourselves suffer like this. It’s irrational!” Kiibo says, making me turn my gaze away to pull at a loose thread on my towel.

“...It is pretty stupid, huh?” I agree, noting how small sparks of hope form in their eyes at my admittance. “Yeah. I do miss him, but it’s not that simple. We don’t agree on things and you know what? He doesn’t just hold me back. I hold _ him _back. When we’re together, I can’t do anything since he’s busy worrying about me. And not worried about anyone else, it seems…”

I look pointedly at Shuichi, watching him stiffen up like he thinks I’m going to yell at him.

“You think he would behave that way with me if I looked more like you, Shuichi? Or maybe you, Kiibo? Heck, you think if I looked like Kokichi, he’d still try putting a leash on me like he tries to now? It’s that double-standard that has us separated,” I explain before adding, “I won’t say he’s wrong about some of the things he’s said though. He’s right about a lot of things and I’m wrong about a lot of things...but he isn’t right about everything. Until we can come to a better understanding, we can’t go back to how it was. That’s just how it is.”

Kiibo and Shuichi share looks and sigh. When it comes down to it, they can’t force me to make up with Rantaro. Regardless of whether we’re miserable or not, we have to work it out ourselves- no one can do it for us, as well-meaning as their attempts may be.

“So there’s nothing we can do then, huh?” Kiibo asks, making me look his way and cock my head to the side.

“Sure there is.” Both he and Shuichi look back at me, making my lips quirk up in a small smile. “Just be there for Rantaro while I can’t.”

Shuichi picks at a thick thread on the pool chair absentmindedly, seeming a bit hesitant to say something in response until he seems to find his nerves. “We’ll try, but...it’s totally different when you’re in the equation. Prairie, remember when I told you before that he’s different when you aren’t around? Well, he’s even _ more _ different with this fight between you. He’s even more pessimistic and hopeless sounding than usual…”

_ Not my problem. _

That’s what I want to say, at least, but I lock my jaw so the words don’t fall out. It _ is _my problem. I don’t like hearing that I’m causing Rantaro to feel bad...but right now, I need space. I need to worry about my own psyche. It’s not healthy to be around Rantaro right now, not with these superimposed rules and limits he wants to slap on me.

To distract myself, I look back towards the other girls to see the person I kept rejecting assistance from, Kirumi, is now busy giving Tenko an oil massage. Considering I was all huddled up here for a good chunk of time, I’m finally interested in grabbing one of those fruit drinks at the snack table Rantaro made for us. After all, my conversation with Shuichi and Kiibo is over.

Turning to the boys still sitting on my chair, I can’t help but give them a cheeky smile as I get up and say, “Okay, boys. You can continue serving us. Besides, celebrities don’t share seats.”

Shuichi and Kiibo smile a little at that, but it’s not wholehearted. Clearly they’re still concerned about Rantaro and I, however I’ve said my part of the ordeal and I’ve ended the topic completely. Rantaro aren’t making up- at least not right now.

_ Still...I do feel a bit better knowing from Shuichi and Kiibo that Rantaro misses me as much as I miss him. Maybe he’ll feel better as well when the boys report back that I miss him too? _

_ ...God, it’s been a little over twelve hours, not twelve years. This is ridiculous! I shouldn’t miss him at all yet! Stupid Rantaro! _

Before I head on over to the table to get myself a drink, I finally remove my towel with a sigh and drop it back over my pool chair where I realize Shuichi and Kiibo are still seated. Seeing them, I gesture for them to get up and I wait till they snap out of their daze staring at me. I really, _ really _hope they didn’t go dumb right bow because of my bikini. I mean, Shuichi doesn’t seem like the type of guy though- and Kiibo’s a robot, so I don’t think he’d find anybody attractive in the first place, right? ‘Cause they have no need for a sex drive for reproducing?

Once they’re both off my chair, I turn to go get myself a drink, causing Himiko to make a noise of curiosity when I pass in front of her pool chair.

“Nyeh...? Why are you on your feet? Celebrities shouldn’t be getting their own drinks, should they?” Himiko asks, to which I answer, “I’m a sports celebrity, so that rule doesn’t apply to me.”

This seems to satisfy Himiko, who looks to be enjoying this little idea of Tenko’s

_ I guess it wasn’t so bad...even if Rantaro is around. _

I hear the sound of the pool doors opening again to signal the return of the aforementioned Rantaro just as I reach the table, eyeing the drinks. The strawberry lemonade looks really good…! There’s even strawberry chunks in it!

Reaching out to take that one, someone suddenly snatches it out of my reach before I can pick it up, leaving me to blink before I lift my head to look at the individual now chugging _ my _strawberry lemonade. When the culprit finishes the drink in front of me, she lets out a happy sigh and sets down the glass loudly.

“Ah! The strawberry lemonade is really the best, don’t you think, Blasphemer?” Angie inquires, innocently fluttering her eyes my way like she didn’t totally steal the drink I was clearly reaching for.

“...I wouldn’t know,” I comment so she knows I’m jabbing just a little at her for stealing my drink.

Not having realized Rantaro is back at the table with us until then, the simmering rage in my gut calms down almost immediately from making me go feral when he pushes a freshly made strawberry lemonade towards me from across the table.

Forget it being made by Rantaro. Forget that he’s probably only sliding it my way to appease “the vicious beast” as Angie put it earlier. Well, okay...I’ll just take a deep breath, pick up this new drink, and just let it go. This is fine, everything is peachy. I’m not a wild animal or a child, I can control my emotions.

I reach for the drink.

Once again, Angie swipes it up quickly and completely dows it, licking her lips once she’s finished guzzling it down in front of me again. At my long stare as I slowly train my gaze on her, she offers me another charming smile and cocks her head to the side curiously as she sets the empty glass back down.

Deep breaths. Careful, gentle, calming...deep breaths. My temper doesn’t control me, _ I _control it. That’s what Tenko said, and she’s right- so I’m going to refrain from physical violence...and explicitly foul attitudes. I’m not Perfect Blitz.

_ You can do this, just go for a different drink. Maybe this is Angie saying she wants all the strawberry lemonades for herself? Irrational and rude, but fine. I won’t fight her on it if _ ** _she_ ** _ wants to be the child here. _

I reach for a glass of kiwi strawberry, the bits of yummy kiwi chunks now calling my name. The thought of the flavor in my mind makes my mouth water a little, and I take a moment to appreciate it the closer my hand gets to my drink. Now that I think about it, Angie can keep her stupid strawberry lemonades. Kiwi is amazing, I can do with thi-

Angie snatches up the glass before I can close my hand around it, leaving me to blink again and then face her in shock when she downs the drink in front of me for the third time.

I should be a volcano at this point, raging to the point of flipping the table in front of us altogether. Angie has intentionally stolen three drinks I was clearly reaching for, there’s no denying that or pretending it’s somehow a misunderstanding. I ought to be past mere annoyance now, but instead, my anger suddenly dissipates and I feel myself relax as I study Angie curiously midst her downing of the entire glass of Kiwi strawberry.

_ ...Is Angie trying to make me angry? Why does she keep taking the drinks she sees me reaching for? _

Curious as I watch her finish up the drink, I reach for a glass of a pina colada (obviously non-alcoholic) and Angie snatches up what I’m reaching for a fourth time, allowing me to use the chance to snatch up the last kiwi strawberry drink and turn to leave the table without another word.

I don’t like coconut _ or _pineapple.

_There, finally_ _I got a drink! What’s her problem though? Why is Angie...so _**_weird_**_?_

I take a seat back at my designated pool chair and glance back at where Angie is, noticing her now speaking to Rantaro. He doesn’t look too happy despite that he’s respectfully listening and responding to her, but I can’t hear any specifics of their conversation since I’m too far away now. I’d like to imagine he’s getting on her case for trying to bother me, but I’m not the center of the universe. He could be upset for a whole ‘nother reason.

Shifting my gaze to the pool ahead, I simply hold my drink as I think about Angie’s actions from a different perspective than my own. She said she doesn’t like how people outside of this place idolize me and calls me a blasphemer for being famous...but so far, she’s both defended me at times and outright accused me- on top of small scale insults like this.

_ ….She’s a closet superfan of Perfect Blitz and willing to do anything to get her attention, regardless of whether it’s good attention or bad. _

My eyes snap open, as I hadn’t even realized I’d shut them while deep in thought. Crap, I was thinking so hard that I guess I activated my intuition since my eyes closed…! I can’t be doing that right now- I already went to some strain after Maki got me with the flashback light.

I reach up discreetly to rub under my nose and make sure I’m not bleeding, feeling a small breath of relief escape me when I see nothing out of the ordinary. But besides that though, back to the main issue at hand- as small as it is.

_ So Angie is a big fan of Perfect Blitz, but lies and tells everyone that she doesn’t like her at all...which in this case means me, of course. Why is she hiding it though? We had Miu and Kaede not hiding it at all. Not even Himiko, Tsumugi, or Kaito keep it a secret. _

_ ...I want to know more. _

Against my better judgement, I close my eyes again and let my intuition take charge again, making more processes and connecting the dots. 

_ Her religious beliefs deem it sinful to put anyone else before Atua. _

Aahh, so she doesn’t want to admit she likes an idol because it would go against the spiritual teachings she’s grown up with. Heck, it’s not like I’m asking her to sacrifice goats for me, I just don’t want to be insulted and called Perfect Blitz. If her reason for treating me badly is simply for attention she can’t receive without betraying her beliefs, we'll…I don’t have to play her games.

I move to take a drink of my glass, only for it to be suddenly snatched right out of my hand before I can take a single sip. When I look over my shoulder to the side, I see Angie down my drink. 

“So-”

I don’t even wait for her to continue, standing up and making a beeline for the locker rooms to change back into my clothes. Angie follows me to my annoyance, hovering around me as I tear off the stupid bikini I have on and quickly pull my clothes on.

“Whhooaa…! Perfect Blitz even has freckles _ there?” _She says so loudly that it echoes in the changing room, making my cheeks start to heat up in both embarrassment and rage. No way the others didn’t hear that with how loud she said it- but at least she didn’t say exactly where they were. Still, the imagination will be the imagination.

_ In a span of five minutes, she has inconvenienced me, stolen my drink, and verbally exposed me. If I didn’t hate her before, I sure hate her now...and I still want her to stop calling me that name. _

Once I’m dressed, I walk back out with Angie following my quick footsteps. Tenko and Kirumi seem to notice my attire at that point, making Tenko fumble to tie her bikini top on quickly as she sits up.

“Prairie, you’re leaving already? Where are you going?” I hear her ask, feeling a tad bit guilty I’m walking out of here early. Realistically though, I haven’t felt comfortable since before I walked in- mostly because Angie decided to tag along and because Rantaro ended up being here.

_ I just want to go to my room and be left alone. _

Angie catches my wrist in her hand before I’m halfway to the exit, making me jerk to a stop and turn to glance her way irritably.

“You should stay! Everyone worked hard to set this up for us, you know?” Angie chirps, only inciting my irritation more. Screw her and her weirdness. I don’t like that she likes Perfect Blitz, especially the _ way _she likes her. It’s confusing and she’s just going about it the wrong way entirely! “You wouldn’t want to make everyone that worked hard on this feel sad, would you, Blasphemer? Come back and sit with me!”

"...No, thank you. I don't want to be here or around you, so it's best I just leave," I say, desperately controlling my anger even though it feels like holding onto a rope with oil smeared on my hands. I want to snap- I want to scream, I want to rip my hair out, I want to rip _ her _hair out. 

"Eh? Why not? I thought Perfect Blitz liked being treated like a queen?" Angie speaks up as she releases my wrist from her iron grip, her hands pressing into her cheeks as she observes my features. "You don't like Angie?" 

_ Is she really using third person to try and make herself look cuter? That only works for Gonta, in my opinion. _

"...Please stop calling me Perfect Blitz. I don't care anymore if you call me a blasphemer, but the Perfect Blitz thing needs to end," I add, bypassing her initial queries since I want to get this out of the way first. 

"But you _ are _ Perfect Blitz!" She insists with a charming smile. If I wasn't so upset, maybe I would admit it was a sweet smile, but I shake my head. 

"No, I'm Prairie. Perfect Blitz is dead." 

For some reason, likely the way I've worded it, I feel a thick tension fall among us all by the pool. If I can't throw a tantrum and let out my frustration, my only other option is to open up about what I'm feeling and why I'm feeling it. I _ need _at least a little relief, and Tenko isn't in any state to take me to the gym and have a sparring session with me. Sparring would be the most ideal form of catharsis, but I have to make do with what I have right now. 

"I have amnesia. I don't remember my life as Perfect Blitz, and I don't remember what I did in that time. The moment I woke up here, I became someone else. So I'd appreciate it if Perfect Blitz would _ stay _dead. I don't want special treatment and I'm not your source of entertainment, I'm a person with my own feelings and identity even if the one I used to have is gone now. If you need attention from someone, how about you talk to Himiko? She seems to like you," I say as I turn to leave, adding in mutter under my breath, "For some reason…"

No one tries to stop me this time when I leave thankfully. When I step outside (for lack of a better word to describe the poor excuse for a fake outdoors), I pause and mentally evaluate my levels of stress. 

…Surprisingly, I don't feel so terrible. In fact, I think I feel better than I did when I was stressed and trying to break down the door to the Ultimate Pianist's lab. Maybe not as good as I would have felt if I sparred with Tenko, but it's something a lot better than getting so angry I lose all sense of reason. 

I let out a sigh and look around. It's already depicted to be sunset right now, so night's coming soon. 

_ Perfect Blitz isn't me anymore. I'm Prairie Marble now. _

_ As Prairie Marble, I'm going to do better- and I'm going to change the way **I** want to change. Not the way Rantaro wants me to change. _

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.6 - Someone Else's Face**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.8](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188924491135/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v8-v8)  

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> [Prairie Cosplay (NieR: Automata - 2B)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188938805655/string-theory-31-33-bonus-art-prairie)  

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> [Prairie Bikini (3.6 Bonus Art)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189120826425/does-not-like-bikinis-p-string-theory)  

> 
>   



	36. Tasting Despair

❀ **_3.7 - Tasting Despair_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I jolt up from my nap in a mild frantic state, only to freeze when I realize I'm in a dark room. Confused and a bit spooked, I blink in the darkness and eventually start to feel around, my fingertips and palms exploring a textile familiar to the velvety-satin sheets of my bed. Upon that discovery, I reach to the side where I'm sure my night table is blindly and pat around until I find my lamp to switch it on.

Well I'm in my room, that's for certain. Tucked in my bed and all by myself upon blinking around as I get used to the light illuminating my personal space. Thing is, I don't remember ever actually going back to my room at all. As far as I recall, I was reading some of the _ many _ murder mystery books littering the stupid library.

_ Maybe Tenko or Kirumi brought me back? Or...maybe…? _

I stomp down on my train of thought before I can begin to blindly get my hopes up. Ever since Shuichi and Kiibo approached me about Rantaro, I kept hoping in my gut that he'd come talk to me.

Of course he was a total no-show, no surprise there. Even if Shuichi and Kiibo told him about the fact I missed him too, he probably doesn't want to be the one trying to amend things. In _ his _ perspective, he most likely believes I'm _ entirely _ in the wrong. That I should listen to him and stop pushing Monokuma for answers.

Well, _ that's _definitely not happening. I may have to re-evaluate how I test Monokuma, but I'm not in any way, shape or form simply about to roll over for that evil bear. I can see I can't completely do it all on my own though...but how am I supposed to convince others to help me?

I stop petting my soft comforter and shake myself out of my thoughts. I don't know what time it is...the longer I'm without my stupid monopad I broke, the more I regret having broken it. Now I kinda wish I still had it to tell the time.

"Peek-a-boo!" A feminine voice yells right beside my ear enough to make me cringe and cry out as I lurch away clawing at my ear to stop the painful ringing. As I do, the small white and pink dual toned bear in my room jumps up and down on my bed giggling wildly.

"I've brought you a _ present, _Ugly!" Monophanie chirps, stepping closer so I end up scrambling off of the bed to get away from her. Is it another prank like the gum thing? See, it's better to be safe than sorry.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, I hear a groan and spin around to see Monokid in my room as well with a paw at his hip. He looks irate, like Monophanie has been bugging him as well before they arrived.

"No one asked you to be here, Monophanie!" He complains, giving her an aggravated growl. "Shouldn't you be helping Monodam and Monosuke with distributions?! You're _ bugging!" _

_ "Nooo…! _ I gotta make sure you aren't being tricked into conspiring with the enemy again! A little _ harlot _ like Ugly...the forbidden love between the two of you just _ can't go on! _ Why?" Monophanie feigns a swoon before straightening up and whipping something out from behind her, hurling it my way so it hits my forehead hard enough to get a squeal of surprise and fear out of me. It's just a small hair brush and it hurts, but I guess I'm not dead yet- which is always a good thing. "Because the idea of the two of you together makes me even more sick than imagining this demented little bitchlet touching _ my _Rantaro!"

_ "Her" Rantaro? She needs to get her codes looked at, I think she's getting worse. Monophanie isn't really obsessed with Rantaro, is she? _

"Just 'cause I LIKE her doesn't mean I wanna _ marry _her! Just shut your annoying mouth alread-!" Monokid tries to defend, until Monophanie "coo"s and tsks at him with a finger.

"Don't let _ Daddy _catch you saying that so wholeheartedly, big brother! You know what he'll do if he catches you~!" Monophanie teases, causing Monokid to growl and cross his arms moodily as he reluctantly allows the pink cancer the stage. "Now, now, Ugly...let's get down to business."

Monophanie yanks out something else from behind her, much larger than the mini hairbrush she threw at me. When I see what it is, I almost feel a sense of relief. The item is a monopad- one half white and the other actually half pink in Monophanie's colors, making me only grimace slightly. Besides the unfortunate color, at least I'll be able to tell the time again, right?

"Don't get your hopes up, Frog Lips!" Monophanie chirps, her words inciting a rush of defensive irritation. "Yes, _ Frog Lips~! _ Because your lips are yucky looking like a slimy frog in a dirty swamp-"

_ "Okay, I get it. _ You don't have to emphasize it, now what do you mean by, 'don't get my hopes up'?" I demand, a dry stare aimed at the pink bear. Somehow I feel like she's dragging this out just to annoy me more. I should be _ fast asleep _, couldn't she have waited till tomorrow to talk to me about whatever it is she's here for?

_ Furthermore, Monokid said the other two monokubs were handling 'distributions'...but of what? _

"This isn't a new monopad to replace your old one. You're not getting a new monopad like that other one at all, so enjoy your slow descent into madness as you constantly wonder what the time is and what the other students like or dislike! And if you forget a rule? Well, you're shit out of luck, Ugly! Tee-hee~! I hope an Exisal mauls you to death in our near future, and I hope the Exisal in question ends up being _ my _Exisal," Monophanie sweetly states, jittering where she stands in eager excitement at the thought.

"I hope an Exisal mauls _ her… _maybe not to death, but still," I hear Monokid, who has sneakily shuffled closer to me, mutter so only I can hear. I bite my lip to resist a smile of both amusement and relief.

_ He's not mad at me. I was worried about nothing this whole time about him blaming me for Monotaro, but he's still willing to talk to me. That's good, right? _

"Get to the monopad already, Monophanie, or Monokuma won't just be mad at _ me," _ Monokid says, and although the order irritates Monophanie by the look on her face, she evidently complies.

"So! Everyone is getting a kubs pad, but you're getting this _ special one! _ This is a Padphanie~! Just a little something to get your blood pumping!" Monophanie holds it out to me. "Keep your eyes peeled though! It's a self-destructing video and it will only play _ once. _Afterwards, it will delete itself right away, so look away at your own risk! The video wasn't originally meant for you, but Daddy figured since we don't have anything for a lousy afterthought like you, it'll have to do! It's about someone you care about, so that's nice, right? We're just so thoughtful~! Even towards you, Ugly!"

Blinking at her as she holds it out sweetly, I look at Monokid for his verdict, causing him to shuffle nervously.

"Sorry, I don't actually know what the video is. And for that matter, neither does _ she. _ Even if I did know, I wouldn't be able to tell ya," Monokid explains, looking down and fidgeting with some of his curly chest hair. Obviously, they're synthetic fibers, but still. What a strange design for a mechanical bear… "Monokuma picked out the videos himself, so I'm not sure what videos any kubs pad has."

Monophanie makes a sad noise, prompting us to both look her way when I pat Monokid's head to reassure him the best I can. Said bear with the coconut bra deflates a little, her attention glued to Monokid in particular.

"It's _ weird _ hearing you call Daddy by his name…" Monophanie whines, shivering. "Stop calling him by his birthname! He's _ Daddy _to us!"

"Wha- He _ ain't our dad! _ I'm not gonna pretend he's my father when he ain't! And you're not my sister either, as a matter of fact! We're all just hunks of metal and code in clown outfits- that's that! We serve a purpose and when we deviate from said purpose, _ Daddy Dearest _ throws us away like the garbage we are!" Monokid suddenly shouts, the color just underneath the fur of his face tinting red with anger. "Come see me when you're done dreamin'. You wanna play house? Fine, but don't expect _ me _ to be kissin' anyone's ass, let alone _ Monokuma's!" _

Monokid momentarily gives me a look of apology before turning and bounding out of the room quickly, closing the door behind himself and leaving Monophanie and I alone together.

_I hope he doesn't do anything rash, that was starting to sound very similar to how Monotaro sounded just before…_

"You see what you do?" I turn back to Monophanie, only to find her staring at me. She's not as bubbly as she was earlier, not smiling a sugar sweet smile of plastic like she normally does. Instead, she's even more robotic looking than ever before, as if devoid of all emotions. "If Monokid gets destroyed…"

My stomach drops at the red light that pierces through the white jagged eye on the left side of her face, brighter and redder than I've ever seen it get even on Monokuma.

_ "I will never forgive you." _

Monophanie, without another word, sets the tablet on my bed and then bounds out of my room. With an uneasy stare after her retreating form, I watch the door shut behind her and step over to lock up my room behind the two.

_ This is the first time I've seen the monokubs- other than "corrupted" Monokid and Monotaro (as Monokuma put it) respectively for one another- show they care about more than just their own synthetic skin. I know she just threatened me and isn't on my side at all, but heck...I will never forgive _ ** _myself_ ** _ if Monokid gets destroyed. At least we share that sentiment. _

Now that the two monokubs are gone, it's just me...and that "padphanie". God, even just saying the name of it in my head still sounds really stupid. I'm calling it a pink kubz pad for ease, I don't care.

Walking over to the tablet on my bed, I lean over it and peer down at the glossy screen, pristine and not smudged with any fingerprint marks or the like. So this thing supposedly will play one video once about someone I apparently care about and then the file will delete itself forever...they didn't mention it was a motive or anything, but considering Monokuma set this up and the fact the others are apparently getting the real kubz pads with something else on theirs, well...what else could it be?

Maybe I ought to watch it with someone else...or even _ everyone _ else for that matter. I mean, if we all have the knowledge on whatever Monokuma has decided to show me that isn't "meant for me" it might also be useful to the others, right? After all, they never said _ don't _share it.

_ Or what if it has nothing important or helpful at all and only serves to embarrass me? Or even worse, what if it ends up becoming an incentive to kill and Monokuma appears after I've gotten the others to watch it with me to say, "aaaand that's the real motive this time! Nice going, Miss Marble, thank you for distributing it properly- happy killing~!" _

I shake the awful thought out of my mind and look back at the tablet dubiously, picking it up carefully without hitting the buttons or the screen. Last thing I wanna do is make it start playing before I've made a decision.

_ Well...I already have the most knowledge about the killing game out of everyone here. No difference and it's safer of only I know- since I'm confident there's nothing Monokuma can show me that will get me to resort to murder. I don't want to hurt anyone- in any way whatsoever. _

_My amnesia gives me no personal ties since I can't remember anyone I supposedly care about, so if this has the potential to upset someone, it won't be me since I'll essentially be looking at a stranger...right?_

I swallow thickly and take a seat on my bed, relenting and pressing the power button. I've got this. I know where I stand.

The screen flashes on and I squeak a little with regret until I see white text begin to appear on the black screen.

** _<PLAY VIDEO?>_ **

Hyping myself up and getting on my feet to pace, I take my second chance in waiting to ask myself one more time if I want to watch this alone or if I want someone to join me. Who could I bring the tablet to? Who is someone that could help and that I trust?

As much as I like Tenko...I'm not sure if she'd be the most helpful. Sure, she may give good insight, but I need a _ problem solver, _like me.

...I'd take it to Rantaro, but I'm not talking to him still, so it'd be a bit awkward.

_ Dumb! Are you really gonna let "awkwardness" and your fight cloud your judgement? Teen drama- get over it! _

But Rantaro might take this as me forfeiting if I go to him. If I spill anything to him right now, we'll be dancing the same tango again. Getting each other's way, Rantaro insisting I not fight, me back sassing him and continuing my attitude driven aggression towards others....no, I can't go to Rantaro. It would be a _ detriment. _

Another problem solver...well, certainly not Kokichi. While I can attest to the fact he's a smart one, he would _ never _let me into his head. Not to mention I don't know how he would use the information- other than that he's a ticking time bomb for trouble most of the time.

Well then...how about Shuichi?

...He's smart- he's the Ultimate _ Detective _and he's...decent to be around, I guess. When he's not calling me moe and stuff, at least...or staring at me in a bikini.

I pick up my tablet and leave my room, closing my door quietly behind me and tiptoeing to Shuichi's dorm room quietly. I'm in my "indecent" pajamas again, but who cares. I don't have time to change, I wanna watch this now.

_ Doesn't seem like the Monokubs are around anymore, so that's good...the sooner I get this done, the less time someone will pop up and demand I stop the video or something. I just hope this is more on the helpful side and less on the embarrassing side. _

_ ...Then again, if this video isn't originally meant for me, it shouldn't be anything personal. I think I'm safe on that end of things...yeah. If it was potentially embarrassing though, I could always just scare Shuichi to never open his mouth about it. He'd definitely listen~ _

I ring the buzzer to his door and wait. There's no answer at first, probably because he's sleeping, but after a second ring I hear some shuffling from inside.

He opens the door still with his eyes closed and I take my chance, barreling straight into him so his gold eyes snap open upon my more or less forced entry. He sputters when he sees it's me, flailing a little as I close and lock his door behind us and grab his hand to drag him to his bed. He's panicking and stammering to get a cohesive sentence out until I sit him down beside me and hold the pink kubz pad between us.

"P-Prair-?!" Shuichi finally gets half of my name out, but I shush him.

"Shut up and watch, Shuichi. The video apparently will only play once and then the file will delete itself. I don't know if it's going to be useful, but I'm betting my money on the fact it's a one-show deal that it is. If it isn't...well who cares for now. I'm gonna play it, so let's save any thoughts till after it's done," I say, looking to Shuichi's stunned and somewhat drowsy face before noticing something and frowning. "You sleep in your ultimate outfit?"

"E-Eh? I mean...this is all they gave me…" Shuichi comments sheepishly, making me look down at my small pajamas. Does Monokuma also hate Shuichi for some reason…?

I look back at Shuichi for confirmation on watching the video, only to notice one of his eyes looks more open than the other. Man, I really dragged him out of bed, huh?

"Sorry, Monophanie woke me up to give this to me personally and I don't want to wait too long to watch it. I'm scared it'll maybe delete itself if I don't watch it soon," I explain with a sympathetic smile, watching Shuichi slap his hands lightly on his cheeks to wake himself up now that I'm not on overdrive trying to get him to watch it.

"No, no...it's fine. I'm awake and I get it. Besides, it's only-" Shuichi reaches for the monopad on his night table, turning it on just as I see it's not the black and white monopad I've gotten used to the others walking around with. This one has a paint splatter design all over it's back, but before I can say anything, the tablet turns on.

"Hey, that's-" I start to try and tell him, before a familiar annoying voice cuts through my words and Shuichi makes a noise of surprise before falling silent.

_ "Nooow then, back by popular demand, it's time to show another 'motive video'. Who, oh who, could be _ ** _your_ ** _ 'most important loved ones', I wooonder? Let's begin, let's begiiin!" _

"Wha- Kaito?" Shuichi questions, prompting me to set my tablet aside and grab the side of the kubz pad playing in his hand. Once I've scooched closer to him and have angled it where we can both watch it clearly, we fall silent. Shuichi is notably jittery and I can guess why, but I choose to ignore it since there are more important things to be concerned about.

_ "The Ultimate Astronaut, Kaito Momota...having been accepted for astronaut training at an incredibly young age, truly, he's someone who can be considered an extraordinary young man of exceptional talent." _

...So the monokubs gave Shuichi this tablet of Kaito- a tablet supposedly showing a person the receiver cares about? But...Shuichi and Kaito haven't exactly talked much here, I've mostly seen Shuichi hovering around Rantaro, actually. Also, why is the picture here one of Kaito smiling with...I guess his grandparents? 

Maybe it's too early for speculation. I'll just keep watching for now.

_ "Right now, our team is bringing you an interview with this young man's grandparents." _

Ah, I'm right on the mark. Grandparents...they look cute all together. I wonder what my grandparents are like…

_ If you still _ ** _have_ ** _ grandparents. _

I shut my brain up.

_ "The two of them are very worried over Kaito's disappearance, and wish from the bottom of their hearts for him to stay alive. Well then, let's listen to them in person, shall we?" _

The image cuts to a video feed, making Shuichi and I pull the tablet closer to us curiously. The one who speaks up first out of the two visibly distraught elders is Kaito's grandfather, causing a pit of pain to form in my thorax. A reminder that some of us have loved ones out there concerned and worried for our well beings.

_ "Kaito...I don't want for much. Just as long as you keep living, that's fine with me…" _

_ "You definitely can't give up. No matter what happens...just stay alive. Please...four our sakes as well, keep living," _Kaito's grandmother earnestly urges, her expression and the way she reaches for her husband's hand pulls at my heartstrings. Just before I can completely be overcome by emotions of sympathy, Monokuma returns to snap me out of it and the video in the backdrop pauses.

_ "The two of them have only one wish...and that's for Kaito to keep living. Weeell then, I wonder if Kaito can actually fulfil his grandparent's dearest wish? Oh, right, right. Before I forget to mention it…" _

Alarm bells start to go off in my head for some reason. Maybe it's because the video is suspicious and the fact that it seems too "chummy" so far. Maybe it's because I know Monokuma likes to play with the heart. Never the less, I keep my gaze glued to the screen.

_ "Sometime after this interview, those two old bags seemed to have met with an unbearable outcome of some sort, but...what happened to them is a secret. Puhuhu~! Please do try and check what it was with your own two eyes, okay?" _

My lip pulls up inn a snarl.

"Piece of crap bear," I snap as soon as the video presumably ends, although Shuichi seems to be reeling as well considering his lack of a reaction to a flash of my aggression.

"W-What the hell _ is _ this…? He said it was a 'motive video' in the beginning, but even if that's the case...why would they leave _ Kaito's _motive in my room?" Shuichi frowns and stands up, looking around. "Maybe mine's somewhere here? And they accidentally just dropped Kaito's as well on accident?"

I stand up and we go around his dorm room in search, but a few minutes later it seems the search produces nothing. The only tablets in here are Kaito's motive video, my own pink kubz pad, and Shuichi's plain monopad.

"That's weird...but never mind that! We should go tell Kaito! If something bad happened to his-" Shuichi starts, making a beeline for the exit to the room.

I gasp at that, whirling around and making a dash to slide between him and the door immediately.

"Absolutely _ not! _ Shuichi. You're _ kidding, _ right? What part of the word 'motive' did your peanut sized brain fail to comprehend?" I ask, causing Shuichi to jump and freeze before he can crash into me. At my quip, he has the audacity to look confused, and I promptly slap my hand against my face. "Okay, let's say you show this video to Kaito. Now he knows his grandparents are out there, waiting for news on whether he's alive or not. Begging him to _ live. _ Does that sound like something you want him hanging over his head?"

"H-He deserves to know, Prairie. This is a personal message meant for _ Kaito's _eyes and ears, not ours. We shouldn't decide whether he gets to see this or not."

"Shuichi, let me reiterate what I said before with a little more clarification. _ Begging _ Kaito to live. _ No matter what. _ What will that translate to in this killing game, where the presumed only way to ensure your own survival is _ murdering your comrades?" _I emphasize, finally calming Shuichi down enough to see him deflate and look away with a contemplative expression.

"...Well, I guess when you put it that way…" Shuichi takes a few steps back and sits on his bed again, allowing me to relax and take a seat beside him. "I...hope his grandparents are okay."

"Me too," I sigh. "Monokuma sure knows how to make people feel even worse than they already are."

I give Shuichi a moment of silence to think and then turn to pick up the pink kubz pad I originally came in with, nudging Shuichi gently so he looks at it. He sighs and sits straighter, looking up at me.

"Before we get to that, could I ask why you decided to come to me with your video? I mean...if this is your motive video, are you sure you want me watching something potentially personal?"

"I'd rather risk you watching something embarrassing than risk you missing something important to our situation," I answer, this time mildly surprised when Shuichi then counters with, "Alright then, but why _ me? _You could have gone to anyone here. Rantaro, Kaito, Tenko, Kirumi…"

"Well you're the Ultimate Detective for one- and also I already went through my mental list of potential options. Not counting you being the Ultimate Detective, you're the only other problem solver around here that I can confidently say I..._ kinda _trust," I comment, prompting Shuichi's face to fall a little.

"Don't rely too much on my detective skills, I was only ever an apprentice to the real deal," he laments, to which I slap his back hard with a grin as he jerks forward and eyes me in shock. Oh please, I barely tapped him.

"Okay, 'detective apprentice', we'll take what we can get. A detective apprentice is better than nothing, especially if he's deluded with modesty and ends up a prodigy of sorts," I point out, ignoring Shuichi's visible dubiousness at my claims. "You ready then? By the way, if it ends up being nothing and just embarrassing stuff, I hope you know to shut your mouth about it. Or...well, you know. I'm not gonna kill you, but I _ will _be happy to beat the crap out of you. Just so we're clear, okay?"

Shuichi has the sense to give me a look bordering anxiety and resignation as he nods, evidently allowing me to hit the play button on the video. The screen goes into loading mode before-

"Eh?" I squeak when _ Rantaro _ of all people appears on the screen, causing Shuichi to also react and stab the pause button suddenly. Not counting our surprise we can pause, I look his way so we're mirroring the same expression of confusion at this discovery.

"D-Did you maybe get Rantaro's video?" He questions before frowning in thought. "Then again, this video isn't starting up the same as Kaito's...there's no title card and Monokuma isn't starting it up with a narration…"

"Monophanie gave it to me saying I was getting something _ different _ because it's not originally meant for me. Apparently Monokuma doesn't have a video like _ that _for me because I'm just an afterthought," I state, pointing at Kaito's motive video and then glancing back down.

_ Now that I'm thinking about it...if I'm such a superstar and everything, why wouldn't Monokuma be able to make me a motive video of the same sorts as Kaito's? Wouldn't it be relatively easy to find my most loved ones related to me? Or...do I not have any? _

"Alright, no more pauses, I don't want a bear to jump in and stop me from watching the video with you. They haven't said this is against the rules yet, so I'm gonna take advantage of that."

I press the play button and continue the video, internally cringing when he opens his mouth and makes my stomach flip at the sound of his horrible deep velvety voice. I hate it. I hate his parents and their genetics.

_ "Hey, what's up. I guess I don't need to tell you what my name is, do I?" _

Rantaro pauses, giving me a moment to wonder who the video is originally intended for. Someone in our ranks? Someone _ outside _the killing game?

_ "You probably don't know what's going on, looking at me right now. Maybe I should start explaining from there…" _

"It's so direct compared to Kaito's…" I hear Shuichi mutter to himself, his gold eyes quietly flicking all around the screen to gather evidence as I peek at him from the corner of my eye. He may totally underestimate his skills as a detective, but as far as I'm concerned, he's the better of every option I considered.

Before I can zone out again, I focus on the video so I don't miss anything.

_ "The one who's recording this video is none other than you yourself. The reason why you don't have any memory of recording this video is because you've lost the memory of that time. Basically, this is a video of Rantaro Amami before he has lost his memory _ ** _for_ ** _ the Rantaro Amami who has lost his memory." _

What? Monokuma has something like _ this _lying around? Do all of us have one, or-

_ "Now for the main point of why I'm recording this video...There are many special perks specifically for me to participate in this killing game." _

"To 'participate'?" I echo under my own breath, feeling my stomach begin to sink. I don't like where this is going. Why would he use that word: _ 'participate'? _That term gives the connotation he willingly…

I don't like what I'm hearing, but maybe he doesn't mean it the way I'm thinking it. It could just be dry sarcasm I'm not detecting, right? Could I rewind to hear it?

Just to see if I can, I try to rewind and a small bubble appears at the bottom as the video continues, reading in small text, _ "forbidden action". _ I guess it was worth a shot, but…

_ "One special perk is being able to record this video message," _ Rantaro says, the screen twitching in a way that seems to make Shuichi let out a small noise of interest. I ignore him, completely engrossed in the video. _ "And you can't share this video with your comrades. If that comrade were to be expelled by Monokuma, this is the reason." _

Expelled...something tells me the Ultimate Academy's version of "expelled" is a lot bloodier than other academies.

_ "And by the way, the other perk is...something you'll have had as soon as the killing game begins. You've probably guessed already, haven't you? Since the killing game began, you've had a certain something." _

...The second monopad I saw him having in the library. The one I decided not to question him about. 

_ "Well, other than having those two perks, we're just the same as all of the others." _

…

_ "That's how it is." _

"Prairie, you're seeing that, right?" Shuichi asks, voice sounding a bit urgent.

"Seeing what?" I ask dismissively, honestly not really listening to him because my fingers are stiff and my hands feel a bit clammy at this point. Why? Why 'participate'? No matter how hard I try to shake it from my mind, I can't stop thinking about Rantaro's words and demeanor. He looks so calm about it...why?

_ "...Oh, that's right. I have one more thing to tell you." _

No more. Stop talking. Please just _ shut up. _ So you have perks- I don't want to know what you did to be rewarded them from Danganronpa. This isn't something I want to know _ at all. _

And yet, despite my thoughts, I can't bring myself to press pause. The video continues to play

_ "Actually…" _

"You see?" Shuichi tries again, but I ignore him entirely this time. "Prairie…?"

I should have hit pause. I should have dropped the stupid tablet and covered my ears. I should have left.

_ "This isn't the first killing game you've participated in." _

_ "I survived the last killing game and became the Ultimate Survivor." _

_ "That is the perk I've been given. The perk of survival." _

_ "This is the killing game you wished for. That's why...you need to win, no matter what." _

_ "...No matter what." _

** _No matter what._ **

"Prairie-" I shove the pink and white tablet in Shuichi's arms and stand up- my face hot and my eyes erupting in tears that feel like they're boiling. The sensation stings my eyes, but it's nothing like the pain of watching that video of Rantaro.

_ He got me. Monokuma knows what he's doing. Years of studying people from hosting killing games I suppose, but he did it. He got me. _

I thought I might have been safe since I have amnesia. What a stupid freaking assumption. Like Monokuma didn't have some sort of solution for that situation.

_ "Prairie! _Wait, calm down-!" Shuichi tries to stop me, reaching out to catch my wrist. I snatch my arm out of his hold and throw open his room door.

"Don't tell me to calm down! You saw what we just watched and you think I can just sit down and be okay with that? With what that's supposed to mean?" I snap, whirling on him outside of doorway. For once, I'm too angry and emotional to hide the fact I'm upset, and seeing Shuichi's eyes flash with sympathy only serves to enrage me further. _ "Stop looking at me like that." _

"B-But you don't understand! _ Prairie!" _ Shuichi carelessly swings his room door shut to chase after me when I start heading towards the exit of the dormitory building.

"Owaaa, what's the ruckus out here…?" I hear an annoying voice pipe up from the second floor. "Who lit Mousey-mouse on fire?"

"A-At this ludicrous hour? I thought humans slept through the nigh-"

"Don't understand freaking _ what, _ Shuichi?! Like I'm not capable of putting two and two together when something's presented to me? Am I too _ 'moe' _to figure things out for my fragile self?!" I demand furiously, turning back and slapping his hand away viciously before he can grab me.

"No! Prairie, I didn't mean that bef- well, it wasn't meant to upset you-! Please stop trying to leave! I can explain what you saw!" Shuichi begs, following me out of the building but not before I see Angie, Tsumugi, Korekiyo and Kaito also peer out from their respective rooms. "If you just listen, it will all make sense."

I'm already out of the building, storming on ahead as Shuichi tries to catch up.

"What about it _ doesn't _make sense? It makes perfect sense to me, what is it about he words he used that could possibly be misconstrued or misinterpreted?! I don't want to hear anymore!" I bark over my shoulder.

"Prairie, it's been _ edited! _ Cuts were made in the video, you can't let it get to you before you have all the answers, that's what Monokuma wants-!"

"I DON'T CARE! I know I don't have all the answers and maybe the video is cut and I _ know _ Monokuma wants to just get to me- that doesn't change what _ he _ said and how I _ fucking feel!" _ I practically feel my lungs straining as I turn to yell at him, shoving Shuichi back a few steps to keep storming off to the school building. "Just leave me alone!"

"Oh my god, she used the 'F' word…" Tsumugi comments from afar, the chatter easily audible because she and the previously awakened party are following after us closely.

"What's going on? Why is Prairie upset?" I hear Kaito asks as we enter the school. When I turn around, I let out a groan of frustration at the sight of all of them following me in.

"Nothing- ah, I'll explain later! Monokuma is trying to get to her, and-" Shuichi tries to give the short version to Kaito and the others.

"If you wanna talk about me like I'm not here, do it somewhere else!" I shout, rubbing a hand over my warm face to wipe some of the onslaught of tears rushing down my face. Stupid Rantaro...now I wish I woke up to freaking _ Kokichi _in the beginning. Maybe I wouldn't have attached myself to him so much if he hadn't been the first face I woke up to.

_ Stupid, you're the one that let yourself trust him so easily just because he gave you a couple smiles and cuddled you a little. _

"Atua is telling me...Monokuma has definitely gotten to her!" Angie comments, stating the obvious and pointing at me. "Her face is all blotchy and red!"

I make a horrible noise, one that's a cross between a sob and a growl that doesn't sound like the kind of noise that should be coming out of a human being. With it, I turn to escape the crowd and walk into the first door I see, that being the monomachine prize room. The first one to follow me in is Kokichi, who coos and starts to approach me.

Seeing his intentions, I growl at him and try to swat him away, but he follows me over the counter to the student store and manages to snap his arms around me so my arms are pinned to my sides.

"There, there, what did that awful Monokuma tell you to hurt you? It's okay, tell Supreme Leader everything, I have connections to scary people that can right all wrongs~" Kokichi says with a coaxing voice, though I can hear a bit of mockery in his words- because of _ course. _

"Stop _ mocking me! _Mind your own business! I don't need your belittling snide remarks or anything right now!" I snap, wriggling violently out of his hug and whiping more burning hot tears from my eyes.

"I must say, I've never seen anyone as emotionally unstable as Prairie Marble...It's incredible just how unhinged she can be at times," I hear Korekiyo state thoughtfully before he turns to look at the robot beside him. "Kiibo, didn't you mention earlier that you suspected she was improving in her regulation of emotions?"

"I-I mean, yes, I thought so," Kiibo looks a little embarrassed, looking at me and studying my 'blotchy' (as Angie kindly put it) features when I try to dry my tears and only succeed in creating more paths for new tears to travel. "She _ was _doing better…"

"Guys, I suggest we just step aside and do what she wants. We can talk to her when she's got her bearings, flocking her clearly only upsets her more," Kaito urges the others as I notice Kokichi fidgeting with the monomachine beside us.

_ Why would Rantaro willingly participate in a killing game? Does that mean he's the mastermind? Is that essentially the whole of his survival perk? Did Monokuma give me the video because he thinks I'll be incapable of outing Rantaro to the other's because of my attachment to him? Or is it a red herring to make me betray Rantaro and he's simply… _

_ No, he's not "simply" a red herring. He meant what he said in that stupid video. He participated in the killing game and he has participated in a previous killing game before. Maybe he was lying when we were all talking about being shoved in the back of Danganronpa vans in the gym during the first reset. _

But he lost his memories of that, right? Which means, this Rantaro isn't the same as the old one?

_ But he could have survived the last killing game by _ ** _murdering someone._ ** _ "Until two people are left" are the rules- and it's just Rantaro here, so we can't be sure. I could have been getting cozy with a murderer. _

If you're not Perfect Blitz anymore because you've lost your memories during your time as her, how can you not hold Rantaro to that same standard? What if he's not the same as the Rantaro of the previous killing game?

_ That's different, I'm not a _ ** _murderer._ **

It's not for sure that Rantaro is a murderer either. The second survivor could have called it quits and was allowed to go home.

_ Why is everything so complicated? Why is it so hard? I hate thinking about all this! I wish I hadn't watched that stupid motive video! _

Kokichi taps my arm and I snap out of my dark thoughts enough to look his way, having to wipe my tears just so I can see him clearly. He's holding out a can of something that's already been cracked open. He must have tasted it first just now.

"Non-alcoholic Drink of Immortality? I mean, it kinda sucks, buuut...it's something~" he offers, a casual smile on his face as I search for some sort of sign that he's being genuine in his efforts. I can't tell...and it makes me hesitant to take the drink from him. What if it turns out he's got dark secrets of his own he forgot? Just like Rantaro?

What if I end up hurting again?

"Oh, oh? What's the commotion here so early-"

Monokuma's voice blinds me.

I snatch the can out of Kokichi's hand and hurl it towards Monokuma with all the force I can possibly muster in my arm.

When Monokuma expertly dodges the throw and I see where I've thrown the can, my hands fly up to my mouth with a gasp.

I should have thought it was suspicious to hear Monokuma higher off the ground than usual. Maybe I could have used my intuition to ensure it hit Monokuma, but in reality I shouldn't have thrown that can Kokichi was giving me in the first place.

A yelp flies out of Angie as the can hits her dead on with a hard sound, causing Kiibo, Kaito, and Shuichi to all audibly panic while the girl stumbles back and lands on the floor with a whine that only serves to make _ me _panic even more.

Monokuma, who'd jumped off of her shoulder, looks to me and 'tsks'.

"You shouldn't _ throw _things, Miss Marble! Especially heavy cans like that- you could really hurt somebody," Monokuma casually comments as I leap over the counter and rush past him with the others to check on Angie.

"Oh my god-" I yelp, drying my eyes to see her better as Kaito sits her up a bit to examine her head. Angie is tearing up a little and there's a nasty bruise beginning to form a bit to the left of her face- hinting at the grim reality that I could have hit her in the eye and this could have been _ much worse. _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Of course you didn't, that's the PROBLEM. This is _ serious! _There's anger issues, but this? This is on a whole 'nother level!" Kaito actually has the bravery to object first, making me look up at him. He's angry, that's for sure. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, Prairie, believe me, but you need to learn to control yourself!"

"He's right! Your hate for Monokuma...we get it, but you're letting yourself become swallowed up by it! You act as if we aren't even _ here _ when he's around, what about that is ordinary? How can I, not even a human, manage to see that when _ you _can't?!" Kiibo scolds me.

"You were doing so good earlier, Prairie...you just need to work harder…" Tsumugi also adds, looking away from me. She can't even look me in the eye admitting it.

I can see what I've done. No one needs to say it. 

Even if I am well meaning, my uncontrollable behavior makes me dangerous.

I don't know when, but they all start to leave wordlessly. Kaito has to carry Angie because she's unstable on her feet from the head trauma. Not even Kokichi or Korekiyo are willing to stay back.

Shuichi kneels down beside me for a moment and puts a hand on mine where it is on the floor.

"Don't worry, Prairie. You can do this," he murmurs before standing and following the others out. 

After a few minutes, I find myself left alone in the student store.

Now what do I do?

…

I'm ashamed. I feel like everyone has shoved knives into my heart- but I don't blame them for being angry and upset. If anything, I'm angrier at myself than even they are, and it feels like I'm on a merry-go-round of negative emotions with no way out. I can't find relief in any corner, and the throbbing in my chest has this unbearable weight that keeps me rooted to the floor.

"I guess you're not Perfect Blitz after all, huh Miss Marble? You're your own unique and messed up individual! Puhuhu~! I did say I'd eventually break you, didn't I? Hey, so that feeling...what you're feeling now. It's called _ despair. _ It's a wonderful thing to see on other people's faces. You wear it good!" 

Monokuma is still here. That's all I'm left with? Despair?

"I mean, I didn't think it'd be this easy though, but I guess considering all the planning it took and your special situation, it only makes sense. Everyone has something to go back to when they leave the killing game. Family, friends, their careers, maybe a pet or something that shits like that. Your only goal is to get them out, but then what? They'll all go their own way and you'll be left alone with strangers all over again. That's what you're fighting for, Miss Marble. Maybe consider kicking back and relaxing instead! Enjoy your time here, murders and mysteries abound~!"

With that, Monokuma moves to walk out, oddly slower than usual- like he's waiting for me to stop him or something. Whether they're questions of myself, the killing game or the pink kubz pad with Rantaro on it…

I don't have any. I can't bring up the motivation or drive to ask about any more.

I'm not sure I can take any more of this. This has been a mess since the very beginning. Since I first woke up to this place, nothing has gone the way I wanted it to. Whenever I fight, I get everyone upset. When I try and do nothing, my attitude sets off on every little thing and I still get everyone upset. Do I just exist to upset people? Or is my existence just that offensive in general?

"Wow, I guess it really _ was _ that easy! Hm, well...that was anticlimactic! I want my money back! You're just as boring as everyone else," Monokuma groans, turning away from the hall as he reaches the doorway out of the student store. "Don't tell me _ this _is really it!"

Monokuma? Giving me attitude for not being exciting enough? This whole time...I guess the only thing I've done is be a nice toy for him to kick around. Maybe I was right about there never being any "progress". There was just a fake breadcrumb trail to make me feel like I was achieving something…

_ I could still try the tunnel...couldn't I? _

"...for the tunnel...if I make it through, we can all leave this place, right? Not just me, but everyone here?" I manage to ask, my voice weak and broken.

"Yeah! 'Official Killing Game Players' that make it to the end can leave along with their friends!" Monokuma confirms, clapping his paws together. "Are you interested in the challenge? Then good luck! With your..._ advantage, _who knows? Maybe you'll be the one to make it to the end!"

He bounds out of the store and with that sliver of hope, I manage to get back up on my feet. My movements feel stiff and heavy like I've been sitting for way too long, but step by step I bring myself to move even though I have this gut feeling. The way Monokuma worded "Official Killing Game Players'...he's probably playing me again. Giving me false hope so he can pour salt into my wounds and drag me deeper into despair.

But I can't help but follow the glimmer of light in the darkness, because it's so much better than facing the alternative. Like that day I chose to sit in the locker than face the struggle of meeting my comrades for the first time again- knowing what awaited us in this killing game- I look away like a coward.

I make my way around the school in total silence, considering there's no one around to speak to anyhow. When I reach the boiler room where the manhole is, I struggle to drag it open on my own, only managing to open it slightly before it becomes too much of a strain. There's barely enough room to wiggle down carefully onto the ladder, but I manage.

When my bare feet meet the cement at the bottom, I pause and stare at the ladder. I rest my forehead against the cool metal and take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever is to come in my endeavors.

Once I'm able, I push away from the ladder and turn to follow the glimmer of hope Monokuma dangles before me, only to push past the gated door and feeling my stomach flip when I see what's ahead of me in this obstacle course. No part of me thought it would be easy, but whatever I was expecting...it wasn't this.

Grenades, flamethrowers, moving platforms and bombs-

_ This place is a death trap…! Kaede and the others really tried going through this together? _

I draw from what little motivation I have in my gut and start walking after I stand there for a moment and study what's in my immediate future.

Imagine my surprise when my first step results in the floor giving away under me, causing me to land in a vat of liquid before I've even managed to actually make the challenge. Booby traps just like Kaede said there would be...I guess if I plan to use my intuition to get through this, I'll potentially need to know every path and trap in this terrible place. 

It's not a comforting thought. It seems impossible.

I black out for only a little bit (I think) and come to at the beginning of the tunnel, just where the ladder happens to be. How did I get back here? Well, never mind that, I'm soaked from head to toe now and all I did was take _ one step. _

_ Well...I guess nothing else to do but keep trying. _

So I do.

I go in twice. Three times. 

I go in ten times and then I lose count.

It isn't that I just keep finding new traps though, I keep falling for the same traps constantly, and every time I wake up in the beginning and stumble to my feet to go in again. At some point, and I don't know when, I wonder why I'm bothering to chase fake hope. It's not like I expect something to be there. Maybe I just want to do this to feel like I can do _ something _in here without messing up.

So once I reach my limit, I stop and look down. Burns, scrapes and bruises old and new cover my skin under my wet and cold pajamas.

_ ...Doubtful that I'll reach the end. I don't think even my intuition can keep up with this. Why bother trying it? _

When I glance around the part of the tunnel I'm in, a new area I've only recently been able to reach with my skill set, I decide this is my limit.

I sit down on a part of the ground and look at the purple and blue lights littering the area, watching the bombs ahead of the tricky hanging platforms going off in the distance by the next gate that once beckoned me onward.

I'm tired. Not just physically, but mentally. I don't want to do any more.

On the other hand, I don't think anyone will find me while I'm in here, so guess in the end I got what I asked for.

I get to be alone.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 3.7 - Tasting Despair_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

> 
>   

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.9](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188939295555/string-theory-drv3-fanfic-cover-v9-v9)  

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> 
> [Prairie Bikini (3.6 Bonus Art)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189120826425/does-not-like-bikinis-p-string-theory)
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> 
> [Prairie Character Wiki](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189165230060/character-wiki)
> 
>   



	37. Capricious Emotions

**_❀ 3.8 - Capricious Emotions_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

It becomes painfully apparent once I've sat in one place that there's not much to do down in the middle of the tunnel, save for progressing which I don't want to do. My only other option is basically to roll around on the ground and do nothing else...except sleep.

"Prairie!"

A voice cuts through my attempts to sleep, making me blink open my dry eyes from my constant mood swings between bitterness with myself and plain exhaustion. When I see Monokid beside me, I'm a little surprised. For a second I look around almost expecting to find myself in my room all over again, but when I see the violet lights of the familiar tunnel, my nerves relax and I stare off towards the gate ahead.

I'm not thinking about anything in particular, so after another attempt at getting my attention, Monokid is successful.

"Prairie, aren't ya tired? I can take you back to your room if ya want! You don't have to stay down here if you don't want to, I know it's cold and stuff and there ain't blankets or pillows around...so whadda ya say?" Monokid offers, stepping to my side to hug onto my arm.

"...It's okay. I just want to stay here for a little longer," I murmur, before feeling something be tossed over my head and back from behind. Almost instantly, the cold is blocked out and I hear Monokid click in slight vexation.

"Monodam, I didn't say to do that yet," Monokid comments as he pulls the blanket back just enough so he can wrap it around me properly. "We can wait till you're ready."

He takes a seat at my side, and to my surprise Monodam wiggles under the blanket to get to my other side, hugging my other arm hesitantly before robotically sitting down like he's unsure of his actions. Did he come of his own volition, or did Monokid drag him down here? Well, I guess it doesn't matter.

...The blanket is nice and warm though, even if I am still a bit damp from falling in the water so much.

"How long have I been down here?" I ask, breaking the silence after a couple of minutes.

"Ah, like five hours give or take...you need to eat!" Monokid comments, rubbing my back and eventually gently pulling on my arm.

"SOMEBODY'S-COMING," Monodam speaks up for the first time to my ears, voice much deeper and robotic sounding than I would have expected. Not even _ Kiibo _ sounds as cliche as that.

_ Wait, did he say someone was coming? _

I jump up to my feet and look back the way I came as a knot begins to form in my stomach at the thought of one of the others approaching me essentially when I'm at my most emotional. Who's coming? Why would anyone be down here?

As if sensing the atmosphere, both bears jump up to their feet as well.

"S-Shit. We'll be back later, 'kay? Please get some food when ya can, don't get sick!" Monokid urges me before he and Monodam share a look and then bound away.

_ It's probably best, considering anyone that sees me with the monokubs will only believe that I'm untrustworthy even more than they already do...but did someone figure out I was down here, or are they simply choosing to look here to cover all bases? Actually, are they _ ** _specifically_ ** _ looking for me, or is this just one of the others coming down to challenge the-? _

Someone far back pops out of the shadows, making me sharply inhale and freeze momentarily at the sight. When a second familiar figure appears beside them, I drop the blanket back and dive down the dark pit in front of me with my eyes closed, turning at the last second so the only thing holding me from falling are my fingers at the edge of the platform. I can feel the blanket graze my legs as it falls further down, leaving a sullen sensation in my thorax. 

Somehow I feel more attacked now than I have during situations when I was _ literally _being attacked, and neither of them have even registered my presence yet. 

"Hm...you sure little tiny Mousey would be down this tunnel? I mean, didn't you and Kirumi tell everyone to hide the fact there was a tunnel here from her in the first place? I didn't know you thought so highly of her...but aren't you overestimating our innocent little Prairie Dog?" Kokichi asks, his tone of voice sweet like he's trying to play on Rantaro's good side.

"Very funny. Don't play dumb, Kokichi, it's not fitting when we all know you're smarter than that. Besides, it's not like you to check out when Prairie's concerned...actually, why _ are _you so invested in bugging her specifically?" I hear Rantaro's voice drift from afar, causing my heart to clench painfully. Stupid Rantaro…

"Because...I wanna harvest Prairie Dog's organs and sell them on the black market! Do you know the kind of money I could get from a celebrity like that?"

…

"Hah! Don't glare at me like that, you know I'm only _ lyyying! _Aah, I guess the protectiveness is a two way street. She gets irritated when I make bad jokes about you and you get irritated when I make bad jokes about her! You two are such a cute couple," Kokichi snickers.

"Remember how I didn't invite you to tag along with me down here?" Rantaro asks, making me crack a weak smile before realizing what I'm doing and biting down hard on my lip to make it go away. I shouldn't be finding the jokes of a potential murderer funny. He's the most suspicious one of us here. The possible mastermind under Danganronpa's control that concocted the killing game.

I bite a little too hard on my lip and taste blood, wincing as I steady my breathing and force myself keep hanging there. The sliver of a good mood is nice...but I need to be careful. I can't just throw my trust at anyone in here, not after the video of Rantaro that basically debunks why I should trust _him._

It would make sense if he was the mastermind. He knew just _ enough _ about the killing game during the second reset- about Junko Enoshima, about the workings of the killing game, about expecting Monokuma to be among us after learning there were at least sixteen teenagers present.

What else did he say in the video? "This is the killing game you wished for"...that part is a bit perplexing. 

So Rantaro wanted the killing game...but he also wanted to actively _ participate _ in it, fully aware of the murder and suicidal aspect of it all? Keeping that in mind and momentarily putting aside the possibility that the mastermind is Rantaro, why would _ any _ mastermind walk into the killing game as a "participant"? How could they do that to themselves? It's gambling their own life away, isn't it? They're _ in _on the whole thing and working for Danganronpa, the group behind Monokuma and the killing games, so why essentially throw an employee as a character in it? Is the employee being tricked into it, or are they just that delusional? 

Now, bringing Rantaro back into the mix...why erase his memories if he's the mastermind? Sure, he could totally be faking it and he could remember everything, but the tablet message he supposedly sent to himself completely debunks that. Heck, even Monokuma through the Monokubs said it wasn't meant for me, so if that's true, there's no reason for it to be some sort of trick. 

Hopefully…

_ ...Boy, Shuichi was right. Using a little logic definitely helps. No, I don't think I'll be jumping into Rantaro's arms anytime soon, but...at least I'm not about to lose my head over the video again either. _

Maybe it's for the best we still stay apart. Whether or not he's the mastermind, he still stated he was in a previous killing game. A _ survivor _ of it by unknown means, to be exact. That means he still might not be the healthiest or safest of company. I can admit it's crushing. It _ hurts _ thinking about it and how he lied to me in the beginning. Maybe he didn't want to scare me, but…

Look at where all his over protectiveness has gotten us.

Monokuma saw an opportunity in my sour situation with Rantaro, stuffed a chisel between our already fracturing bond, and struck it with a hammer.

He knows that even with me realizing what he's trying to accomplish, there's no way I'll be able to get over this enough to want to be around Rantaro. And lucky enough for Monokuma, my fit following the view of the video made my status among my peers even worse than it already was. I probably even did Monokuma an extra favor by making the target on my back larger.

…

_ But maybe that in itself should be why I ought to try and re-integrate even if I don't want to...but what can I do to make them trust me? I won't say they trusted me in the beginning, that was mostly false trust in the idol Perfect Blitz, who was erased with my memories. I guess it's gonna be an uphill battle...granted I decide to go that route and stop following Monokuma's breadcrumb trail. _

I'm snapped out of my musings when I hear a whistle above me, making my head snap up from where I'm hanging. For a moment there, I forgot where I was. I was getting so used to the fact that my fingers feel utterly numb from hanging there, but fully coming back to my senses makes me aware of the exertion and pain almost immediately.

Kokichi peers down at me, visibly impressed going by his expression. Then again, that could just be one of those masks of his.

"Nee-hee-hee! Damn, how long have you been hanging there, Prairie Dog?" He asks with a grin, arms behind his neck as Rantaro appears beside him wide eyed at the sight of me dangling over the pit. He instantly leans down to attempt fishing me out of a possible bruise inducing fall, already on his knees by my side. On impulse, I frown and lift one of my hands-

-before slapping Rantaro's outreaching palm aside with a growl of disdain that makes Kokichi laugh in amusement. I let out a heavy breath midst my slight panting from the workout and feel myself slide down lower as a result of my choice to remove one of my hands from the side of the pit.

"Prairie, come on, we can talk," Rantaro directs to me, but rather than respond to his first words to me since our little refusal to talk to one another, I look down at the pit. He must understand my intentions, because he adds, "You'll just end up at the beginning of the tunnel if you go down, you know that. Whether we talk now or later, we're going to have to have a conversation about things eventually."

My hand is ready to slip and there's no way I'm reaching for Rantaro's hand, so I open my mouth to respond to his statement even though I know we're most likely going to talk sooner than later.

_ Am I letting Monokuma win if I go ahead and let myself walk away from Rantaro? _

I want to believe Rantaro's video is missing key points like Shuichi said, and that he's actually the good (but massively idiotic) guy I think he is.

Well, a girl can dream...and give him a little suffering of his own while she's at it.

"I'm gonna need a few business days," I simply say before letting go completely of the wall to let myself drop into the pit. Needless to say, Rantaro doesn't take my response too well and tries to reach down and catch me before I fall, Kokichi having to grab the back of his shirt to prevent him from falling in after me.

_ "'Business days' my-!" _Rantaro growls, but ultimately misses as I fall. 

A yelp is startled out of me when my feet slam down painfully hard on a ledge near the side of the wall, making my knees buckle and my back whip downwards so I begin falling headfirst.

_ What was that?! _

That's the only thought that manages to form in my mind before I inexplicably pass out. It's not from landing though. I still don't actually know what happens in that tunnel, just that if I fall, I never hit a bottom that knocks me out. Heck, when a grenade or bomb goes off, I also black out inexplicably. In actuality, the bruises and cuts all over me are due to the fact I'm wearing terrible clothing for running around down here and I mostly get them when I brush too close to things or trip over stuff.

Nevertheless, I always return to the beginning of the tunnel, just like Rantaro said.

Which is precisely what happens when I wake up at the beginning of the tunnel again just beside Rantaro and Kokichi, both of which are notably coming to like I am. Presumably, they either jumped in after me or tried to go through the tunnel backwards and fell under some traps- because what else was bound to happen?

_ When I fell, my feet hit a ledge on the way down...was it a vent? Maybe I should- _

"No, we're leaving. We need you up top," Rantaro stops me, still visibly unstable from our awakening despite that he's caught my wrist and is clinging to it tightly to make sure I can't run away.

"I don't want to go up top," I object, even though I know continuing to hide from my mistakes is futile at this point and I can't hide _ forever. _ Besides, I can guess what they want me up there for- talking about the motive video I didn't get of my 'most important loved ones' that Monokuma just _ couldn't _get a hold of even at the last minute even though I'm a supposed big celebrity.

_ So long as it's not a motive about stabbing me in the back, they want to include me in the conversation, huh? _

"Aww, don't worry, Prairie Dog! Rantaro already chewed us all out for what happened with Angie! He said it's a-okay you thonked Our Lady of Perpetual Holiness in the face with a heavy can!" Kokichi chirps, sitting up with a hand pressed to his forehead. he's swaying a little, like he's still dizzy from the tunnel knock-out.

Even I can tell that's a lie before Rantaro opens his mouth to dispute it.

"No, that's not what I said," he throws Kokichi's way with a glare before turning me to face him and taking both my hands in his. "I said it wasn't your fault and it was an accident. Shuichi told me you asked them to leave and they didn't, so that's not on you...still, don't throw go throwing things around like that- even at Monokuma. You know he's not going to wait till you're alone to try and harass you, so you still need to work on that temper."

_ UGH. _

I want to lash out again. Not even an hour into our first real conversation, and he's already at it with his ordering me around like he's in charge of me.

"The more you tell me what to do, the more I want to do the exact opposite," I notify Rantaro rudely with a snarl on my face, watching him narrow his eyes like he didn't expect me to react that way to his words. How did he _ think _I would take it? Contrary to Kokichi's nickname for me, I'm not an actual dog.

"PFFT!" Kokichi laughs, pointing at Rantaro and slapping his knee as he cracks up. "I tried to tell you, but you still don't get it, Runturdo."

"Get what? That she's stubborn and doesn't like listening to the voice of reason because she prefers to run around with infantile delusions?" Rantaro asks, obviously taking a jab at me to my immediate offense. My jaw drops and I reach out to whack him aside his head with a furious growl, leaning back to try and pull my wrist out of his iron grip.

Kokichi clicks his tongue with pity, watching us as I consider kicking Rantaro in the mouth when he stops me from hitting him again.

"See? If you were a little more logical_ , _ you would try using your words rather than you fists," Rantaro comments, only firing my temper up even more. Now I _ really _want to kick him in the mouth...but fine.

He wants words? I'll give him some freaking words.

"You're a snot-haired nincompoop with the proportion of your fat mouth bigger than your brain," I snap, watching Rantaro's expression dip into something bordering on horror and anger.

"At least it's not like the off-kilter proportion of your massive ego compared to your ability to act like a decent civilized member of society!" Rantaro shoots right back, not even hesitating.

Infuriated beyond belief, I bring my wrist up and clamp my teeth down hard on his arm, hearing him curse when I clench my jaw as hard as possible despite him trying to remove me. When he does, I only continue insulting him.

"Idiot control freak!"

"You're being a real brat right now…!"

"Children, children~! Calm down, the name calling is unnecessary," Kokichi says, standing up with an air of maturity before he breaks character to sputter with laughter and then clears his throat to look at us.

I have some of Rantaro's hair in my fist and he's paused mid trying to wrestle me off of him, the both of us staring at Kokichi dangerously due to the interruption.

"Sure, Rantaro, she's stubborn, but not logical? Nah, Prairie's a smart mousey in her own right. I don't think you're as dumb as a chicken with it's head cut off like she maybe does, but rather a chicken with it's head hanging on by a few fleshy threads! You just need to learn to look at things from Prairie Dog's perspective and you'll have less of a hard time understanding her!" Kokichi comments to my surprise as I release Rantaro's hair and feel my temper start to somewhat dissolve.

Is Kokichi saying he understands me? ...Well, I appreciate the fact he's saying it in a way to let Rantaro know that _ he _totally doesn't understand me, but I don't think even Kokichi understands me as well as he thinks. Or does he? 

I guess there's no real way for me to decipher that. He's not an open book at all.

It's while I'm sitting there thinking that I realize Kokichi has taken off his scarf and is now unbuttoning his coat, making my face burn when I see his state and promptly slapping my hands hard over my eyes so I _can't_ see him without a shirt. I know what happened the last time I saw a guy shirtless, and I don't want it to happen again.

To my unexpected bewilderment, Kokichi throws his coat around my shoulders and eventually I remove my hands when I feel him pull my arms to get me to slip them in the sleeves of the coat. Unsure of why he'd be giving it to me in the first place, I let him maneuver my arms in the sleeves and allow him pull the scarf over my head after.

He pauses and gives me a thoughtful look before grinning, leaving me wholly confused about this turn of events after arguing around with the now placated Rantaro beside us. What is even going on?

"Why am I wearing your coat and scarf again?" I ask, fixing my hair so it's not trapped under the clothing. I'm not exactly sure what answer I'm expecting, whether it be another of his tricks or him being genuinely concerned about me. 

On that note, that's been a recurring theme in my thoughts regarding the leech as of late- and honestly, I don't like how much my brain has been trying to sway me in favor of Kokichi. He's still someone I have to watch out for, he's made it clear to me time and time again not to get close to him. What I need to solidify in my brain is that he's likely unconcerned and using these sort of tactics to get me to trust him more to his _ own _benefit. 

Leeches will be leeches.

"We can't have you going up to the dining hall in those naughty jammies of yours! Unless of course you _ want _ to...truth of the matter is though, that thing doesn't leave anything to the imagination! How rude! Those are spoilers, you know?" Kokichi claims to my horror, making me hurriedly button the coat up and hug myself protectively in response to his cheery laughter. 

See? With Kokichi, there's always a catch. He's a leech through and through.

"So are you implying I'm wrong about the things I've said about Prairie then, Kokichi?" Rantaro speaks up, making Kokichi turn to him.

"You tell me. You're the one that's making Prairie Dog have an inferiority complex," Kokichi boldly accuses before facing me with a hopeful grin as he hops to my side. "I'm on spot, aren't I, Prairie Dog? Nee-hee-hee! I know! I'm good at this~"

My cheeks are still hot at the fact he's shirtless, so I try not to look at him as I fish another little insult to Rantaro to distract myself.

"Jeez, what do you want, Kokichi? Just because you lay it out for him doesn't mean snot-vocado for brains will understand it…" I drop innocently, causing Rantaro to grunt. When I look his way, I return the glare he's giving me.

"As immature as ever, huh, Prairie? You just keep coming with the most juvenile of remarks, how about you take a break. I think you're overdue for your afternoon nap time," he comments calmly with purpose, a total contrast to how he'd been acting moments before Kokichi stopped us. Like I'll let that little childish break in his attitude slide when he doesn't ever let them slide when it comes to me.

"Like you were five minutes ago? I'd ask you to tell me something I don't know, but I guess that's asking too much from your single brain cell," I say, looking down my hair as I twirl the ends of my damp curls with two fingers.

"...Well! At least you two are talking again instead of completely pretending you don't exist! Yay progress!" Kokichi chirps before crouching down to point at the ladder behind us. "In case you both forgot though, there's a group waiting for us flipside and I have no idea how long we've been down here. Who knows? Maybe we've been down here so long that everyone's already KILLED each other and we're the only ones left! So close to freedom! Now we just need one of us to make a heroic sacrifice so two players are left! Onetwothree- _ not it!" _

…

Now Rantaro and I are staring at _ Kokichi _dryly.

"Let's just go," I huff, standing and making sure to shove Rantaro's shoulder with mine on the way to the ladder so he gets it in his thick skull that I'm not happy with him at all. He makes a grunt of irritation but stands up and follows me up after Kokichi, the three of us making our way to the dining hall straight away.

Sure, I'd like to change to something appropriate than my pajamas and Kokichi's coat- maybe even take a shower and lock myself in my room for the rest of eternity until the sun expands, dies out with a bang, and becomes a white dwarf surrounded by the solar system that once danced around it.

Sadly that's not an option, and not even because it's overdramatic. Instead, I'm escorted to the dining hall in the state I was found in, following Kokichi when we enter the dining hall.

When some of the others look up to see what I'm wearing and what Kokichi isn't, expressions twist with confusion. I just look away and let Kokichi bask in the attention he's receiving, considering he looks to be enjoying my suffering more than he probably should.

"Finally! What took you guys so lonnn…?" Kaito trails off when his eyes look up from whatever conversation he was having with Kirumi, landing on Kokichi and I before dying away on his lips.

Tenko outright shrieks with horror, although honestly I can't understand why. I'm just wearing Kokichi's coat, and while it's understandably embarrassing, I don't see how it could be a cause for concern. Or is she upset because I'm wearing the clothing of the biggest leech in this place?

"W-Whoa, Prairie! You're all beat up! What in the world happened to you?!" Kiibo asks, glancing from Rantaro to Kokichi and back to me. He looks to be processing something I'm already sure is totally wrong and eventually marches on over quickly to me, grabbing my hands unexpectedly and making direct eye contact with me. 

Walking in here after what happened last night with Angie and the heavy can, I thought they'd all be glaring daggers at me. I honestly thought everyone, save for idiot Rantaro, would really hate me at this point and I fully expected the others to make it known I was unwelcomed among them. So the fact that no one is giving me dark looks in this room, other than maybe Maki because she never liked me in the first place, is sort of weird. I feel like I've suddenly stepped into an alternate universe.

"Did Rantaro and Kokichi _ assault _ you?!" Kiibo asks, and of course Kokichi immediately jumps on that train, violet eyes flashing with glee.

"It was _ Rantaro's _fault! He's a brute!" Kokichi exclaims in an intense fashion, which I can't help but take the opportunity as it is and bitterly remark, "Totally Rantaro's fault."

Rantaro shoots us sharp glares at our comments, making Kokichi snicker in amusement and lean over to link arms with mine until I swat off his attempts and step away from him. To my annoyance, he steps over my way to regain the space and I don't repeat the action because I know from experience that it would be futile with him in question.

"Okay, step aside, Prairie! I'll deck both of those dolts for touching even a single hair on your pretty little head!" Tenko announces, only to be held back by Tsumugi and Kirumi.

"She was in the middle of the Death Road of Despair," Rantaro plainly states to calm the raging Tenko down, causing a collective gasp among everyone.

"What? Wait, who told her about it?!" Kaito asks, looking around at everyone for the culprit- and incidentally staring at Kokichi long enough that the violet haired teen simply flashes him a lovely smile. He's not saying anything though, probably just to mess with Kaito a little.

** _That's _ ** _ what Kaito first asks? Who told me? As if I have no right knowing my surroundings or something? Isn't he one of the people that supposedly "believes in me"? _

"W-What does that even matter? She deserved to know!" Tenko suddenly snaps, giving Kaito a deadly look. "Who are _ you _ to keep things from her?!"

"Ah, so may we all take that as a confession on your behalf to having told Prairie of the Death Road of Despair then?" Korekiyo inquires with a tone of mild amusement, resulting in Tenko's nasty look being aimed at _ him _next.

"As a matter of fact, it wasn't me, but I agreed to it!"

_ "Kaede _ did it," I say at the same time as Tenko unexpectedly does, resulting in surprise even coating my face besides Rantaro's at that point. There's a visceral sensation of gritty satisfaction that settles in my gut as I burn the expressions of everyone else into my memory for something to look back on and laugh at a later time, even though I know it's not funny at all from either my perspective or _ theirs _for that matter. I'm upset they hid it from me and they're clearly upset I know about the tunnel. Regardless of that though, it's refreshing to be able to yoink that little fact out and be able to slap them all in the face with it now since I've pretty much known about it even before I tested the waters with Shuichi, Kirumi, and Rantaro earlier in this very dining hall after Kaede's death.

The fact _ Tenko _even knew though? Well, I guess she never mentioned it because Kaede...told her she told me? I wonder when she told her that though...I guess she hung out with Tenko at some point before Miu did what she did. 

As for Snot-taro...my guess is that he knew I figured out the existence of the tunnel before prodding them in the dining hall, but didn't quite realize it was _ that _early on.

"...Oh," Kiibo comments in a somewhat strangled voice, allowing me to keep steady eye contact with his now somewhat embarrassed expression when I pull my hands out of his and take a step back.

"Are you guys done? We're all here now. Let's get this thing over with," Maki speaks up, prompting me to look away from Kiibo to find her red eyes trained on me. 

Actually...everybody's eyes are on me now.

_Ah, there's that other shoe that I'd been waiting to drop. _

Suddenly I feel somewhat anxious and like I should have just not come here at all, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck prickle uncomfortably like my nerves are waiting for someone to lash out at me. No one's addressed that thing with Angie yet, not even Angie herself who I can see sporting a black eye now. I wince at that visual, directing my gaze downwards with mild shame. I don't like her, but heck, I didn't wanna nail her in the face with a can. 

Although Kokichi stated that Rantaro defended me before I got here, I still don't exactly feel like anyone's on my side here but Tenko. Maybe not all of the others have it out for me, like Gonta or Shuichi for example, but it still feels like it. Those two aren't entirely honest with me either, even if they're making a show to _ try _ and support me. 

Seems like the only one who wholeheartedly believes in me is basically, as I mentioned before, Tenko...I think I can live with that though.

"Um...can somebody tell me why Kokichi gave Prairie his coat first? I'm confused, I thought that...Rantaro…?" Tsumugi weakly points from Rantaro to Kokichi and then to me, eventually readjusting her glasses with a perplexed expression like she's thinking unnecessarily hard about something.

"Why that matter?" Gonta asks, scratching his head in confusion as he stares down at Tsumugi.

"Don't worry, Gonta. It doesn't," Ryoma casually comments, sipping something Kirumi has served him in a mug at the table.

"Anyways then...glad you're okay, Prairie. Um...we're sorry! Like _ really _sorry," Kiibo evidently starts things off with, causing me to look back at Kiibo who's inched closer indecisively and then bows so I have to step back yet again to avoid being knocked over by his torso essentially turning his body into a right triangle as he leans forward. Next, Kaito speaks up again.

"Gah, we get we were a little too hard on you yesterday...we're still not happy about what happened, but an accident is an accident. We're sorry we all yelled at you and stuff. That wasn't very cool of us," Kaito sighs, giving me an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too," Tsumugi also says, breaking free from her thoughts and casting me a small smile as well.

"Sorry, Prairie," Angie surprisingly pipes up, making me look her way again to see that she's grinning my way, black eye and all- even calling me by my name for once rather than "Perfect Blitz".

I know they're apologizing for yelling at me regarding the accident and that they mean it to some degree...but let's ignore the part where Shuichi, Korekiyo, and Kokichi totally aren't apologizing. From my perspective, I think I appreciate _ their _ silence more than I appreciate the apologies from the others. For one, Kaito and Kiibo both got angry at me and didn't hesitate to criticize me on spot. How am I supposed to feel about that? Korekiyo, Shuichi, Kokichi, and Tsumugi didn't try to defend me either. They just _ let it happen. _

Angie isn't included in any of my frustrations though, I owe her more of an apology than she owes me for that stupid can I ended up throwing at her. 

"Angie, you don't need to apologize for anything, I owe you more of an apology than you owe me. As for the rest of you...I don't accept your apologies. And before you ask why, because I don't want to. And I don't owe you any explanation. Let's move on," I state as simply as I can, watching the party in question give me incredulous looks at my disregard for what I'm sure they think are honest apologies on their end.

_ They're only sorry about yelling at me for the accident. They're not even owning up to the fact they basically crowded me like I was a circus performer when I was visibly upset and asking them to leave me be. _

Kiibo stutters a little, but before he can get anything out like a "why" or whatever else the robot could possibly pull out of his mechanical posterior, Kokichi speaks up.

"So to the videos!" Kokichi changes topics back on its rightful course. I know he's not doing it for me, but I immediately feel some sense of relief knowing we're not discussing the matters of my statement any further even though I can see that Kiibo really wants to address it. Eventually though, he relents and seems to drop the subject.

"...Alright...well, there's no doubt they're motives. They say as much in the titles, but I do wonder why they were given to us at random," Kiibo speaks up first on the matter after walking back over to the dining table near Shuichi and leaning on it to tap his metal fingers on the surface with clicks. Had it not been for him walking over there, I wouldn't have noticed Shuichi trying to make eye contact with me and gesturing to the empty chair beside me with a sympathetic smile.

Momentarily, I wonder whether it's wise to join him since he's one of the people I'm upset with, maybe to a lesser degree, but eventually I ditch Rantaro and Kokichi to take a seat beside him. Honestly, it's better than standing next to Snot-vocado and Leech Face, even if I am still mildly irritated at him. 

Shuichi reaches out and puts a hand over mine, offering me a smile I try to return even if it's hard for me to do.

"R-Right! Why Gonta get Tsumugi's video instead of his own-?"

"DON'T DO THAT!" Kiibo shouts loudly in an attempt to speak over Gonta's reveal, even though it's too late and we all heard what he said.

"Eh?" Gonta half squeaks with a hint of shame despite his massive size.

"Ahhh, I already heard...I see, so Gonta has my video, huh…?" Tsumugi says more to herself than to anyone else, eyeing Gonta from where she's seated.

"Kiibo, are you suggesting we _ don't _ swap motive videos then? Because honestly…I kind of want to see mine," Rantaro speaks up casually, seemingly firing up Kiibo's prepared argument against it.

"Absolutely not! We shouldn't exchange them," Kiibo confirms.

_ Right, right. I'm glad Kiibo gets it, it would be bad if...wait. What was it that Kiibo first said when bringing up the motive videos again? _

"Why not? We're talking about our _ 'most important loved ones' _ here, you know? Obviously we'd all wanna see, right?" Ryoma points out.

"That's exactly why. I don't know what their intentions are, but we were given those motives at random...so as long as we don't exchange them, we won't have to look at our own motive," Kiibo explains, making my brain zero in on the issue I knew I nearly missed.

"I can already see a problem with that," I speak up. "You're saying _ everyone _got a video at random, right? So it was a luck of the draw?"

Everyone is silent at my interruption at first, enough that I begin to regret speaking up. We were getting so into the topic I almost forgot everyone dislikes me right now...and probably even more after my blatant disregard for part of the groups "heartfelt" apology. To my relief, Kirumi comes to my rescue.

"Yes, it was all random...why do you ask?" Kirumi inquires, seeming to display honest curiosity and willing to hear me out as she's setting out drinks for some of us at the table.

I swallow thickly, nervous about speaking up again.

"If it was all random...how do you know _ everyone _got different videos? There's a one in fourteen chance at least one of us got our respective video and is now walking around with their actual motive," I point out.

Silence envelopes the dining hall again when Kiibo opens his mouth and lifts a finger, before promptly rethinking his words and faltering. He lands in his chair with a thud just as Kirumi appears and sets a glass of orange juice in front of me, making me look up to see her flash a familiar warm smile my way.

Well, it's no nectarine juice, but I'll take it. Actually..._ is _nectarine juice even a thing? I think it should be.

"Well, I'm glad Prairie caught that. 'Cause I'd be opposed to not seeing my own video," Ryoma speaks up.

_ Yeah, I guess I understand those sentiments...if I had a video of my most important loved ones, I'd want to see it too. So much for _ ** _that_ ** _ though, all I got was a video of a lying jerk being a lying jerk. _

"I agree with Ryoma! Seeing our own videos _ would _ be better!" Kokichi bluntly chirps, suddenly appearing behind my chair in all his bare chested glory so I nearly choke on my drink. Shuichi slaps my back lightly in panic to get me to breathe again as I set down my drink and cough into a napkin, Kokichi more or less ignoring my frazzled state. "And I mean that _ regardless _of what Prairie Dog said."

"W-Why? By doing that...are you _ trying _ to get us to divide among ourselves?!" Kiibo demands, straightening up and getting up from his chair to march on over past Shuichi's chair to wave him away from me where I'm half leaned completely over the table to avoid being close to the stupid shirtless leech. "And would you _ quit _that? Can you see you're making Prairie uncomfortable?!"

"Nope. And Kii-boy, you're completely misunderstanding...I'm not thinking that it's fine if I get killed or anything like that…" Kokichi comments, plopping down on the free seat to left to escape Kiibo's shooing and crossing his legs almost daintily as he proceeds to innocently draw a figure eight on the table surface with a finger. "I just happen to think that it's better if we don't cooperate…or rather, we absolutely shouldn't _ cooperate _no matter what!"

"We shouldn't cooperate…? Why not?!" Tenko demands, bearing a face of pure bewilderment and confusion at Kokichi's outlandish comment.

_"Absolutely shouldn't cooperate"...where's he going with this? What has he noticed that I haven't? This is new to me. _

"Come on, try and remember all the tricks Monokuma's used up until now, okay? Every time we've tried to tackle things optimistically with our heads held high, Monokuma's come around to boot us off our high horses, hasn't he? We all keep trying to stick together because of what Kaede said in the beginning, but don't forget how _ that _ended. Now that we're all back to reeling up the parade of rainbows and sunshine, what do you think's gonna happen? Monokuma failed to get his trial or execution last round because of the First Blood Perk Miu took advantage of, so we know he's out for blood now," Kokichi explains, more than happy to take a bottle of a sort of grape soda from Kirumi when she offers it to him. What does the label say? "Panda"? "In other words, it's precisely because we try to unite that he comes to torment us."

Kirumi refills my glass with more orange juice from a small pitcher, humming in thought at Kokichi's words.

"So as long as we don't unite, he won't torment us...is that what you're saying?" The Ultimate Maid inquires, just as Kokichi lifts his feet and rests them on my lap as I'm thinking.

Before he can answer her, I speak up.

_ "Remove them, or I'll break them." _

"Nishishi~! My love, Prairie Dog, only tells me the _ sweetest _of things," Kokichi playfully comments, thankfully removing them as I've ordered.

_ Still...Kokichi makes a valid point. Kaede told me before when she was leading them through the tunnel, things went from hopeful to hopeless real fast. And then with the incident of Kaede nearly murdering me...our talk and my forgiveness of her actions made the situation seem hopeful- salvageable. Things were supposed to get better, but Miu ended up killing her- another of the same pattern if not indirectly caused by Monokuma having made Kaede believe I was secretly on his side. _

_ And finally with me...I was confident in my actions at the beginning and then I almost reached my limit with that stupid video of Rantaro. Monokuma is playing us like ping-pong balls. _

"Prairie has the most logical point though. Perhaps we should ask _ her _what she thinks?" Korekiyo's voice breaks through my concentration. Ask me? About what?

"Some of us want to exchange motives and some of us don't. What do you propose based on your observations about our situation regarding the videos already being compromised?"

Everyone is staring at me again. I realize I feel stupid in Kokichi's coat and scarf. The fact Korekiyo is willing to ask me my opinion though? I guess he was being truthful when he said he really doesn't have a solid moral compass. He just likes observing human behaviors, I guess.

"Why are we asking her? In case you didn't notice, she wasn't even listening to us," Maki remarks, glaring at me from across the room. If looks could kill, I'd be crucified and set to be crucified three times over in my next few lives reincarnated.

I want to snap at her that I totally was, but I admittedly checked out a bit to brainstorm on Monokuma's actions like Kokichi pointed out. Honestly, it's more important to me than these motive videos, considering I don't even have a proper one.

"...I wasn't listening either…" I hear Himiko say slowly, lifting her head from the table and making some of us glance her way curiously. Other than that comment though, she lays her head back down on the table once more and falls silent to stick her index finger in her glass of soda and watch the liquid drip back into the cup from the end of her finger tip.

"Ah, okay. I do have a suggestion, but I'm sure no one will like it whatsoever. Especially coming from someone that doesn't have a proper motive video myself," I explain, causing some of the others to give me funny looks.

"Wait, then...but wasn't Shuichi talking about a video yesterday when you flipped out?" Kaito asks with little to no tactfulness that I try not to get irritated over.

"Ah, well-" Shuichi steps in this time, clearing his throat to speak. "She had a video, but I don't believe it was a _ motive _video. More like the exact opposite...nor did it have any of her 'most important loved ones'. I suspect she doesn't have a proper one because even if she did, it wouldn't be very motivating because she's an amnesiac and the only people she knows is...us."

A long silence passes over everyone and I irritably swallow down the feelings of sullen loneliness from my system before I can tell the others to stop patronizing me with their looks of pity.

I'm fine. We're busy. That point is only a speck compared to the main issues at hand.

"So if Prairie didn't watch a motive video of her most important loved ones, what _ did _she watch to set her off?" Tsumugi asks. "She was saying things like, 'words he used' and 'what he said', but it didn't sound like she was talking about Monokuma when she yelling...but if there's no point giving her a video of someone outside of the killing game, then…?"

_ With that logic, she'll realize it's one of the boys here. Still, there's no way they'd be able to figure out which one, there's not enough evidence. _

Despite me thinking that however, eyes begin to drift over to Rantaro to my surprise. Before I can question it, Ryoma speaks up.

"Definitely him. If I were an annoying robot bear trying to break Prairie's spirit, I'd go straight for Rantaro Amami. Especially since their relationship is strained right now," The Ultimate Tennis player states plainly, looking back at Shuichi and I. After a moment of silence, he adds, "I'll take the fact that neither of you look ready to disagree with me to confirm that guess."

Shuichi and I still don't deny it.

"...Prairie-"

I scowl at the sound of Rantaro's velvety voice directed to me again after our time in the tunnel. He sounds like he's trying to be gentle and careful with me again, and my stomach turns at that fact. In fact, just before when we were insulting and flinging snark at each other in the tunnel, he managed to treat me like an equal _ then- _ which is pathetic! I shouldn't have to get him ANGRY with me just for him to treat me like I'm in his age range rather than in the age range of a toddler.

"Save it for someone that cares," I snap at the likely well meaning Rantaro, unable to stop myself before my frown dips into something a little less fiery. "Just leave me alone…"

There's a palpable sensation of disquieting in the room, my heart racing just a bit faster when I hear Kokichi clear his throat from beside me. Turning and seeing his expressionless stare lasering into me, he makes a gesture with his hand for me to speak. Speak about what though? We were talking about-

Oh. Right.

"Um, a-anyways…" I start off again, rubbing my cheeks to stop my face from heating up as I look down at the table. "If we keep hold of the videos we have, we risk the possibility of the fact someone with their own video is already working out a murder based on their motive. However, if we _ swap _ videos, that would _ also _be bad. Because then everyone would be walking around with a motive and that makes everyone dangerous."

"Nyeh…? But if not swapping and swapping are both bad...shouldn't we go with the lesser of two evils and just not swap like Kiibo said?" Himiko asks, making me look up at her and shake her head.

"No. Here comes the part everyone hates: if we really want to nip the problem in the bud, I suggest we all watch every motive video one by one _ together. _This will ensure everyone will be able to tell who has the highest potential to kill and who has the lowest potential to kill. Although...since I'm not someone with a motive video, you guys don't need to count me in that 'together' if you don't want to. I could go with or without it, I'm sure," I say, watching as a couple of the students in the dining hall wince collectively. I think I can guess why: the motive on my life.

I'm tired of waiting for someone to bring it up. So Tenko knew Kaede told me about the tunnel, but she had all this time to tell me about the Kill-Prairie Motive. 

"Do you guys honestly think I'm that dense? _ Really?" _ I ask after a sigh, getting up and pushing away from the table. "I know Monokuma essentially turned me into a golden target. Cool, boo-hoo and stuff, but dying isn't anywhere in my schedule book. Either way, I gave you guys my suggestion and it's up to you to do what you feel with it since it has nothing to do with me."

I'm already out the doorway when I hear Gonta slightly panic from in the dining hall.

"B-But Gonta...Gonta's important loved ones need secrecy! Gonta no can just _ show _ that to anyone!" I hear him say, answering back without turning my head, "Well, you're just gonna have to weigh the options. Hold your secrets and risk never seeing them again, or share your secrets and you'll have a better chance at returning to them. I can't choose for you, Gonta."

"I like that idea! Atua likes the idea as well! He says this will definitely benefit us in our battle against Monokuma for sure~!"

"Great. Do you see what you've done by asking her? I oppose the idea."

"Khehehe...actually, Maki, I have no regrets inquiring, I'm perfectly content with sharing my motive video. I do however wonder if you have something to hide by opposing…"

I manage to hurry away from the dining hall and get to the exit of the school before I start jogging back to the dormitory building and to my room. Once I'm alone, I lock my door and slide against its surface to the floor with a breath of relief. That went...a lot better than I expected it to. I was so upset, worried and scared that no one was going to talk to me ever again after what I did to Angie...and somehow none of the Earth shattering ideas I was considering ever happened.

_ Well, I guess that's irrational human nature for you. Making things that shouldn't be too scary feel like it's impossible to get past...but the damage was definitely still done, and I won't ignore that. Maybe they don't _ ** _hate_ ** _ me, but they definitely jumped to try and get me under "control". _

_ They can keep trying if they want, but the only person that gets to control me is myself. _

Pushing off of the floor and standing up, I pull off Kokichi's coat and scarf along with my pajama top and…

The door swings open.

"Hey, Prairie Do-!"

_ "GET OUT, YOU LEECH!" _ I shout at the top of my lungs, flinging the clothing at his face in my panic so he jumps back a step with his vision obscured. I don't hesitate to slam the door on him, my face as hot as an inferno as I lock the door _ again _ and grab a nearby chair to prop it up under the door knob. "You _ better _not have seen anything!"

I hear laughter after I presume he's fought his way out of the tangle of clothing I threw at him, making my cheeks only burn even hotter as I hug myself for comfort.

"Awe, it's okay, I only saw a quick flash! Nothing to worry about!" Kokichi answers to my horror, until I remember who I'm dealing with and replay his words in my head. What if he's not lying though?

"W-Well! Forget whatever you saw! And STOP BREAKING INTO MY ROOM! Screw you and your stupid lock picking set, Leech Face!" I shout, stamping a foot and sinking to the floor again when I start to feel dizzy with embarrassment. 

_ I refuse to pass out over something this moron did, I refuse to pass out over something this moron did… _

"Nee-hee-hee! Just get cleaned up and knock on my door when you're done! I wanna hang out with you today," I hear him say, making me scowl and purse my lips as I glare at the blocked door. I may be feeling better now than I was before, all things considered, but there's no circumstance in which I'd want to spoil it with the dude that lives to compress and twist people's thoughts and feelings around like demented accordions. 

Besides, I want to go down into the tunnel again. I know where all of the traps are up to that point where I stopped, so I should be able to get past all the traps and keep my clothes clean using my intuition. That thing my feet hit...I want to try climbing into it. It could be dangerous, but then again, what _ isn't _dangerous in here? Just breathing and taking a walk outside in the courtyard could be dangerous.

Hanging out with _ Kokichi _ could be considered dangerous too.

"What makes you think _ I _ want to hang out with _ you?" _ I ask, causing Kokichi to immediately answer, "Oh you know. The three C's."

_ The three what? "Three C's"? What in the… _

_ ...Is he teasing me about that "charming", "cute", "charismatic" thing again?! _

"Add a fourth 'C'! The 'C' for '_ crass'!"_

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 3.8 - Capricious Emotions_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> 
> [Prairie Bikini (3.6 Bonus Art)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189120826425/does-not-like-bikinis-p-string-theory)  

> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Character Wiki](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189165230060/character-wiki)  

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>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble BETAS (Old Art)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189395517695/i-found-my-betas-for-prairie-ooooooo-okay-so)  

> 
>   



	38. Detour

❀ **_3.9_****_ \- Detour_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_ Okay, if I make a run for it past his room door, maybe I can avoid hanging out with him. _

I carefully twist the knob around, cracking my door a little and poking my head out to scan the dormitories lobby. No one is out there waiting for me from what I can see. 

Perfect, not a leech in sight-

_ "There's _my favorite Mousey!" I hear someone say as soon as I go to lock my door, making me squeak guiltily and turn to try to make a run for it. I haven't turned my key entirely to get it back out though, so my arm is yanked back by the fact. By the time I'm able to get my key out, Kokichi already has one arm around my waist and is steering me towards his room to my utter dismay. "Aw, did you think I expected you would willingly knock on my door? Sorry, but my brain is a little bigger than that~!" 

"Kokichi, have I ever told you how much I dislike you? And stop touching my sides all the time! It tickles!" I complain, swatting his arm off of me as I push his door open and step in…to a certain mess I wasn't expecting but can't say I'm surprised to see. "...Menacing."

"Hey, that's mean. Stop turning into that feminazi, you're supposed to turn into me."

"What?!"

"Anyways, back to the reason I brought you here-" 

"No, you leech! Go back to that last point, what do you mean, 'turn into you'? I already told you I'm not going to be anything like you!" I stress, turning to him as I gingerly step around the mess of papers, crayons, and writing utensils all over his room floor. 

As I'm stepping over a pile of some papers, my eyes catch sight of something and I pause to lean down and pick it up. I think I can hear Kokichi snickering quietly under a hand, probably because of the screwy expression on my face. 

"The hell…? Blueprints for a laser gun...Kokichi, you're ridiculous. And these color choices are awful. This thing looks more like a water gun design for kids," I comment, looking under the paper at the notes on the back. The fact he's letting me nose around in his papers is kind of surprising, but I decidedly take advantage of the unspoken permission granted regardless. "Aren't you seventeen?" 

"Yes. In case you didn't remember, teenagers are still kids. _ I'm _ not gonna run from my 'childish' tendencies like it's the plague just because I want to impress a guy. That would be a lie! And I hate jokes and lies!" Kokichi calls me out, resulting in embarrassment and irritation on my part when I lift my head to look up at him. 

"T-That's not what I'm doing! I'm not trying to impress Rantaro. Besides, I don't need childish stuff. Those kind of inane things aren't gonna help us get out of this place," I state very clearly, tossing the paper aside after having mentally gone over what could be better with its design and colors…not that I'll tell Kokichi, he would just keep making fun of me if I did. 

"Prairie Dog, you're just _ sooo _bad at lying...my god, it's so sad. You don't have to lie to me, I understand! I know you're just desperately thirsty for Rantaro's attention, and that's okay. I won't tell, pinkie promise!" He chirps, skipping over his mess like second nature to hold his pinkie out to me. 

"You don't understand me, Kokichi, don't kid yourself," I object, crossing my arms. 

Said Leech Face sighs and then takes a seat beside me on the bed. Noticing how close he sits to me, I shift a bit away from him to get some space. He opens his mouth to speak, but as soon as I move, he pauses to slowly grin at me and then shifts to sit in the space between us. He even hooks his arm around mine to prevent me from moving back when I try to get up. 

"Oh, trust me. I understand you. Like the back of my hand, Mousey-mouse," he says, making my heart skip a beat. How could he? No. I don't believe it, he's bluffing. "Prairie Dog, you're kinda delusional…you're in a fantasy all of your own making. You think you're the hero here and that the rest of us 'need' you, when we actually don't. While you've occasionally got good ideas, overall you're just a nuisance. One that endangers the rest of us, mind you. Aaand as for your crush on Rantaro? Just because you try pretending to act mature doesn't mean anything will come out of it considering he's adopted you as his de facto kid sister."

His words spark a fleeting flash of my temper, but I can't feel any change in my expression. For a second, other than aggravated disbelief, I can't even tell he's started speaking again because I'm too busy going over his first words again and again. Whatever he's saying goes straight over my head, my brain filtering it out as useless as the crap that normally comes out of his mouth.

I'm so tired of hearing lies from people. They aren't obligated to believe in me, I'm aware of that and I can live with that fact. What I can't handle is the crushing feeling I get when I find that the only people keeping me together in this hell have been lying to my face from the get-go. I've tried to explain it to them every which way to Sunday and they don't get it- or rather, they're specifically _ choosing _not to get it.

Every time that someone claiming they believe in me shows their true colors, it freaking stings. Something like Maki or Kokichi outright telling me they don't trust me and think I'm crazy is easy to stomach compared to the others building me up to be confident and then ripping it all down when I try to have that same confidence in myself, for _ their _ sake no less. 

I keep telling myself they're my comrades, but maybe I just have to face the truth head on.

They're not my friends. None of them are. Everyone's busy watching their own back and I'm scrambling around trying to "save" them like Kaede because of some shoddy, poor excuse for friendship. Not one person in this killing game has the capability to bring themselves to legitimately fight back against Monokuma's oppression.

I guess I can thank Kokichi for the wake up call. 

"...which I think you noticed, but anyways-" Kokichi continues in his monologuing I've ignored, only to pause when I stand up and make a beeline for the exit, stepping on all the garbage covering his room floor without a care. "Hey, those took a while to draw! Where are you going? Don't you wanna know what information I have?" 

"No," I only answer the last part, opening the door and stepping out to leave. Kokichi gets up and follows, stopping at his doorway. 

"Not even if it's something that can help us get out?" Kokichi asks playfully, only to miss grabbing my arm when I slide down the rail of the second floor and land on the first level on all fours. 

"No, Kokichi, you're right. I'm a nuisance. I have been delusional this whole time, haven't I? Especially considering I'm still the reason Kaede ended up dying even if it wasn't specifically my fault...I'm sure you're all worried I'll end up being the cause for a second murder somehow. Even indirectly," I speak up, turning to look up at him from where I am. At my words, Kokichi falls silent and stares back with a small peppy smile, one I can tell is a placeholder for whatever emotion he's really feeling right now. 

I can already guess this reaction isn't the one he wanted. He probably wanted to dampen my mood a bit or work me up so he could bend and manipulate me to do whatever plan he had cooked up. See? I was right. Kokichi Oma doesn't understand me. And for once, I can see exactly what he's trying to do and combat it. 

"Thanks for helping me see that. Now I have a plan of my own too…since you guys don't need me and all, I'll just stay out of your way. Permanently. No one will take it personally, considering no one cares about each other here, right? You guys don't need a quote-un quote 'hero', you've got it all under control each in your own unique way."

Kokichi stares at me, allowing me to study his features. He's not trying to make an argument against my claims this time, but I can't tell why. His mask is cemented to his face even more now, giving no leeway to any reason for his sudden silence.

"So...I'm leaving this place. I'm going to leave through that death road of despair tunnel even if I have to drag myself to that door out of here," I say to him, turning to head for the exit.

There's silence, only the sound of my footsteps echoing in the dormitory lobby. 

"Nee-hee-hee! You're so dramatic, Prairie Dog...well, you do you. I'll see you later~! If you do want to know what I know, feel free to stop by whenever! I'll be in my room redesigning laser guns _ aaall _ day!" I hear Kokichi call out after me cheerfully, just as I push open the door of the building and let it swing closed behind me without another glance back. 

_I _ ** _am_ ** _ leaving. I've had it with caring about these two-faced jerks. They don't want help, they aren't looking to work together with me to get out, and I can finally say with one hundred percent confidence that they're perfectly happy staying here and watching one another other become driven with madness until we are all dead. Maybe I'm no hero like Kokichi says, but at least I show some kind of semblance of self-preservation, disregarding my ego and pride. I'm tired of trying to understand them when above all else they refuse to understand me on a similar playing field. We're just going to keep running around in this same circle like this, and before I get stuck in that status quo, I'm getting out of here with or without them. _

A little voice in the back of my head tells me I'm doing wrong. It refutes some of my delusions by flooding small inconsistencies to the forefront of my mind, along with the sick feeling I'm trying to suppress at the idea that I'm pretty much _ abandoning _everyone here. Abandoning Tenko, Gonta, Kirumi, Shuichi...Rantaro…

I push the upsetting feelings aside and continue on my way. I shouldn't feel this way. They've brushed me off time and time again, and only pull me back when they want to make sure their way is still the right way rather than "Crazy Prairie's" way.

_ What if I have no way out of here? What if I'm still indefinitely stuck with these clowns? ...who do I go trust in that case? _

_ … _

Shuichi Saihara.

I nod to myself at that and wince a little. Even the way I think is so...arrogant like. I don't like that about me. Maybe that's what's also so off-putting for the others, having someone so small and unassuming being so hubristic and gloaty…well, assuming I can get out of here, neither they nor Shuichi will have to deal with a nuisance like me much longer.

For a moment, I silence my mind to get some much needed air to relieve my stress, entering the school building and pausing once I'm past the doorway. Looks like no one is around...good. No one to stop me and try to shove their opinions or control over me. I'm just so stressed out…I really need to get out of here.

Away from this place, these people, this killing game.

I don't want to ever feel like I did yesterday. I don't ever want Monokuma to rub in my face how pitiful I am for succumbing to despair. I don't need despair and I don't want it.

Once I have my brain calmed after the torment of self doubt and arguing with myself on whether this is a stupid and hopeless idea, I glance from the dining hall to the warehouse and back. I don't know what's waiting for me outside of the walls of the killing game. Miu was thrown out, but what if I end up outdoors where there is no easy access to food?

_ So I definitely need to eat before I leave, but should I pack a few meals up as well for the trip out? Or will a heavy backpack interfere with how I get through the tunnel using my intuition…? _

As I ponder that thought, I walk towards the dining hall and feel my muscles tense up when I see Kirumi wiping down the dining hall table. Frozen where I am, the first thing that pops in my head is the memory of Kaede telling me Kirumi also tried to keep the tunnel from my knowledge with Rantaro.

Upon noticing my entrance, Kirumi pauses and looks up. To my surprise, she smiles and straightens up to face me.

"Prairie. I had a feeling you would come back here eventually. I presume with how little you ate earlier, you must still be hungry, correct? I have a meal I prepared for you after you left in the fridge, would you like me to warm it up for you?" She asks warmly, somewhat throwing off my negative thoughts of her with how kind she behaves. The nastier part inside me wants to call her a fake, but when I find myself nodding, she turns and heads for the kitchen. "Very well. Take a seat wherever and I will be back with it in a few minutes."

Her stride to the kitchen is graceful and I can't help but sort of watch her as I make my way to one of the chairs in the empty dining hall, feeling somewhat disappointed about how un-airy and rather plucky my own walking is. Kirumi walks like a dancer and I walk like I have a glacier attached to my backside while standing on stilts...likely has to do with how tall she is and how short I am.

I wish I was taller.

Having an idea, I walk around the chair I've pulled out and stand up on my tiptoes to try and mimic Kirumi's stride, only to feel my boot- meant for climbing rather than walking on flat surfaces- slide unexpectedly so I land on the ground in the splits with a small yip of surprise.

_ Huh. I didn't know I could do the splits…! _

I fumble a little until I find the most comfortable way to get back on my feet, trying again at the graceful stride I'd seen Kirumi effortlessly achieve. How does she do it? Even when I try to walk like that, I feel so unbalanced unless I'm moving quickly. If I move too slow, I feel like I'll tumble over or take a crooked step too far to the side.

Is Kirumi secretly a dancer?

"Prairie?"

I stop dead in my tracks and drop from my tiptoed stance, noticing Kirumi at the kitchen exit holding a tray of food with a mildly surprised blink. How long has she been standing there?

Feeling my cheeks turning red hot, I gather my hair over my jaw and walk back around the table to the chair I originally pulled out, taking a seat and trying not to pass out from embarrassment.

"Um...I was just...passing time," I explain meekly, letting her make her way over to set the tray in front of me. She made some curry, rice, and a bowl of tomato soup, which immediately has my stomach growling as the scent hits my nose. Besides having a nice fairy-like walk, she even cooks amazing...Kirumi is not human.

"Do you mind if I continue my chores in here, or would you like me to come back after you've finished your meal?" Kirumi inquires, making me drop my hair and wave a hand with a weak smile. 

"No, it's okay, keep working if you'd like. I'd appreciate the company," I answer, the unspoken words at the tip of my tongue: _ before I leave. _

Monokuma made sure to reiterate that only strangers will greet me outside of the killing game walls since the only people I know are the ones in here. I don't even know if the one person that left a thumbprint on my broken memory, Aika, will be out there- and regardless of whether she is or not, she will still essentially be a stranger to me. 

As angry and upset as I am with everyone here, I guess it's impossible to pretend I don't actually care about them...but that won't change anything. 

I'm still leaving.

"Very well. Enjoy your meal and let me know if you need anything else," Kirumi answers, returning to the kitchen momentarily before she reemerges with that washcloth to continue wiping down the other end of the table.

_ Kirumi is really hardworking...how does she not get tired of catering to everyone's needs here? Especially with how demanding some people are? Don't any of us ever get on her nerves? ...I wonder if _ ** _I've _ ** _ ever gotten on her nerves before? _

I start eating, ignoring my water even though the food is rather spicy. Midst eating, my eyes flick up towards her every now and then, examining how she seems to clean the dining hall with what I can see is a smile. This stuff that I call demanding...I guess she doesn't see it that way. She looks really happy tending to things, but I can't help but wonder if her skills are better put to use in other ways. Then again, she did mention quite a few outlandish things that she's been requested to do in her time as the Ultimate Maid, so maybe her title and skills really are being put forth the best they can be already?

...Maybe she'd have an idea how to help assort my confusing thoughts? She seems like she'd have a reliable answer to something like that.

"Kirumi?" I speak up just as I'm close to finishing my food, making her look up from mopping a portion of the floor near the other end of the long table. I feel so small from all the way over here, but she just smiles and points a gloved finger to her lower cheek. I blink a little, until I realize she means I have food on my mouth, making me fumble to clean it with my napkin and then continue. "Um...I have a question about something I think you'd have a reasonable answer to."

Kirumi blinks and then sets down her mop to approach me, standing beside my chair with a ready-to-serve smile. 

"Alright. What question would you like me to answer?" She asks, prompting me to clear my throat a little so I can figure out the best way to word my query without causing alarm.

"Well, this is hypothetical entirely since...well, we both know that tunnel is impossible to get through," I say first to throw her off, causing Kirumi to nod solemnly at that. "If someone were able to get through all that and leave this place, but the price was leaving everyone else behind...would you hate that person for leaving?" I query, watching Kirumi consider my words. When she opens her mouth again though, I'm a bit nervous to hear a question back.

"Do you believe one of us is able to get through all that, Prairie?" Kirumi inquires, making me discreetly relax my muscles so they don't tense up noticeably under her perceptive gaze. With a small laugh and a glance down at my food for a moment before I meet her eyes again, I utilize Kokichi's lying tips and pray they manage to work at least under Kirumi's eyes. Sure, I can't lie to Kokichi to save my life, but maybe to the other's I can.

Not like they haven't lied to me before.

"No, I don't...I mean, look at me, I was all beat up because of it and I still haven't made it halfway through that thing, I'm sure. I kept falling for the same traps- it was kind of pathetic for the Ultimate Rock Climber. I thought I could monkey-bar half of the thing, but those bombs and grenades make it completely impossible," I answer her, before deciding to reel my words back by adding, "I...I guess what I'm asking is a stupid question, I'm sorry for bothering you with-"

"I wouldn't hate them," Kirumi answers before I can finish, prompting me to cock my head a little to the side. At that curious reaction, Kirumi seems compelled to elaborate. "Well, I would understand anyone's desire to leave...and if they had the chance, I couldn't fault them for seizing the opportunity- especially one that causes the least damage to those they leave behind. Essentially, those left behind will still have a chance to escape, and if they're lucky the escapee can possibly bring back external assistance."

_ The...least damage. Yeah, that's one way to put it. I guess Monokuma could get pissed off and raise the stakes in here, but...well, somehow I doubt that happening so long as the escapee leaves following the rules, in this case via that tunnel exit Monokuma continues to insist is our only way out. At least Kirumi seems to have the same thoughts as I've had regarding my departure from this hellscape. _

"Thank you for the insight," I politely say, smiling as I turn back to my meal to resume eating. It's after a few bites that Kirumi clears her throat again though, making me look back at her curiously.

"May I ask where you spawned such a question, Prairie?" Kirumi asks, making me mentally squeal in my mind as I try to come up with the best excuse and settle on one that is at least somewhat true to an extent. Kokichi did say it's good to sprinkle some truth with the lies.

"Uh, Kokichi said I have a...hero complex...because I was thinking about escaping even though I know I don't actually have a legitimate way out. Thinking about leaving everyone here though makes me feel guilty, so I don't think I could actually do it even if I could. Even if the others _ wouldn't _ hate me for it, now that I think about it," I answer her, making Kirumi nod in understanding and seem to relax.

"Hm...it's not wrong to want to feel like a hero to the people you care about, Prairie. Don't worry. I'm sure even Kokichi has a hero complex of his own...but of course, I'm sure he would never admit it. Do you?" She asks, making me break into a giggle of amusement at the thought. 

Kokichi? With a hero complex? It would explain the laser guns, but I think he has more of a villain complex...if you can call a troll simply looking for a good time a villain.

Once I finish my meal, I thank Kirumi for the good food and sigh once I'm back in the hallway. Back here...now, I can probably grab that backpack I need from the warehouse and, since Kirumi is currently residing in the dining hall, try and win some snacks from the monomachine with some leftover coins I've gathered while in the library. It's not as ideal as maybe some canned goods, but it'll have to do since I'm out of options. After my questions to Kirumi, I'm sure running in and stocking up on food with my backpack likely won't look good on my part.

I jog on over to the warehouse, pushing open the door and freezing momentarily when I see someone look up from one of the shelves. This time, it's not someone I'm not much involved with like Kirumi.

Neither me nor Rantaro initially say or do anything, both of us having a moment to recuperate from the shock of suddenly being alone with each other here. Now the concerning part of this unexpected meeting...will he try to confront me after that whole debacle earlier in the dining hall with the "demotive" video Monokuma gave me about him?

"Don't worry, I'm not here," he sighs, looking away to continue reading out of some sort of...text book. I can't see what the title of the book is, but after a moment I decide I don't care and proceed with jogging on over to the shelf I see behind him.

"Good. Let's keep it that way, Snotvocado," I answer, hearing a grunt of annoyance from Rantaro as a result. Even I'll admit my little quip is a bit immature- but my mouth moved before my brain could filter the insult out. If Rantaro had been feeling an ounce of sympathy after Ryoma called Shuichi and I out on the fact Rantaro himself was used as a method of attacking me by Monokuma, it seems it's all but likely dissolved now.

…

_ Say something you coward. Insult me again. Apologize to me. Ask me what I'm doing here, just- _

"Are you really happy like this? Pushing everyone away like you're doing?" He asks instead, prompting me to pause when I begin to climb a shelf. He hasn't moved from his spot from what I can see, but he's not looking at me either.

Am I "happy"...? That's easy enough to answer, what a dumb question to ask...

"No. Do I _ look _ happy? I don't enjoy pushing you guys away...but I'm even less happy being smothered and constantly lied to by you guys," I answer much to Rantaro's obvious surprise when he looks up at me. With a scoff, I add, "Even _ Kokichi _is more tolerable than the rest of you, and he is a nightmare."

_"'Lied' _to?" He asks, suddenly setting down the textbook to walk over to the shelf I'm a few feet up. I'm not seeing any kind of backpack yet...and looking back down, I'm mildly vexed to see Rantaro lean against the shelf below and give me a look from the bottom. With a scowl, I just turn away from him with an obvious eye roll and climb a shelf space up. "Prairie, I'll admit we've kept some things from you, but the only thing I've lied about was that tunnel, and that excuse I made to keep you with me after Kaede's death because I was worried about you."

"No, you lied another time. And don't pretend like you're not lying to the others about your talent, by the way. On that first note though, you don't remember you lies to me because your memories of the incident in question were _ conveniently _ erased," I explain pointedly, pausing at the following shelf up and half pulling a bin towards me to sort through some bags. All the ones in it don't have any sort of strap to comfortably carry them through, not even as messenger bags, so I evidently push the box back in.

By the time I'm glancing back down to find the now oddly quiet idiot, I jump with a yelp of horror when I feel something brush my side and turn my head only to kind of elbow Rantaro in the face so he lets out startled curse and slaps a free hand over his nose and mouth with a sharp look my way.

How the _ heck _ did this clumsy oaf climb up after me?

"Oh! I'm sorr-" I start until I see his annoyed expression start to relax at the apology on the tip of my tongue. At that, I bite down on my words and instead narrow my eyes with a wrinkle my nose. "Actually, I'm totally okay with that. But what the heck are you doing? You're going to hurt yourself, idiot!"

"Just because I'm not the Ultimate Rock Climber doesn't mean I can't do any climbing altogether," Rantaro points out, making my irritation die out as I look back at him in dry disbelief. He's joking, right? 

"I never said it's 'cause you can't _ climb _ like me. It's more like you can't even _ walk _half the time without running into my flying shoe or a permanent structure. You're the clumsier than a newborn giraffe with ice skates," I accuse, smiling a little when he blows out a breath and climbs up so he's at face level with me. With a grin, he clings to the shelf above me and shakes his head confidently.

"The shoe thing is not my fault. I wouldn't have run into it if a little someone hadn't recklessly thrown it over her shoulder without a care for who was behind her," Rantaro defends, lifting a hand to twirl it around and poke my cheek playfully in accusation.

"You should have seen it coming a mile away and you still went and ran into it. Just admit you're a klutzy buffoon and call it a day, Rantaro Amami," I press innocently, ignoring his finger against my cheek when he lifts it. "What, were you not expecting that archway you ran into when you were chasing me in the casino either? Or did I recklessly throw that whole structure at you too?"

Rantaro laughs at that, cheeks turning a slight pink hue. He looks painfully attractive like that...god, what a messed up travesty of a face he has. And who said he could have eyelashes like those?

He opens his mouth to speak again, but before he can say anything, I feel his fingers deftly brush a lock of of my hair behind my ear. 

It's enough to snap me out of the fuzzy feelings and slap his hand away on impulse.

Rantaro immediately closes his mouth and whatever he was about to say dies along with the easy atmosphere that had been growing between us. Clearly he's noticed I'm not a happy camper anymore, and with a scowl to go with my heating up cheeks, I turn away from him and start climbing again to get up to the next shelf. I even skip two just so I can get some space from the green haired jerk.

"Leave me alone, Rantaro. Get a doll or go brush the hair of someone that actually _ wants _to feel like trash," I huff, the cool air biting my hot cheeks as I try to silence my beating heart and calm down the jittery feelings of my nerves.

"Prairie, why am I always the villain here? I'm not understanding how me trying to work things out between us makes _ you _ somehow feel like trash. I miss having you around and this...this _ wall _ you keep slapping between us every time I try to reach out isn't helping. I know you miss having me around too. Aren't we better as a team together?" Rantaro tries, making me balk as the good feelings in my chest flicker out and replace itself with pent up stress waiting to explode.

A _ team? _He has the gall to call what we had before "teamwork"?

"What 'team'? You've been doing everything by yourself and steering me to the side out of the way. You _ love _to be alone and I gave you that," I snap, looking down at him. He winces slightly at my harsh words, but I don't let up. "I don't miss you."

"...Yes you do. But fine, you're right. I've pushed you aside because I don't want you getting hurt. I have my reasons-"

"And _I _have my reasons for putting up whatever freaking wall I please. So _deal with it," _I cut him off furiously. "If you can justify your elaborate and illogical actions, then so can I. I don't care what your intentions were. Everything you've been doing to 'protect' me has driven me insane. I don't know what to think about anything anymore because to you, everything I do is wrong- except unless _someone_ _else_ is doing it. I can't trust anyone else because they specifically don't trust me, and the only person I did trust actually lied to my face. Even now, you're _still_ lying," I accuse, watching Rantaro swallow a little as he starts climbing up higher to get to me. 

Seeing him climbing, I scramble to climb up away from him. I'm not even looking for a backpack at this point, simply climbing to get back to my comfort zone where he isn't a weight hanging over me.

My face feels hot, but it's not from embarrassment or shame this time. I feel like I'm unraveling at the seams again, just like I did when I saw that video of him. It doesn't help that the struggle of resisting opening up to him is clearly no match for the fact I want to tell him why he's such a rotten piece of work.

"Prairie-"

"You stood there and let me open up to you, but instead of opening up back to me, you just helped yourself to my naive trust. H-How is that supposed to make me feel? I _get_ distrust in a place like this. It makes sense and I won't completely fault anyone for it...but just because I was stupid before doesn't mean I owe you ANYTHING more than what I already gave you! Besides, no one should be so irrationally overprotective of anybody in here- especially someone they don't trust," I cut him off since I'm just so wrung up. I can feel tears rolling down my cheeks, biting my lip to stop my lip from trembling. It doesn't alleviate the tremor in my voice with my next words. "I hate you. I hate everything about you and everything to do with you. Pretty smiles and silly banter won't fix things between us. You've hurt me more than you can imagine and this is the price you have to pay."

"Hate me as much as you want then, I can live with that...but in that case, tell me what you saw in the video. Tell me and I'll explain everything you want me to explain. I can fix this if you let me try, I'll do better to listen. Prairie, I don't want to be a thing Monokuma uses to hurt you," he pushes, pausing so I stop climbing the shelves as well. Clearly he's realized no amount of climbing will get him closer to me again, physically and metaphorically.

I look down at him, seeing him inch up a bit and hold out a hand to me. If I climb down slightly and lean over, I could reach out and take it. He's not that far from me actually, but we're really high up- close to the top of the shelves in fact. If I say no, I can't climb all that far away from him…

But I can climb down pretty fast and drop to my feet to get away. I know he won't be able to catch up to me like that.

I turn away and climb down the side of the shelf, making sure to go around Rantaro. At that, he fumbles and grabs onto the shelf with both hands to try and follow me down, but seems to misstep and grunts when he slips and has to find his footing.

"Prairie!" He calls out, having to slow down his decent by the time I'm jumping down on all fours to run to the exit of the warehouse- all without a backpack for food like I'd came in for in the first place. I stop at the exit though, turning my head one last time to glare at him.

"You hurt me all on your own, Rantaro. As much as I hate Monokuma, you can't blame him for this," I fling back at him, only jogging out once I've said all that's needed to be said. I can't stand being in that room with him any second longer. 

"Prairie, _ wait!" _ He tries one more time, but I'm back in the hall by that time, stumbling a bit when Kirumi emerges from the dining hall in obvious concern and confusion. With how Rantaro was calling out, I'm sure she's worried, but I don't need any consoling right now.

"Prairie, what's going on? Is everything alright?" She asks, making me pause to look back and wipe some of my tears.

"No, not really. I'll be fine, but c-can you go help that idiot get down from those shelves in the warehouse? He was following me up and he can't get down now," I dodge the main issue at hand, waving air into my face with my hands as I walk past her quickly to head for the school exit. I stop when two figures suddenly appear at the doorway, making my heart lurch a little. It's Shuichi and Kokichi, both of which pause when they see my state.

"Prairie?" Shuichi asks, while Kokichi instead "ooo"s in mock amazement and presses a finger to his chin innocently

"Oh? Prairie Dog, you're still here among us…? Didn't you dramatically declare you were going to drag yourself to that tunnel do-"

_ "Damn straight, I am," _I snarl to their visible surprise, feeling my temper finally snap as I charge the two, barreling straight into them unexpectedly so they sort of stumble aside and fall back when I race around the building, not bothering to turn and check if anyone is following like they usually do when I lose my cool.

As I near the boiler room, I dive for the manhole and grab the edge of the opening, only then managing to see who's behind me since I have to face the ladder to get down.

Honestly, I expect to see Shuichi and Kokichi following. I even consider Rantaro and Kirumi among them as well, but other than the aforementioned first two boys and Kirumi, Rantaro is likely still hobbling down that tall shelf like the clumsy oaf he is.

I don't expect Maki Harukawa's appearance though, and it's enough to slightly rattle me when I realize she's giving me a very morbid death glare. What for? I don't know, she's always glaring at me. I wonder if she's only following because she thinks I'm up to no good like she always does? Well either way, I'm done with these people. I'm out of here.

Rushing down the ladder a little, I'm a bit spooked to see just how close Maki and the others are, jumping off after a second and stumbling a little in my landing before I'm headed full speed towards the tunnel.

_ I can make it, once I get past the gate…! _

I push open the gate and feel horror strike me when I remember how heavy it is, feeling my heart beat faster and faster the longer it takes to open the door and the longer I'm left open for someone to stop me.

Just as I open the gate enough for me to slip through, I dart through the gap only to yelp when I feel a hand grab the end of my locks. It's not enough to stop me, but it does hurt a lot considering the weight of my body going forward and her grip on the locks she catches. Never the less, I hurry down the steps and throw myself against the second gate, the one leading through the first traps.

_ I believe in myself, that's all I need to keep going. _

"M-Maki wait, not by her hair!" I hear Shuichi object as I slip through the gate into the first obstacle ahead, snapping my eyes shut and allowing my intuition to take over. I relax almost immediately under the security of my ability, even though I'm unsure how much I'll be able to get through with that terrible backlash that accompanies overuse...what if I collapse in the middle of the tunnel?

_ No point in worrying, you're already in. There's no turning back now. _

"Pfft! Prairie Dog, don't you think running full speed is a tad bit reckless?! Nee-hee-hee! You'll just end up back here with…"

I'm sure Kokichi trails off because I've managed to keep up my regular speed past the first traps without hesitation, running past the first trio of bombs that fall as I pass them and dive into a depression ahead, sprinting past the following that fall as I leap to grab a ledge and pull myself up. I hear more bombs go off behind me and simply continue forward, flipping over three sequential spaces I hardly remember before I hear the sound of the falling cage traps go off behind me.

So far so good…

"Holy hell, she's on _ fire! _...Go, Prairie Dog! I DON'T ACTUALLY THINK YOU'LL REACH THE END AND STUFF, BUT YOU LOOK COOL, SO I'LL LET YOU HAVE SOME OF MY FAVORITE SODA WHEN I SEE YOU BACK HERE IN A COUPLE OF MIIIINUTES~!" I hear Kokichi call after me, clearly due to the fact he can't see me anymore.

I keep moving, breathing carefully and feeling some sense of comfort in the fact that I don't need to really think hard with my intuition handling everything.

_ Well, if this doesn't work and I can't leave, I'll have a lot to explain for when I get back. _

Once my intuition halts me, I slowly open my eyes and bite my lip when I find myself in that spot Kokichi and Rantaro found me earlier today, somewhat dizzy. Reaching up when my nostrils tickle, I pull my hand back and grimace at the sight of blood on my fingertips.

"Alright, what do I do here…" I mutter to myself, walking to the edge and…

My gaze drops down to the pit in front of me. It's the same pit I fell in before...the one with that interesting vent my feet slammed into on the way down.

Should I leave before I've explored that vent?

What does it lead to?

What if it's something important?

I stare at it long enough that I don't even realize I'm leaning forward until I feel my imbalance and make an effort to try pinwheeling my arms to straighten myself up again. When I realize it's no use, I shut my eyes and scold myself for leaning over so much, preparing my intuition yet again so I don't end up falling too far where I'll miss the opening.

With confidence in my intuition, I put out my hands and grunt when I catch hold of a ledge, feeling the strain of my arms as I stop and slam against the side of the pit. I open my eyes at that point, eyes flicking around as I hang there on that vent I'd discovered before.

It's pitch black...I can see the light above, but it's so dark where I am that anyone looking down where I'm hanging likely wouldn't be able to see me.

Swallowing thickly, I eventually pull myself up into the vent and let out a small breath of relief as I lay belly down inside. It's not too narrow, but it's good I didn't bring a backpack of food or it wouldn't have fit at all.

I wipe the blood from my nose and look over my options for a moment.

I can turn around and start from the beginning, but the chances the others will let me are slim to none...maybe Kokichi and Maki wouldn't care, if Maki doesn't strangle me first, but Shuichi and Kirumi might stop me. If I'm unlucky enough, Rantaro might already be there waiting for me to come back.

There's that...or I can crawl deeper into this vent and maybe risk getting stuck down there if it gets too narrow or hard to breathe. Which is riskier than the other option, but…

...

Despite my uncertainty, and I don't know if it's because I'm light headed or just stupid, I crawl deeper to appease my curiosity and cross my fingers that just maybe I'll find something useful down this precarious path.

Anything is better than being around that lot right now.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 3.9 - Detour_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
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[Prairie Marble Sprites 1 & 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)   

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[Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)   

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[Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)   

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[Prairie Character Wiki](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189165230060/character-wiki)   

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[Prairie Marble BETAS (Old Art)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189395517695/i-found-my-betas-for-prairie-ooooooo-okay-so)   

> 
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[String Theory Cover V.10](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189845347040/string-theory-drv3-cover-v10-v10-39)   



	39. Delusional

❀ _**3.10 - Delusional**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_I regret this entirely and I take back all that stupid drama I caused...kinda. No, I guess I don't regret my outbursts actually. I still can't believe Maki tried to grab me by my hair though, what the heck was that?! That hurt!_

I pause in my exploration to catch my breath and lift a hand to touch some of the locks behind my head. Did she pull some of my hair out? Sure feels like it, I've been crawling forever and my scalp is still crying from the pain. 

Speaking of crawling though...the longer I'm down here, the more I'm starting to believe this was a mistake. I was originally under the impression every vent reasonably leads somewhere else to get air from one part of a building to another, but I'm pretty sure almost no air is circulating down here. And even if there is some sort of exit ahead, it might end up being too far for me to reach on this little of oxygen.

Maybe I should turn back now. If I keep trudging on with air like this, I'll probably pass out. Not to be too morbid or take death lightly, but I don't want the others to somehow find my body stuck in a godforsaken vent. For one, it would be pretty embarrassing watching Kokichi laugh at me for my dramatic exit only to die from mere suffocation as a result of my own hubris.

Of course, that's on the condition an afterlife even exists for me to look down on the living, but whatever. Point made.

…

Instead of turning around and admitting defeat in my escape fantasy, I grit my teeth and calm my nerves in the darkness of the tunnel, progressing forward. It's a good thing I don't have anything like claustrophobia, or I'd have panicked and passed out earlier. That fact doesn't make me any less happy about crawling through vents…

_ Well, maybe you should have sucked it up and taken Rantaro's offer to try better rather than avoided him like this. He climbed up a shelf after you, that has to count for something, right? _

Ugh! It doesn't though! He probably would have nodded like a bobble head to whatever I was saying to gain my trust back! And after hearing me out, he'd just go on and take advantage of my naivety again. Stupid Rantaro.

_ You don't know that. You can't say he wouldn't have if you didn't give him a chance to try. _

"Gah, I don't _ care!" _ I snap out loud, gasping a little and slapping my hands over my mouth. My body goes stock still as I wait for repercussions. Maybe an Exisal bursting through the narrow space to grab me or a monokub appearing to tell me they're gonna do so in advance?

Silence follows the echo of my shouting. After a few minutes of waiting for some sort of jump scare punishment, I frown and uncover my mouth. Nothing's happening…

Following a moment of trying to rationalize this, I eventually sigh and laugh to myself a little. 

Okay, so maybe the monokubs wouldn't jump scare me considering none of them have access to cameras (wherever they may be) like Monokuma, but I shouldn't have to hide the fact I'm in these vents regardless. Monokuma has eyes everywhere so there's no doubt he must know where I am even now. Never mind the fact his lack of action to stop me probably means that my exploration is likely to end in disappointment, but still.

"Not gonna stop me, Monokuma? Are you sure you should still be underestimating me like this?" I call out after a second of debate with myself. My voice echoes loudly in the vent, allowing me to listen as it travels both forward where I'm headed and back where I came from. Echolocation? Probably not as fine tuned as maybe a bat's, but oh well.

Nothing happens. No snarky voice appearing out of nowhere to prove me otherwise, no laughter from any jolly murder-happy bear.

"Monokuuumaaa…" I call out again, voice taking on a dry tone. "Even if you pretend like I'm somehow winning or out of your surveillance, I know you're still listening," I say out loud, crawling onwards with an eye roll. "In fact, this probably has been set up by you to bring me down even more, hasn't it? At this point, I have your patterns all figured out. Better start coming up with better ploys or I'm gonna start taking advantage of it!"

Once again, it's just me and my own voice down here.

"...Can you at least say _ something _so I'm not down here talking to myself like a loon?" I ask, glaring ahead in the darkness as I keep crawling on. It's embarrassing to be talking to myself, but admittedly it fills the agonizing silence.

_ If he's trying to trick me into believing I'm out of surveillance, I guess he's not about to open his mouth to prove me the opposite. Can I goad him out then? _

"Monokuma is the worst game show mascot because of his ugly beer belly and protruding belly button, which ruins his so-called likeability."

"Monokuma's asymmetrical appearance is like a rejected pizza parlor animatronic, and he ranks the lowest possible score on popularity polls because of his terrible design."

"Monokuma has an intellect equivalent to a goldfish."

"Monokuma can hardly host a Sunday brunch, let alone a proper killing game."

"Monokuma smells like earwax."

"When people get Monokuma plushies, they dunk the doll's head in the toilet and flush it because that's where he belongs.

"Monokuma is a stupid name and whoever designed him could have done a whole lot better."

"Junko Enoshima only uses Monokuma as a mascot so she can watch him be blown to smithereens over and over again."

I eventually pause my insulting tirade and stop moving to catch my breath- which is noticeably harder to take in now than it was before. It almost feels as if the air is getting worse the deeper I get in here.

_I don't wanna start panicking or anything, but I don't think I can keep going...I feel lightheaded and I can barely breathe… _

_ … _

_ I've crawled long enough, time to swallow my pride and admit defeat by asking to get out. I'll deal with the backlash and embarrassment one way or another. _

"Alright, Monokuma. I give up. You win this round...I'll go back to the killing game and be the free-for-all target. Please just get me out of here, I feel like I'm going to faint if I don't get any fresh air in my lungs," I surrender out loud, letting out a breath as my nerves relax at the prospect of returning to the safe comfort of familiar faces and air circulated luxury…

Well, _ almost _safe. If Monokuma hadn't made it so it's essentially a "kill your friends" ordeal. Either way, I just want to be up top with those stupid heathens.

...Maybe I'll even give Rantaro the benefit of the doubt and try to talk things out. I only yelled at him in the warehouse because of _ course _ he still wasn't understanding things from my point of view. Well, I guess a little towards the end though, I feel like he was starting to see why his constant over-protectiveness only served to hurt me more.

I let out a sigh and roll over belly up, feeling the metal of the vent creak under my weight slightly. What's taking the stupid bear so long to finally drop the charade? Is he busy doing more important things? Or is he ignoring me?

_ If I have to crawl more to get out, fine, so be it. However, I still refuse to believe Monokuma isn't having a field day watching me. On the topic of Rantaro again though...I wonder what he meant by "having his reasons" for being overprotective. Was it more for a selfish agenda? Like when he said his concerns for me swayed on the level of self-serving favoritism? _

"Monokuma, I _ said _ I'm ready to go back," I try saying again for the killing game mascot's aid. Really, what is that bear doing? Wouldn't seeing me dying in the killing game be more interesting than having me die a lousy death to suffocation in these vents? _ "Monokuma!" _

…

"I know you can hear me, get me out of here, you-" I cut myself off before I can insult what is likely my only possible saving grace out of here. Probably doesn't help that I went and trash talked him so much _ already... _in fact, maybe that's why he hasn't fished me out of here yet.

That's lame of him.

_ In that case, I guess I'll keep moving until I hear something then. _

Of course, I'm not with any true doubts, but I continue to push away the possibility of the alternative as to why Monokuma isn't pulling me out of here yet. Firstly, Monokuma loves to play around with us, especially _ me, _ which is what makes the alternative so much harder to believe. Second, the idea of Monokuma not knowing the cage of the killing game front-to-back inside-and-outside, is really odd when we remember the ones that trapped us here _ should _ know that stuff- and in extension _ Monokuma _should know as well. It wouldn't be any good of a killing game if the unwilling participants escaped simply because the organization overlooked a few vents and whatnot...like I'm currently doing. That is if I believed Monokuma couldn't see me, which I don't.

_ What if he can't though? What if I've actually escaped the killing game? What if I'm on my way to freedom? _

And that's the reason I don't want to think of the alternative. _ Hope. _

Kokichi made a valid point noticing the fact Monokuma seems to relish in building hope and then promptly crushing it at its peak.

Resuming my crawl to god knows where, my brain eventually gives up on the struggle of brainstorming when I feel a wave of nausea wash over me. I've been relatively dizzy since I first crawled down here, but that nausea has come and gone- each time getting stronger and harder to ignore. Paired with bad air circulation, it's a crock-pot recipe for a disaster oncoming.

Monokuma must definitely be enjoying this, I can't see him but I'll bet one hundred percent he's eating popcorn.

...Then again, he _ is _a robot, so I guess eating popcorn is impossible at least for him.

_ "Prairie, what's wrong?" _

Startled at Rantaro's voice in the dark and spooked at how close to my ear it sounds, I flinch and bang my head hard against the top of the vent. I yelp and flail around a little in the pitch black void until all I can hear is my rapidly beating heart. Knowing my eyes are no use down here no matter how much I blink and squint, I compensate for my lack of vision by turning my ear in the direction I've crawled from instead and steady my breath to listen carefully. Once I'm in position, I strain my hearing and force my thumping heart to relax a smidgen.

Silence.

At least, at _ first _ I think I hear nothing, which is logical enough all things considered. Rantaro couldn't possibly follow me down this vent- even if he knew where it was and wanted to follow. From what I can tell, the vent is too narrow for someone his size. His broad shoulders would _ never _fit in as small of a space as this.

Taking into account the sizes of everybody in the killing game, there are only four other people small enough to go down these vents: Ryoma, Himiko, Angie, and Kokichi. Maki _ maybe, _but that's a very big maybe in regards to even her.

So to hear that disembodied voice...it's not settling at all. I don't hear another voice, but eventually as I sit there quietly and wait for another strange happening, I almost think I hear..._ shuffling _ a good ways behind me. I can't tell if it's the result of paranoia from crawling about down here and my brain noticing spooks that aren't there out of pure anticipation, or if it's hallucinations from every unhealthy thing wrong I'm doing right now. Need I repeat how badly I feel from straining myself?

Whether what I hear is actually there or not, I turn forward again and continue crawling just a little faster, wiping another tickle of blood from my nostrils.

I want to say I'm okay and I knew what I was signing up for when I crawled in there to begin with, but admittedly, I didn't. There's no explaining why I don't hesitate toeing Monokuma's lines or climbing a wall where falling means certain death when I still somehow seem nervous of the dark. Either way, I pick up the pace and-

"GAH!" I yelp, leaning forward onto my hand only to find no more platform beneath me. It's too late to reel back at this point. With a grunt on my part, my face hits the metal wall ahead and I slide down quickly until I'm tumbling down and banging every part of my body awkwardly and painfully on the way down. 

Every tangle of limbs in the small space may hurt, but it seems to slow my descent until I manage to maneuver my body into a safe and proper landing using my intuition, landing down on my back with one last outcry of pain after the pathetic orchestra of echoing screams I let out all the way down. The ground feels uneven and craggy...whatever it looks like, it'll probably leave an imprint of its texture on my back with how hard I landed on it.

_ Ah, yes. Let's re-bruise the old bruises and add some new ones to enhance the portrait of pain that is the tapestry of my body. _

I lay there for quite a while recuperating, hoping and praying Monokuma will pop out and finally quit on this joke of not knowing where I am. Of course, as the minutes tick by, nothing changes. I just lay there flat on my back with my legs still propped up from the vent path I'd fallen down from.

"I hope you're enjoying this…" I grumble, a wave of dizziness rolling over me yet again. I'm breathing hard and nothing I'm inhaling seems to satisfy my demanding lungs enough.

_ "Oh, I am! I'm enjoying this immensely!" _

My head whips around and I struggle to sit up, a hiss of pain escaping between my clenched teeth before I'm feeling around for another path towards the sound of Monokuma's voice. Placing my hands on the side to my left results in no path and more wall. Turning to my right is the same thing, but the unease doesn't settle in until I feel around and realize I'm surrounded by walls completely.

_ "Now, don't panic just yet, Miss Marble! With as little air as there is down here, you don't want to pass out, do you? You might just not wake up if you pass out here!" _

"Get me out of here!" I shout, feeling around the walls and then standing up when my mind begins to form some scary and very real possible outcomes as a result of this predicament.

What if I get stuck in here? Will I die of starvation? Dehydration? Suffocation? I had my concerns earlier, yes, but they didn't feel real thinking of them then. Now here I am trying to climb this vent and my hands are slipping…

I can't find any grips on this wall and my hands are starting to become clammy and sweaty.

I'm not claustrophobic, but all of a sudden I can feel the walls getting smaller and smaller around me. The air is getting thinner and I can't tell if it's my mind playing tricks or if the air really _ is _ becoming sparse by the second. Just noticing that has me on the brink of hyperventilating to find oxygen, but I slap my hand over my mouth and try to ignore Monokuma's laughter from wherever he is.

This is what he wanted, isn't it? To kill me down here. He never wanted my death to be spectacular at all, he just wanted to get rid of me…!

"Let me out! _ Let me out of here! I want to go back, PLEASE!" _I beg, only trying to climb the vent again when I have my breathing somewhat regulated again, if panicked and wrecked with wheezes of fear counts as "somewhat" regulated. Regardless of my efforts, there is no way out. My fingertips find the slightest of ridges between the metal panels of wall, but climbing it would be inconceivable.

_ I can't climb this. _

_ "You whaaat? I'm sorry, but after all the pain and hassle you've given us, I think this is even better of an outcome than I could have ever imagined! You're out of my hair and now I don't need to be concerned about you ruining things for everyone else." _ I can practically hear and see that evil bear and his grinning face in the dark, laughing at me for putting myself down here. _ "You won't get any help from me, that's for sure! Get yourself out of this. Just like you always have." _

"You can't just leave me down here, the others won't let you get away with this!" I shout. The echo of my voice sounds so weak and desperate when it comes back to my ears. If I didn't feel so trapped and antagonized right now maybe I'd care, but I can't bring myself to at the moment.

_ "They wouldn't? But they already have! Nobody here wants to see you ever again! If they did, you'd have already been fished out of there!" _

_ "Liar! _ Let me out!" I scream, slamming my fists on the vent walls. "If you don't get me out and I manage to get out of here myself, _ you will regret this. You'll wish you killed me yourself. SO GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE." _

All I hear is that bear's laughter in response to my threats and fit of rage, leaving me scrambling in that small space. I let out a piercing scream of rage when Monokuma's voice and laugh dies out, clawing once more at the vent walls until my fingers ache and my nails peel. Throwing myself every which way to find an exit that doesn't exist, I eventually stop my animalistic screeching tantrum, panting desperately for air. 

I feel like I'm going to be sick. I can't climb out of here, I can't breathe, I feel like I'm about to lose all that food Kirumi fed me.

I can't do anything here.

_ "Prairie." _

My heart stops and I feel a sliver of hope worm its way into my heart at the sound of the comforting deep velvet voice. Rantaro! I knew I heard him before! There was no mistaking it!

"Rantaro! Please help me! I can't get out and I'm trapped down here! I-I can't breathe, I want to go back to the killing game! I don't wanna be here anymore…!" I call out as tears spring from my tear ducts, rolling down my cheeks in thick globules that sting my eyes. I have to blink to try stopping the pain and rubbing my eyes only seems to make the sting worse. "I'm sorry I'm s-stubborn and-and so troublesome and selfish...I'll think more about the others, I promise! I'll do better…! I don't want to be here anymore, please don't let Monokuma leave me down here!"

Hopeful to hear some response to help me get out, I sniff up the build-up of mucus in my nostrils and try to stop my rapid hiccups and cracked inhales, hands pressed up against the vent walls. My fingers feel numb and my nail beds hurt, but I could care less about that pain. Rantaro will make the pain go away, right? He always does, he fixed my arm before and he's helped dress the other cuts I've gotten when disobeying him…

There's no answer for a long moment.

With a labored breath and a furrowed brow of worry, I strain to listen for him again but only grow frustrated with my uncontrollable sharp inhales midst my messy emotional state.

And then I hear him.

_ "It's out of my hands, Prairie. You know, it's better this way. When I gave you that demotive video to break your spirit, my intentions were to make it easier for the others to kill you, of course at the cost of revealing something particularly nasty about myself that you could potentially share...which you did." _

...What?

_ "Now this means I only need to get rid of Shuichi to clean up after this mess. It's been fun while its lasted, but it's time to end this fiasco. Goodbye, Prairie...you've been a great killing game contestant," _I hear coming from the voice of Rantaro before I'm left with frozen dead silence in that pitch black pit of a vent.

My dazed and dizzy mind has to replay his words several times in my head to make connections- feeble weak ones since I can barely think straight now. All I know is that there's only one reason as to why Rantaro would say that and why he'd even be able to talk to me down here at all in the first place.

I don't want to think about it.

So instead, I slide down the wall to the uncomfortable textured ground of the pit and pull my legs up against my chest. I don't know how long I sit there crying quietly, but eventually I pass out. From emotion or lack of air, who knows.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Has it been hours? I can't tell how much time has passed, mostly because I keep fainting. My stomach has been in pain and whenever I try to ignore it by falling asleep, it never works. The only way I get peace is when I faint, which isn't that great of a feeling in itself.

My stomach hurts to the point where I can tell something is wrong, and for some reason it doesn't feel like…just hunger. It feels like there's another problem. Like I ate something bad...but how could I? There's nothing down here to eat.

_ I wish I brought food...it wouldn't have fit, but I still wish I brought food… _

When an ache travels across my stomach, I growl back at my unsettled tummy. There's no reason I should have to deal with this. I don't deserve to feel sick. I don't deserve to feel hungry. I don't deserve to be stuck down here.

A nasty scowl forms over my features, which feel crusty from dried tears. Replaying Rantaro's words, I only feel anger build up slowly in my core, growing more and more the longer I think about how he treated me.

So I never mattered to begin with? We were never friends? All those words of kindness, his overprotectiveness, his time spent chasing me around...that was all supposedly _ nothing? _ It all felt real to me. Even after the dumb demotive video, he still had what I'd like to say was a tangible sense of honesty with his interactions regarding me.

_ He played me. _

_ I shouldn't have to be stuck down here wallowing. _

_I should be up there where I can teach him a lesson for playing with a girl's feelings. I should beat the living crap out of him for lying to all of us. For...being the _ ** _stupid _ ** _ mastermind._

** _I can't do any of that if I'm still down here._ **

Fired up and pissed off beyond belief, I get back on my feet and steady myself. Screw being dizzy. I have a stupid idiot jerk up there whose butt needs some massive kicking.

I feel around carefully again and then close my eyes, letting my intuition see if there's a way out.

_…_

_Underneath is a fan to circulate air that is no longer working. From my initial fall, it's much weaker and can be kicked through if necessary. _

The best news I've heard in forever.

With that in mind, I can probably just jump and slam my feet down, but that's only if I want to go falling like I did earlier. Instead, I press my back into one end of the wall and then brace my feet up against the other, holding myself up before I start kicking down hard with my free left foot.

And I hear Rantaro again.

_ "Are you sure you want to try that? What part of 'we don't want you here' did you not understand?" _

_ This voice doesn't echo and comes from no point of origin. This voice isn't there. It's an auditory hallucination caused by stress and low amounts of oxygen. _

I pause in my kicking to open my eyes and relax a bit at that revelation. It came unprompted simply after hearing Rantaro's voice again...but besides that oddity, his voice is just a hallucination? 

So then...Rantaro is not the confirmed mastermind and no one is talking to me down here. Not even Monokuma.

_ "Prairie, if you come back up here, I'll make sure the next victim is Tenko. I'll make Gonta snap her neck. I'll make Maki put a bullet between Kokichi's eyes. I'll personally cut open Shuichi like a pig. Is that what you want?" _

It sounds so real...listening to it makes me feel awful. I don't like Rantaro's voice saying those kinds of bloodthirsty things, it's horrible.

If only I could fill the silence with something. I'd try making conversation to myself, but that went awful last time I tried. It seemed like my every statement was answered by my delusional brain trying to villainize Rantaro.

What should I do then?

_ "Why don't you keep talking to us?" _

The voice is Kaede's this time, and I shiver violently at its familiarity. I can feel it licking my ear, permeating the thick ringing in my eardrums from my dizziness even though it's not really there. 

Maybe it's all my guilt flinging itself in my face.

Humming softly under my breath a song I only know a tune of simply to fill the silence, I brace myself in the vent again and start kicking at it. When I hear the sound of metal giving away under my foot followed by a scrape of metal against metal, I gasp in surprise.

The scraping continues until it hits a bottom, which I'm pleased to hear is not too far at all. In fact, I release my position on the wall and drop down to land on my feet with little to no trouble at all. 

_ Yes, I'm out! I'm not so angry as I was before since I know I'm only hallucinating the voices now, so I guess I won't be beating Rantaro up when I see him again… _

_ ...For now. _

I smile to myself at the thought.

_ "Don't feel so relieved just yet. You still don't know if-" _

"Oh, put a cork in it," I mutter to the voice trying to make me crumble, rubbing my aching belly as I bend down and crawl through another path in the vent system to keep progressing onwards. "Stupid disembodied loony-bin voice..."

Although I get the trick behind my brain trying to self-sabotage me, I continue singing to myself and ignoring every attempt by the made up voices to get me to do something stupid or bring me down emotionally. To think I was put in such an emotional state all because of a little stuffy air and some trick of my ears...how stupid.

I'm only crawling for maybe a good hour or so when I run into an area where the air is noticeably clearer. It's still not the most satisfying, but definitely better than it is deeper in the vent_ . _

Just that alone is enough to make hope rise inside me.

_ Am I getting closer to an exit? _

I keep crawling and then squeak in surprise when my face bumps into a wall, one with gratings and...some light coming through them. It's very dim, but considering how much darkness I've been in thus far, it's still hard to look at since my retinas keep stinging in complaint.

Wiggling to readjust my position and only pausing at a minor stomach ache, I turn and kick my legs against the grating. The slamming sound echoes into the space around me, up until my legs kick it out and extend outward completely into the new room. There! Finally I'm out of this stupid vent!

I slip out of the small space, kicking aside the grating so I don't step on it coming out. Once I'm on both feet in the new room, I inhale a greedy breath of air and lean back against a wall to relax my nerves.

...Actually, the air quality is no better here than it was in the vent, I think. Maybe my brain is only trying to make me think it's better because I'm at least out of that cramped up nightmare? Possibly. 

Either way, I stretch out my body before tackling whatever I've walked into and look around. 

_ Okay, now where am I? _

Feeling more than a little wary knowing I'm still likely to hallucinate things, my eyes study what little of the space around me is simply lit. Being in the light for a while has allowed my vision to accustom to it, and despite that, the light only hits a fraction of the room from what I can see. It's a big room though, that much I can tell.

_ I wish I had a flashlight to see in here, but maybe if I walk along the wall there'll be a light switch or something. _

With my hands feeling around, I place both palms on the wall that's behind me and start carefully following it up until I bump into a structure maybe three or four steps ahead in my path. My knees hit it first and I fall right over it with a squeak. 

The horrible feeling in my stomach envelopes me with a piercing sharp pain as soon as my belly slams down on the large object. It feels awful…it's almost crippling at this point, enough that I'm now almost totally sure it's not me being hungry that's causing the pain. 

All I ate was the food Kirumi prepared me…did I forget something I'm maybe allergic to? Even so, Kirumi seems to already know Perfect Blitz, so I assume she probably has knowledge if I have any food allergies, and what those may be if that's the case. 

Once the pain in my stomach momentarily subsides following the strong wave, I realize slowly that the structure beneath me is a desk simply by running my hands along it studiously.

"Oh, whoops-" I huff when my arm hits something, wincing at the sound of a fragile ceramic or glass item shattering on the floor. Felt sort of like a potted plant. Well, nothing to do but keep walking till I find a light…

Several bumps, bruises and grumbles of anger later, I feel something akin to a metal box that's hanging on the wall. I can't see anything over here, but it feels sort of like a fuse box- which I eventually manage to open so I can drag my hands over the inside. 

I feel a large switch among some other unidentifiable things, wrapping my fingers around it and pulling it up. Almost immediately, I'm throwing my hands over my face with a complaint at the sudden flood of light. 

There's so much that even though my eyes are closed, I can still see the flash of the lights dimming promptly after the fuse box bursts beside me. I yelp and step back from it, rubbing my eyes clear of the last stinging sensation before I can finally see the room I'm in. 

It looks like a completely normal office space. The room has several rows of dusty desks and work materials such as computers, keyboards, and a few fake potted plants here and there. Everything is organized in their rightful places, but some of the monitors and desks are covered by plastic. Similar to the kinds used when painting a room or to cover furniture in a dusty old house.

_ Okay, this begs the question: why are there computers down here and why does everything look so old? What is the purpose of having computers down here underground? Did Dangaonronpa's organization actually have some of their employees down here at some point? _

I buckle over a little and wrap my arms around my belly, coughing into a fist and sliding down to my knees for a moment. Everything aches. My stomach, my muscles, my bones...all of it. This doesn't feel similar to backlash from overusing my intuition at all.

There's no way I'm going to let this get in the way of investigating. I may not be the Ultimate Detective or an investigator at all by any stretch of the imagination, but I trust my instincts. Besides, if I can bring this information to Shuichi, maybe he can help make something out of it.

Once I feel somewhat better, I climb back up to my feet and start going around to check the computers, pulling plastic covers off of each one and attempting to power at least one on. 

As I continue past the broken computers, I can't help but look at all the potted plants on the desks. Each one is different, and now with the lights on, I can see that one of them ahead of me is pretty damn wacky looking. I'm not sure if the person that used to work at that particular desk had some sort of unique sense of humor or what, but I guess it's amusing it's lasted so long without collecting dust.

The rest of the flowers are dusty looking and some are even broken, but not that one. I can't help but look at it every time I try to focus. It's just so _ odd. _

When I finally reach the weird flower, I pause in my attempts to turn on the computer on it's same desk and stare at it curiously. This particular freak of nature flower is in the best condition of all the fake desk flora from what I can see. It's stem is thick and completely straight like a stalk, going up to a large bowing bulbous flower head that's a bright turquoise blue with some navy speckles here and there.

_ It almost looks like something out of a video game… _

I start to reach out to touch it before halting when I notice something off about it and follow down it's stalk.

The thing looks to be "over growing" out of its pot. There's long fine strands of grass coming out of the pot where I can see something different tangled in its leaves. Leaning over to inspect it closer, I laugh a little when I realize it's a more normal looking fake rose tangled up in the leaves of the vibrant plant. Before I can reach out and push the leaves aside to look at the flower, the computer at that desk lights up and I can't help but gasp.

It works! SOMETHING works here!

"Yes!" I cheer in a low voice, ignoring the pain in my stomach in favor of ripping off a plastic sheet over the chair in front of the desk and taking a seat as the computer powers up.

The computer runs through an initial startup with the logo of the operating system: Portal GX7, apparently. It's not familiar to me whatsoever, and I eye every aspect of it curiously. I don't know any other sort of specific computer operating system as is, only the concept of them. Sadly, my amnesia doesn't make things easy for me.

It loads to a login, making me frown when I see a password is necessary to enter the work computer for one "Hiro Watanabe". Hovering the mouse over the question mark beside the login, a hint for the password pops up.

_ "Cat's name." _

...Something tells me this is going to be harder to answer than simply typing "Mittens".

For the sake of the laugh, I type it in and make a gesture at the computer like I'm using magic.

"Open Sesameee~_ " _I say, right before hitting the enter button.

I can't help but burst into painful laughter when it _ actually _logs me me, only to clutch at my stomach and start heaving in thick gasps of air when the pain overrides my amusement. I still feel awful.

_ Maybe I can use my intuition to check what's wrong with me? I might be setting myself up for sudden backlash at any moment though, I used it several times already… _

Despite going the logical route and just dealing with the pain, I close my eyes deciding this place should be somewhat safe enough to pass out in if it really gets so bad. So, intuition friend. Why do I feel like dirt?

_ Sick. _

…? That's it? Give me something more!

_ Very sick. _

I open my eyes and stare dryly at the computer ahead of me. By "more" I was not referring to getting an extra word, but okay. Then I'm sick...clearly my intuition doesn't know _ how _I'm sick, but it at the very least confirms it's not just me starving to death here. I guess that's that, I don't have anyone like Kirumi here to figure out what's wrong with me and I'm no professional on this. All I can do is keep investigating.

I move the mouse over the "documents" application and double click, letting out a heavy huff. There's less in here than I would have thought...just three files, actually.

Well, I guess I'll go through them one by one.

I click the first PDF file and it opens a new application, showing a red loading circle before opening to a page with the title, _ "Gofer Project Concept". _ Alright, let's see where this rabbit hole leads me then.

_The Gofer Project: _

_ The destruction of the Earth is inevitable here, therefore the most that can be done is to preserve the human race outside of the planet. That's where the "Gofer Project" comes in. In regards to this plan, sixteen prestigious high school students each with the most useful talents are chosen to continue on as the Adams and Eves of the future. _

_ Entertainers__: _ _Pianist, Magician, Artist, Tennis Player _

_ Protection__: _ _Adventurer, Assassin, Neo Aikido, Astronaut, Supreme Leader _

_ Cultivation__: _ _Entomologist, Adventurer(2), Inventor, Artist(2) _

_ History__: _ _Anthropologist, Artist(3), Detective, Robot _

_ Clothing__: _ _ Cosplayer, Maid, Entomologist(2) _

_ Healthcare__: _ _Maid(2), Adventurer(3), Assassin(2) _

_ Guidance__: _ _Supreme Leader(2), Detective(2), Adventurer(4) _

_ Log__: _ _Robot(2)_

_Because the sixteen students refuse to abandon their friends and family, they go against this plan to save human-kind by running away. Despite their efforts, they return to the company when mobs going by the name The Ultimate Hunt tries to sabotage the mission by attempting to kill the Ultimate Students. In an effort to keep them safe during the production of creating a space ark for travel to a new planet to colonize, the student's memories are erased entirely and they become different people._

_ The Ark is the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles._

…

Did I just read someone's fictional story idea based on the others in the killing game? What the heck is this?

I scan the document again, but eventually lean back in my chair and stare at the glowing monitor in thought. My face is hot and my body is still complaining incessantly at whatever this sickness of mine is, enough that a thin sheen of sweat is starting to cover my forehead. As much as I'd like to curl up and wait till I'm better, I shake my mind out of my concerns to examine the...weirdness I've found.

So this document says we're essentially in a spaceship or something in outer space because the Earth is destroyed- I guess headed to find a new planet to…recolonize. 

_ ..._Multiply.

...Make more humans.

My cheeks suddenly burn like fire when Rantaro's face pops in my mind automatically without any prompting, making me squeal loudly and reach up to pull my hair over my features. I duck in my arms for a moment so I'm not so horrified and embarrassed, resisting the urge to just pass out right there. The motion makes another wave of pain rush around my belly, but eventually I manage to get past that embarrassing note and continue on.

Okay, back to the document. If I'm to understand this correctly, we're the last humans left.

But something doesn't add up. What about all the other killing games? What about the organization, Danganronpa? They're the ones pulling the strings. I at least _ remember _being thrown in a van with their logo on it. We all remembered it at one point in the beginning! That couldn't have been long ago...and also, this document only talks about the other sixteen. There's no mention of a seventeenth Ultimate- not even as upstanding as Perfect Blitz, the Ultimate Rock Climber.

This goes to show that the document about the school and the cage being a spaceship is hokey, right?

…

I click out of that file and open the next, greeted with a PDF of a news article with the front page reading in the largest font, _ "The Ultimate Demise"._

The Ultimate Demise: 

_ As of [REDACTED], it's confirmed the last Ultimate said to have been elected to be part of the Gofer Project is found dead due to unknown circumstances. Cause of death: ruled to be an accidental slip and head trauma, finished off by falling in a body of water with no aid around to assist. No foul play suspected. Victim's name: Kokichi Oma, also known as The Ultimate Supreme Leader to followers of the Gofer Project. All participants being deceased puts the Gofer Project at its end entirely. _

Kokichi? Hm...well, he's not exactly the most pleasant person, but thankfully that leech faced jerk isn't dead. Would this be one of the "fake death" announcements mentioned in the other file regarding the Ultimates?

I move on to the next PDF file in the computer. It's another file similar to the first. Reading is getting a bit difficult, but I just focus on understanding it rather than racing to finish reading it.

_The Ultimates List:_

_ Kaede Akamatsu - Pianist - The First Murderer. _

_ Rantaro Amami - Survivalist/Adventurer- The First Victim. _

What the hell is this supposed to be?

_ Kirumi Tojo - Maid - The Second Murderer. _

_ Ryoma Hoshi - Tennis Player - The Second Victim. _

No, really. What the actual _ hell _am I looking at?

_ Korekiyo Shinguji - Anthropologist - The Third Murderer. _

_ Angie Yonaga - Artist - The Third Victim. _

_ Tenko Chabashira - Aikido Master - The Fourth Victim. _

_Gonta Gokuhara - Entomologist - The Fourth Murderer. _

_ Miu Iruma - Inventor - The Fifth Victim. _

_ Kaito Momota - Astronaut - The Fifth Murderer. _

_ Kokichi Oma - Supreme Leader - The Sixth Victim. _

I'm staring quietly at the computer monitor, a knotted up ball of discomfort, pain, rage, and frustrated confusion. I don't understand any of this...they're fake, right? None of this can be real, it clashes with what I already know. And on top of that, _ no one _can just go and predict how any of us are going to act…unless this is a sort of manipulation guide that Danganronpa wanted to follow? And we're off course entirely?

Kaede's face after trying to strike me with the shot put ball and Rantaro's frozen face of disbelief after I told him what had happened with her pop in my head.

..._ Because of me? _

Monokuma hadn't seemed bothered to lead Kaede astray into attacking me, so maybe this manipulative guide was discarded. Rantaro...is still alive. As for Miu, I don't even know about her current state since she's been dismissed from the killing game.

_ If we're in outer space like that stupid first document suggests, that would mean Monokuma's idea of us graduating from the killing game and "going home" is ejecting us into the vacuum of space then. Where else would Miu go if we're somehow not on Earth? Yeah, I don't buy us being in space at all. Yeah, we have an Ultimate Astronaut among us, but it's too far-fetched. Unless this underground area is a part of the Ark too somehow, there's no way were in a spaceship as big as this. Even the known size of the actual academy grounds itself brings me massive skepticism. _

Okay, I guess I'm choosing to reject this crazy information for the time being unless proven otherwise...but even as a last minute addition, why am I not mentioned at all? Not one file has _ anything _about me.

I start browsing the computer some more, reaching up to wipe some sweat off of my forehead. I think I'm breaking into a fever...I'm both chilly and overheating all at the same time, it's awful.

Although I'm initially concentrated and completely enveloped in searching the computer I'm at, I eventually give up on it and get up to try turning the other ones on.

Some of the computers work, some of them don't. Although the ones that work turn on, most of them are wiped of files entirely, or whatever is loaded on them is useless…or grossly inappropriate. I eventually return to that desk with the freaky alien flower and lean against the desk, hunching over it after a moment to catch my breath. It's almost incredible how bad I feel and when I see drops of blood land on the desktop, I laugh under my breath humorlessly. I did this to myself, I guess.

I can feel my ears pop a little as I stand there, as if they're trying to decide whether to join in the blood letting. Everything is spinning now and it's hard to hear anything other than the sound of my breathing and my racing blood.

Sometime in my daze, I notice movement out of the corner of my eye, only to realize I bumped my head into that weird fake flower on the desk. Whether it's due to the fact I'm dizzy or hallucinating some more, the flower almost seems to move as I put my hand and 

At first I cock my head in confusion when I see it open up like a banana, wondering just how realistic and concise my dream is with details.

It looks like there's something in the middle of it, so I squint and lean a bit closer to see it.

That's when the cloud of blue colored dust hits my face in a cold misty blast, making me launch back on my feet with a yelp as slap my hands over my face. Almost immediately I register my face is covered with the unidentifiable dust and go to slap and swipe it off quickly. 

Just that scare alone is enough to spook me to mild alertness simply from the rush of adrenaline. When I look up, I can see the blue flower is opened, its insides a saturated yellow hue with visible pistons and what almost looks to be a yellow green launcher, which I guess explains the dust in my face.

_ The flower...is it like a pranking prop? _

I wait a moment and then laugh to myself in relief when nothing happens. It was just a stupid trick that was never triggered, likely made by office workers with way too much time on their hands.

I don't know when, but eventually all the strain on my body finally has me deciding to knock out over the desk. Specifically after sweeping the keyboard and mouse out of the way where I can rest my head in my arms.

_ When I wake up again...I'll do more research. Whether Monokuma sees me or not, it's apparent no one is planning on stopping me. _

Maybe after some sleep, all those documents I've read will make better sense to me.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.10 - Delusional**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble BETAS (Old Art)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189395517695/i-found-my-betas-for-prairie-ooooooo-okay-so)  

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.10](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189845347040/string-theory-drv3-cover-v10-v10-39)  

> 
> [Prairie: "Bite Me" ](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189989465730)  



	40. Scared of the Dark

❀ **_3.11 - Scared of the Dark_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

My eyes snap open and I wheeze what feels like thin strings of air into my lungs. I thought I'd feel better when I woke up, but I don't. If anything, I feel _ worse _ now.

_ I'm on the floor...I don't even remember sliding out of the desk chair. _

My throat and mouth are in pain. _ Agonizing _ pain. I feel like I'm dying from the inside, but I don't understand how? My throat is constricted from swelling and every breath I take only serves to make me feel worse as the burning sensation I feel in my mouth heightens when the cool air hits it. It even travels up my throat from my gut, leaving a trail of fire in its wake and-

Suddenly, I roll over and lurch up to my knees weakly as the contents clawing up my esophagus forces its way out of my body. The burning in my throat is more severe now, some of it even coming out of my nostrils. I hate everything about it, but this will likely make me feel better, right? I'll feel okay again once whatever made me sick is out of my system?

As if fate is to mock me, I don't feel better. Even several gags later after everything is more or less purged, I still feel dreadful. Nothing, not pride or bravery can stop the tears flowing down my face as a miserable mantra makes itself known in my head.

_ I want to go home. _

It's pathetic that what I associate to be "home" is the killing game. It's sad, depressing, and it speaks volumes of the sad fears I've been harboring and denying for a while.

Namely that I'm scared I'll never actually get any of my real memories back outside of my intuition taking advantage of forgotten skills. Shouldn't they have come back already? Shouldn't I remember my family? The blurry face of Aika that's a black square in my mind?

I somewhat remember things a few flashes regarding that girl, but it's nothing large enough to count as worthwhile recollection. It's like I'm being taunted by my own mind.

I'm thrust out of my thoughts as I curl up and weakly shift away from the mess I've made, wiping the excess of drool from my mouth. I feel like a dog with how much saliva is flowing from my mouth...not to mention that all the fluid in my jaw doesn't help with the fact I can barely breathe right now. 

_ Maybe it was never the vent having "thin air" or "no circulation". It's probably whatever's caused me to feel so sick...in that case, it wasn't that pranking prop either, was it? _

I weakly turn my head to look for it, only to see the distorted desks around me grow taller- shooting past any reasonable desk height. My brain isn't doing any better than the rest of my body, so it would seem, but I can at least fluidly acknowledge I'm delirious.

How can a room as big as this appear like it's closing in on me?

I feel like someone has peeled my skull back and is prodding at my brains like dough.

I swallowed fire, but I don't know when. Now my insides are slowly burning up and becoming ash.

Why am I in so much pain? This isn't hunger, there's definitely something wrong with me…

_ Am I going to die here all alone? _

I can barely keep my eyes open at this point and I can't bare to look at the mess beside me. Focusing my vision on something far away past all the desks, I think I see something light moving around in the shadows. I can't tell if I'm really seeing anything or if I'm imagining it yet again, feeling the room move like I'm on a rocking boat.

_ I wish I never came down here. _

Starting to feel myself drift off, I close my eyes and eventually succumb to the tempting urge to separate myself from the reality that is my awful state.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

When I wake up again at some unidentifiable time, the first thing that I notice is my nose is itchy. Sniffing, I feel the tickle increase and eventually let out a sneeze. It takes a minute for me to realize I can breathe perfectly fine again, making me blink my dry eyes open.

It tastes like there's blood in my mouth… 

_ What happened…? I feel all...gross. _

I shift and push myself up a little, head hanging as I try to keep myself from falling over again from the discombobulated feeling in my skull. Nothing hurts anymore...but I feel incredibly exhausted now. My mouth is super dry and the taste of dry blood in my mouth doesn't really help me relax much considering that I'm just waking up.

_ ...The pain is gone? _

Waking up just a little more and collecting myself, I blink my crusty feeling eyes and eventually make out the spot where my head had been laying down on. There's blood- a _ lot _of it. Did I have some sort of backlash while I was out, or do I just not remember it happening?

In the process of looking at the blood on my clothes and touching the knots of my hair from said dried blood, I eventually notice the other mess a foot away from the dry blood and immediately recoil with a disgruntled noise of disgust. Although I'm absolutely tired, I shuffle away from the mess I chucked out earlier.

After all this time...well, at least I'm _ assuming _some reasonable time has passed since I collapsed. Either way, nobody has come to collect me yet. To be honest, when I say "no one" I really mean Monokuma. He's probably not eating popcorn to my suffering, now that I'm thinking about it.

If anything, that maniacal bear probably doesn't even know I'm suffering to begin with.

Besides that though, whatever was initially causing me those earlier symptoms of my difficulty breathing as well as the sharp burning pains in my mouth, throat, and stomach are now gone. Instead, I feel almost a cooling mint sensation now playing on the areas that once burned, replacing what was previously agonizing pain. Can't say I know what happened, but I can definitely say my current exhausted and worn state is dozens of times better than what I was going through when my own throat was trying to strangle me to death. Even if my face _ does _feel disgustingly crunchy and dry.

_ Maybe me vomiting actually _ ** _did_ ** _ end up helping me? I suppose that's the whole point of throwing up in the first place. As awful and completely unappealing it is, it's the process of getting rid of the bad stuff the easy way. _

God, if the experience wasn't pleasant though. What caused me to get so sick? I don't think that was an allergic reaction. It couldn't have been, right? I know those are probably awful in their own way, but…

I reach up to touch my lips again, feeling the crusted blood along my lower lip and mostly collected at the corners. There's a minty cooling sensation on my tongue when I trace the tip over my lip curiously. Disregarding the coppery flavor of blood, the cooling sensation is a lot like menthol if I had to describe it in some way.

An allergic reaction as drastic as what I went through would have been something anaphylactic. And if it _ was _anaphylaxis, I'm pretty sure I would be dead without medical attention, so that couldn't be the case. 

Then was it all a violent case of rebound? Up until this point, I assumed the backlash for abusing my intuition only resulted in headaches and bleeding from my facial...orifices...I mean, I did leave clear evidence of backlash next to the barf mountain, so no doubt some of that happened.

_ No, that doesn't feel right. I don't think the first symptoms related to my burning insides and difficulty breathing had anything to do with rebound. I clearly had the symptoms of it later, yes, but if anything they happened while I was already passed out. _

…

A memory I had from earlier re-enters my mind and I turn my head to look for the desk I'd been digging through. When I see the one monitor with a red light on the lower end of it, I crawl over to it and climb up on the chair shakily in search of it.

The flower.

...There's nothing there though.

Well, there's no "alien flower prop" to be specific. There's still a flower pot though, filled to the brim with the same overgrowth of untamed grass as well as the fake rose from before still entangled in it.

I blink at the pot owlishly a few times.

_ Did I imagine it? Did it actually exist, or was the flower a figment of my imagination too? _

Just to be sure, I push aside the leaves and even the entire pot itself to look for the blue flower. I even detangle the fake red one stuck in the grass and eventually get it free to give it a better look. As soon as I have it up though, eventually the fake red bulb of petals falls right off the stem and hits the table top with a soft poof. Looking around the desk, floor, and even my own clothes, I don't see remnants of the blue dust I remember being hurled at my face either. 

Only thing I can chalk it all up to being is that it wasn't there in the first place. If the prop had actually been there, it would _ still _be there now. It didn't just grow legs and walk off or anything.

Technically, someone could have come in and taken it, but I find it hard to believe that anybody, even a bad person, would simply walk by without reacting to my collapsed body in some way shape or form.

_ Which means I was sick and got through it in the end. That's all. _

I blow out a breath and flick the mouse to wake the computer up, going through the documents that are still up on the screen for a quick recap. When I finish brushing up on the information, I eye Rantaro's name on The Ultimates List document with a scowl.

How would Kaede have killed Rantaro? Would it have been for the same reason she'd tried to do me in? Suspecting he was the mastermind like she thought I was?

_ Well, I'm glad Rantaro is safe. I may have been upset with him, but I don't want him to get hurt...for reasons besides me biting him for being a jerk. _

I fold my arms over the table and sigh, casting my gaze down a little and letting my expression relax as I wait for the exhaustion roll over me for a second. Why didn't I just take his stupid hand and accept his apology? I know he meant what he said when he followed me up the shelves like the idiot he is. I _ know _he was fully intending on doing things better to restore our friendship to how it was in the beginning- heck, maybe even better than the friendship we started out with.

Maybe a part of me was willing to listen a little more to him, if only to ease some of his stress regarding my safety as well, but _ only _a little.

…

I lift my head and rest it on a fist, taking hold of the mouse again and forcing myself to stay focused. I click out of the documents and start opening the other computer applications to see if I can find more information to dig up. Eventually, with nothing of specific value or interest catching my attention, I eventually open the email application and lift my head in interest when I see some inbox message threads.

_ What's this? _

Opening the first email, my heart nearly jumps out of my ribcage when I see what's been sent to someone else in the Danganronpa organization. 

_ Head Director Saratoga, _

_ Please send me the storyboard form to correct the plot and subplots of the current 53rd season of Danganronpa. There are some changes I'd like to make following Shirogane Tsumugi's initial submission- which I know you are all as unhappy with as I am. Shirogane is taking the plot to an objectively "fanfiction-esque" direction, and no one has put their foot down to stop her, so I'm taking the first step in saying something. The fans of the series don't want the same old formula chewed up and spat out, they deserve so much more. I'm hoping we can come to an agreement to save this season from the same overused tropes of the past seasons. _

_ -Best Regards, _

_ Watanabe Hiro _

_ Team Danganronpa _

_ Story Board Artist _

  
  


Shirogane…Tsumugi.

I read it several times. Even after going over it and analyzing every word used, my brain finds no other way to interpret the email. 

Tsumugi? A submission for the plot of Danganronpa's _ fifty-third _season? 

_ …Rantaro isn't the mastermind! It's Tsumugi, isn't it? That lying-! _

My raging emotions settle somewhat when I reread the email, eyes scanning the email in an effort to organize my thoughts along with my knowledge of the other documents.

Tsumugi? A submission for the "plot" of Dangaonronpa's _ fifty-third _ season?

_ ...Rantaro isn't the mastermind of the killing game then! It's TSUMUGI! That lying cow-! _

My raging emotions settle as I straighten up and take a deep breath to compose myself. I need to think and go over everything carefully so I make sure I'm understanding things properly…

This is a Killing Game hosted by an organization known as Danganronpa, or Team Danganronpa. Tsumugi Shirogane is obviously part of that organization, with other workers mentioning her having made plans for the plot of this season's killing game, which _ we _are currently in. 

And going by what I read before and what I know by the statement of it being the "fifty-third season", then...they're talking about seasons like in a television series? Is the killing game a reality show? 

...All of my intimate moments with the people here in the killing game have been shown to the public for the entertainment of hundreds of strangers? All those times I argued with Rantaro, when I've been teased by Kokichi, when I've had heart-to-hearts with Kaede and Tenko- or moments speaking to Shuichi…

…!

I slap my hands over my face just as heat begins to crawl up my neck. It's one thing believing we're being watched by just Monokuma and some sicko corporation as a snuff film, but being broadcasted live to the whole world?! While we shower, use the bathroom, and more…?!

..._ as a _ ** _snuff_ ** _ film… _

My hands slide off of my face, embarrassment fading into horror and shame as I remember the "murder" aspect of everything. Forget people just being able to see us undress an such. Forget embarrassing ourselves over and over on live television.

"Fans", the people outside watching this that _ like _ this sort of sinister thing like Tsumugi, they _ want _ us in here. They _ want _ us to kill one another. They _ want _ us to die. They _ want _us to suffer.

This world is sick.

But...something doesn't add up. Why leave all these computers abandoned in that case? Did they move their stations elsewhere after the killing game started?

_ What if this is planted evidence? What if it was left behind for me to find intentionally? ...No, don't make assumptions yet. Make them after you've fully investigated every corner of this computer. There's no point speculating without unverifiable evidence of a sufficient quantity. Even if it does seem hopeless. _

_ "You shouldn't say that. Look on the bright side and keep trying, don't give up yet." _

I jerk in my seat and swing every witch way with wide eyes and warm cheeks when I hear Rantaro's voice. That was...definitely in my head. Great, now I'm hallucinating him being sweet and supportive of me. God, how pathetic am I…?

With a pout, I pause to rest my arms on the table and sigh. Admittedly, I do miss him. I guess the sentiment of "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true.

…

_ No! _

"Get a grip!" I snap at myself irritably with a growl, slapping my cheeks a little to wake myself up. "There's no time to be lovesick, it's just his stupid disastrous face that's making you feel like this. He's pathetic! Swap his face with the face of a generic guy!"

I close my eyes and concentrate, before opening them and making a face. 

Maybe I should do it with my eyes open, I don't want to knock myself out from idiocy in the form of activating my intuition on accident.

That being said, no matter how hard I try, I can't replace Rantaro's stupid face in my head with a generic guy. Why?

Because I can't come up with a generic looking face for a guy. All that keeps popping up are all these disgusting handsome as crap faces! 

"This is stupid! Get out of my head, I hate you!" I complain, even though Rantaro can't hear me down here and this isn't exactly his fault. Still, I need to complain about _ something, _the silence is starting to get to me.

To distract myself, I open the reply email in the thread, going down all the emails and scowling when what shows up following Hiro's main email are emails with a big "corrupted" slapped over them.

Only the subjects are legible, but it's essentially just _ "RE: Fixing v3's Plot- URGENT" _ for every corrupted email in the chain.

_ Well fine, I'll look at the other applications for more information, but before I do that… _

I click the "compose" option and select the receiver as everyone in Hiro's address book, setting the subject to a simple, _ "All of you are disgusting and repulsive amoebas" _. 

_To everyone that is a part of, has been a part of, and/or will be a part of the Danganronpa Team- all of you can go to hell. If any of you are done being the asswipes of the century, please send help. You'll be less of an asswipe. _

_ -Hatefullly Not Yours, _

_Prairie Marble_

_ Ultimate Rock Climber _

_ Ultimate Revenge Seeker _

_ P.S. In short, watch your back if you don't try and help my friends and I. _

I practically stab the send button before re-reading my email, only to click my tongue and glare at my departing text. I wrote "hatefully" with _ three "L"s! _ I feel like the punch my email had is now significantly decreased with that typo…!

_ Well, nothing I can do about it now. Let's keep digging around this junk…actually, will it even send? Does the internet work? Is there a working printer? A fax machine? A phone? _

First, I look into the internet functionality, only to find that it sadly doesn't work. All I get are offline messages, and when I check the email I tried to send again, I realize my angry message has gone nowhere but the pending outbox. There is a fax machine, which seems to double as the room's phone and printer, but all that seems to work is the print function. Of course, I take advantage of that by using it to print the pages of the documents and Hiro's email to this Danganronpa director he was in contact with, as well what looks to be a drawing on the computer's basic drawing program that has a very juvenile looking drawing of Monokuma.

I guess Hiro really likes Monokuma? He drew him with a crown and a star over his chest, something that looks like a prize. Beside him are crudely drawn flowers and whatnot...I don't know if it's important, but hey, might as well save it. 

Besides, Monokuma looks awful, and that's enough to sell me on keeping the drawing.

Now what?

I find a supply closet near the exit at the back and manage to dig out some bags, one of which I grab to shove the papers in before I decide to keep digging into the closet. It's full of old stuff, mostly useless office supplies and…

While pushing past some loose hangers and boxes with twitching muscles I can't seem to relax, I find some old clothing scattered along the hangers, ground, and the boxes. Examining them curiously one by one, I only succeed in making myself sneeze when I shake the dust off of several things, tossing aside what looks like it won't fit me. If it comes down to it, I'll wear something slightly larger, but I'll save that as a last resort if I don't find something my size.

I'm lucky though, and I eventually pull out something promising.

It's a very old set of high waisted shorts dark red in color with black suspenders. From the musky smell, I can't help but wonder if it's color was originally more vibrant before being abandoned in here. It begs the question- how long has it been forgotten down here? 

_ Now the question is what smelly crap would I rather wear. My vomit and blood, or a little dust? _

_ Actually, putting it that way makes the choice rather obvious. I'll need to find a bathroom first. Also, isn't there a shirt in here to go with this thing, or not? I don't want to walk around showing all that skin, even if I _ am _ alone down here. _

I dig a little more before I find a cream colored shirt that'll...probably fit me? It's not very stretchy and looks like a kid's shirt. There's a little embroidered red heart over the left side of the chest area, and a red hem around the collar and sleeves. It looks like it fits my frame, but…

I may have a modest chest, but even this shirt might not fit considering the stubborn material. Now, if I was as stacked as Tsumugi the cow or some of the other girls, this shirt would be out of the question completely.

That being said...despite the circumstances, I can't help but feel a little proud of my body. The fact a kids' shirt like this wouldn't fit my frame because I have a mature body is great! I mean, if it fit perfectly, I'd probably feel a lot worse about how the others treat me like a child, but then again Rantaro still treated me like a kid when Tsumugi had me wear that 2b cospla-

Wait.

Wait.

If this is a reality TV show Tsumugi is a part of...and she has been wanting to doll me up in cosplay since we first made up after my aggression towards her...!

_ ...Did that incompetent two-faced cow reduce me to _ ** _fanservice_ ** _ ? _

With a growl and a dark look over my face, I shove the cream shirt, the high waisted shorts, and a few spare shirts just in case in the bag I already have, kicking the door closed furiously. It hits a box I moved earlier and only serves to bounce off of it and hit my backside with it's handle when I turn to leave, making me even more irritated.

_ I can't even take out my temper on the stupid door without some backsass! UGH! _

I blow out a breath and start walking past computers to get to the exit. I need to find a place to clean myself up...again. Being covered in things no rational person wants covering them is starting to become awfully routine. How pathetic.

Now that I'm walking again I feel myself sway slightly, signs that I'm still not quite fully recovered from the bad experience before. No doubt I feel much better now at least regarding pain, nothing hurts whatsoever, but something's still not right. My heart feels like it's beating a mile a minute from just crossing the room and every now and then I feel this gradual sensation of what I can only describe as unprompted impending doom. Although I feel like I can maneuver my own body just fine, my muscles won't stop twitching and it's making my body jerk here and there. Even tensing my muscles up doesn't alleviate the twitching.

_ Am I really okay? Or am I the furthest from the term "okay" that I can possibly be? _

Taking only one step into the hallway, my heart suddenly picks up speed at the sight of the pitch black corridors in either direction. I crawled into a pitch black vent earlier, why am I suddenly so anxious? Why am I shaking? Why does the idea of going further scare me so much?

Am I afraid of finding something? Or am I scared of finding nothing at all?

Biting my lip and backing up into the office room again, I close my eyes and try to think rationally as I wrap and unwrap the long straps of my bag around my hands in an effort to half distract and half comfort myself. Korekiyo said Perfect Blitz had the ability to "shut down" her fear, right? I know I did it before when I was climbing the killing game cage wall, so how hard could it be to attempt summoning the ability again?

So I work myself up.

_ You know what your goal is. What you're looking for down here is an exit. A way out, or something that will help to attain that primary goal. If you don't leave this room you aren't going to find it. _

With that, I swallow down my nerves and make my way down the dark hallway a few steps, only to jump and withdraw my arms and hands to my chest and collar protectively like a startled rabbit when the lights in the hall turn on suddenly.

At first I'm completely frozen with terror, up until the light eventually goes out again, making me whine timidly and turn to run back into the office- a movement which makes the light evidently turn on again and prompts me to stop.

Oh. They're motion detecting lights.

Suddenly relieved, I laugh at my foolishness, eventually letting it die out on my tongue before it can become uncontrollable and frantic.

I'm not okay.

I wanna go home.

After taking a few more steps down the hall and taking a left when I reach a fork in the corridor, I'm comforted by the lights that flicker to life and escort me onwards. I eventually reach the first room some yards down. Trying the doorknob however, it refuses to open despite my insistence trying to weakly pull it open. 

Maybe if I had bobby pins, I'd be willing to abuse my intuition a little more and attempt breaking in Kokichi-style with his dumb lock picking...but then again, that probably wouldn't work. To properly emulate his lock picking, I'd have to see what he's doing inside a doorknob's lock mechanism at least once and understand what's being done. Considering a lock mechanism is located _ inside _a doorknob...well, there'd be no way for me to learn unless I explicitly asked him.

And why the heck would he tell anyone in the killing game that? I could potentially use it to murder someone. I would never, but _ Kokichi _ doesn't know that for sure. Besides, he knows how violent I am, he'd probably laugh in my face and say "_noooo way, Prairie Bearie!" _or something along those lines.

_Great, now I'm thinking up Kokichi-esque nicknames for me. Why do I torture myself like this?_

Glancing around the hall, I notice a second door across from this one and walk over to try and open it. Of course, this one is locked as well.

_ Who knew this would be the day I'd actually _ ** _want_ ** _ to see that insufferable leech. _

A few locked doors and attempts at forcing them open to no avail later, I reach the end of the hall, where the corridor splits off again. It's pretty weird that there's no signs in a place as large as this. Hospitals and business buildings have directories, so where's a directory for this place?

I play eenie-meenie-minie-moe and give up half-way with a dismissive wave towards the left hallway's split. Everyone knows if you do that eenie-meenie game with two options, the one you land on if you follow the beat properly will always be the option you didn't start the beat with.

As I walk, the lights continue to turn on to light my way and I notice I've started to relax traversing through the dark halls. I'm twitching less, albeit still somewhat unsteady and with the chills, but it's a start. If thinking of the others helps calm me down again, maybe I ought to think more about them.

Excluding the fact the first person I want to see is undoubtedly Rantaro, I actually really want to wrestle with Tenko again. It's good stress relief and my body felt mega refreshed that last time we tried to beat the crap out of each other on friendly terms. I was sore, but it was a good sore. I'm sure if we focused on my training in Neo-Aikido, I can work off some of the aggression I seem to always build up while around the others.

Second, I miss Monokid. It's always nice to see him around or have him check in on me, he's a lot sweeter now and it's comforting to have someone that has somewhat of an equal understanding of our situation beside me. I don't have to hide much from Monokid...and I would never say it, but even with the weird chest hair, he's still teddy-bear-like. Teddy-bears are nice.

I'd give anything for one of Kirumi's meals right about now. All my vomiting annihilated the palette of my tastebuds, and I'm starting to feel hungry right about now. Besides, after our last conversation, I want to ask her more things and get her opinion on things, especially about Rantaro...and I want to know why she didn't want me to know about the Despair Death Tunnel. I know why Rantaro didn't want me to know, but Kirumi? What if it wasn't the same reason as Rantaro- or what if there was more to hear reasoning?

Korekiyo...we don't have much of a bond still. Our last conversation was interesting though, and even though I know he's not on my side specifically, it's that aspect that is compelling enough for me to want to speak more with him. Maybe if I work on our relationship, we can become friends and I can explain to him more about how I see certain things. He did have an interest in my point of view.

My stomach makes a growl of objection that has me rolling my eyes midst my time reminiscing about the others. I honestly wonder how I've managed to survive so far with how bad my eating habits are. Sometimes I forget to eat entirely- it's really not a good thing.

Anyways…

I have so much I want to tell Shuichi that I'm not able to because of the Ugly Rules Monokuma imposed on me from the start, but maybe by hanging around him enough I'll gain a better eye for things like the Ultimate Detective does. Also, he may be a pervert, but at least he was nice to me even after my outburst when we watched that video in the pink monopad. He even defended me too, that has to say something about his character.

And Angie…I want to give her a chance. And properly apologize for that matter, what I said in the dining hall was in no way sufficient enough after I threw a can at her face. Using my intuition, I know she's only been rude because she wants my attention and is somewhat at war with her religious upbringing regarding my past status. We can work that out, I think. I just need her to see me more as Prairie and less as Perfect Blitz.

The others I still really don't know well enough, although I can fix that with time- especially if I manage to get out of here…though regarding Maki, heck, I'm not sure I _ want _to know her based on everything I've learned about her.

_ They'll all leave you once you escape the killing game. No one will stay with you. _

It hits me like a hammer to my heart and I quickly stifle the thought deep in my mind so I don't have to think about it.

Even if it is true.

I reach another door along the hall and pull at the knob until the click of the lock in place makes me drop my arm and raise my head to glare at the ceiling. My mood is totally ruined. Is this amounting to be a complete waste of my time? It's starting to feel like it.

All the hallways look the same. Every door I try seems to be locked, and I soon find myself back at the split hallway in the corridor. I'm in the same position as I was when I first came across it, so the left hall clearly circles around...guess I'm going to be taking the right corridor this time.

Going down the hall, I become lost in my thoughts again.

_ I wonder what the others are doing right now...I wonder if there's anyone still waiting for me outside the Despair Death Tunnel? I imagine only Rantaro or Maki would be crazy enough to do that- for completely different reasons. Considering Maki has other priorities though, like making sure no one enters her Ultimate Murderous Fiend lab, I presume Rantaro might be the only one waiting there. _

I reach a stairwell going up to another floor and momentarily pause. This is progress worthy! I'm sure going "up" is definitely important to escape, considering how far down I travelled in the vents.

Speeding up with a spring in my step despite my minor instability regarding my balance, I open the door and climb the stairs with a determined huff despite how quickly my stamina wears out.

_ What I'd give to be able to run around like Kokichi does. More stamina would be great right now- the building is huge and I may have much more ground to cover. _

_ … _

_ I should have taken Rantaro's offer back in the warehouse. I know I should have. Why do I always have to make things so difficult? Honestly, it's nobody's fault but my own at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last time extends his hand out to me. Granted if I manage to actually see him again. _

_ He's probably not waiting for me outside the Despair Death Tunnel, now that I think about it. _

_ Maybe he's happy I'm gone. Maybe he's relieved he doesn't have to worry about a snotty brat like me. _

…

_ I still want to see him again. _

I stop once I reach a turn in the platform leading to more stairs up and a door. I'm out of breath, huffing and puffing to recover oxygen in my lungs and keep my blood pumping around. Well, I'm investigating, so it's only reasonable I check this floor out before I continue heading up, right?

Walking towards the door, I reach out and grab the doorknob, only to see a sudden movement through the window leading down the hall just as my eyes flick down to put my hand on the knob. Spooked, I jerk back and retract my hands to my chest, eyes wide and heart kicking up in speed once again.

What did I just see? Movement? It looked like a person, but as far as I know there's nobody down here but me...should I call them out?

…

"...Hello?" I wince at how timid sounding my voice comes out, barely above a whisper as I lean towards the door. Not too close though, what if someone swings it open from the other side and hits me in the face?

_ Come on, speak louder you coward. Just cause Kokichi calls you a mouse doesn't mean you actually _ ** _are_ ** _ one! _

"Who's there?" I demand, my voice a couple levels louder and much more firm despite how dry my throat feels. "If someone's there, come out of hiding and show yourself!"

…

…

Nothing happens. Irritated, I scowl and grab the door handle, the sound of my heartbeat and my blood racing practically filling my ears with its beat. Without another moment of hesitation, I throw open the door and jump into the hall.

I'm not sure what I'm expecting, but I take a stance Tenko taught me and I prepare myself for a fight, my movement making the lights above the door flicker on to illuminate my surroundings.

There's no one there.

My eyes flick all around, to the ground, the corners, and the ceiling.

_ You're imagining things. If someone was there, the first movement you spotted through the window would have made the lights turn on from the motion, just like it did for you. _

I sigh under my breath in relief, lowering my fists and relaxing my stance. It could be paranoia or I could still be prone to hallucinations...great. Neither of those will help me down here. I can't always stop just because I get spooked of something, that will only slow me down. Every moment I waste being afraid of my own shadow is a moment Monokuma tries to get my comrades to kill one another.

Now, it's not that I don't trust them or anything. Rantaro, as stubborn as he is and enigmatic in the eyes of the others...he's nice, all things considered. Tenko, Shuichi, and the others...they are all nice too. They have good heads on their shoulders.

Just like Kaede did.

The bottom line is that Monokuma is just too good at psychological manipulation. I mean, he even got _ me _nearly wrapped around his little finger for a moment there. I just don't want anyone else to die...I really don't.

That's when I hear it. The sound of loud static all around me from the dusty hallway speakers and the cobwebs surrounding them. It sounds like a bell intermingled with static and distorted in sound. I can't help but let out a startled squeal of panic and raise my fists yet again. It sort of sounds like the bell from the academy, but it sounds _ super _ messed up! Are the speakers down here _ that _old?

Eventually, _ his _cheerful voice makes itself known.

_ "Gooood morning, everyone! This is an official announcement from the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles! It is now eight a.m. and it's time to wake up! Today marks the second day since our little Miss Marble's Rebellion- and I'm sure I don't need to remind you about the secret surprise that I have in store if she doesn't return by tomorrow night! _

The _ second _ day? Have I really been down here for that long without even realizing it? God...no wonder I feel so horrendously hungry and thirsty.

What could be that surprise he's referring to though?

_ Never mind that. How is this reaching me all the way down here underground? Does the signal actually extend that far from the Ultimate Academy? _

I follow the hall and start trying doors as soon as I see them under the lights, hoping that at least one of them decides to open for me.

_ "This is the last stretch! If Prairie Marble does not reappear by ten p.m. tomorrow night, I will reveal the surprise! I hope everyone is at the edge of their seats knowing this!" _

The speakers shut off, leaving me in the dead silence I've begun to get used to since I first crawled into that vent. Am I really hearing that though? Or was it another hallucination like the ones I heard before? It _ sounded _like it was coming from the speakers in the hall. How sure am I of that though?

He said he had a surprise in store for everyone if I didn't show up by tomorrow at ten p.m.. I hope it's nothing lethal.

I'm momentarily tempted to use my intuition, but I quickly quell the urge. If I use it now, get info, pass out, and then wake up later than ten only for the announcement to be true, something bad could potentially happen to the others. With as weak and worn as I am right now, I don't think my body could handle a second backlash in a row. Not after all this and without anything in my belly.

Plus, I don't want to know what will happen to me if I abuse it _ past _ the first backlash that has me bleeding and passing out. As things have been, I've already abused it plenty even though I told myself I would only use it when _ absolutely _necessary. So much for sticking to that plan…

If it wasn't for this weird ability of mine, I would have been dead a long time ago. That ability _ shouldn't _be my only trump card, if I don't learn how to use what's normal for me rather than this freaky "hack" of mine, I won't have anything to protect myself with when the day Monokuma decides he's finally had enough of me arrives. At this point, I'm sure he's already thought of a way to take advantage of my intuition so he can take me down without too much pushback.

I snap out of my musings when I start walking towards a new pair of doors and pause when I notice there are blue signs on both of them. When I focus properly, I gasp in relief. Bathrooms! I can clean up!

There's a shuffling sound behind me.

Suddenly, I'm frozen in place, feeling my back stiffen up in horror when I realize the sound came from _ right behind me. _

I can feel sweat beginning to form over me, heart reaching a speed I'm pretty sure ought to count as a heart attack at this point. Half of my nerves are screaming at me to turn around and protect myself. The other half are preoccupied shriveling up into themselves and shrinking out of existence with the urging that I should bolt out of there.

Is someone behind me? Who is it? Someone that followed me from the killing game? Maybe a worker that got trapped down here?

Light-headedness takes over, and I start to sway a little as I try to get myself to move. It doesn't work. I'm petrified.

Is it someone with malicious intent? Or a friendly person?

…Do I say something?

"Who's there," I demand sharply, surprised that it's come out so aggressive and vicious this time than it did the last time I was so scared. It might be my fight or flight kicking in?

"Monosuke!"

_ What? No, I must be hallucinating. _

I turn around. To my surprise I find the yellow and white bear standing there illuminated under the hallway light with a smug grin as he pushes his glasses up a little higher.

"Yeah, you heard right! _ Monosuke! _ I knew I'd eventually find you somewhere down here! This is MY territory! I know this place like the back of my hand! HA! Did you really think you got away or so...some...stop poking me. Why are you touching me?! Don't pull on my- HEY, PUT ME DOWN, UGLY!" Monosuke angrily demands after I've prodded at him enough and eventually pull him in a relieved hug. A teddy-bear... _ exactly _what I needed. Even if this teddy-bear is rude to me, a familiar face is so wonderful.

"Yep, you found me!" I chirp, unable to resist the smile on my face as I swing him in my arms and press my cheek against his, causing his glasses to go askew as he hisses and throws all the insults he can towards me. I hear "Ugly", "dumbass", "disgusting" here and there, but don't put him down until I'm sure I can tell myself he's _ definitely _real. By the time I've put him down, his fur is all rumpled with bits of the mess I forgot was on my shirt and his glasses are all crooked, but he doesn't immediately fix himself. "Did Monokuma send you to find me?"

…

I didn't break him, did I…?

"...N-Never touch me again when you're covered in nasty shit," Monosuke orders sharply, making me cock my head to the side innocently when he begins to furiously organize himself and then turns to me after giving up and distastefully looking at the discolored marks over his body. "No, Father didn't send me. I came down here of my own accord to look for your nasty ass! I thought I could impress him by finding you on my own. And look at that! I did!"

"You sure you weren't worried about me? Not even a little bit?" I ask, somewhat hopeful that maybe he's coming around.

"No! I ain't that bleeding heart, Monokid, don't kid yourself, Ugly. There's nothing you can do that will make me go goo-goo eyed for you. If you wanna hold your breath though, feel free to!" Monosuke claims rudely, turning his head away. "In case you're wondering, the vomit hug doesn't earn you any points on the attempt either, nasty."

I sigh but smile as I look back at the bathroom. "Well, we can wash up here so we're not so nasty anymore. Sorry I got so cuddly and touchy. Not that I assume you couldn't tell, but I got really sick and some pretty harsh backlash hit me when I got down here. As a result, I've kinda been hallucinating a bit, so...I just wanted to see if you were really here and not another figment of my imagination."

"I wish _ you _were just a figment of my imagination. You're annoying and troublesome," Monosuke answers, making me pout and turn to open the bathroom door and enter. I hold it open when Monosuke follows me in, only allowing it to close when he's out of the way.

"What is this place anyways? I know it's for Team Danganronpa, but why is it abandoned?" I ask, wondering if the bear can even answer me for a moment.

"I'm not telling you!"

Or I could get an answer like that.

"Right...okay, that's fine. I found a couple of documents and an email to the Danganronpa Head Director down here, so I guess that's enough information for me to go on," I speak again, happy someone is around to be able to listen. It makes this place a lot less scary.

"...What did ya find about it?" He asks, oddly curious sounding for a bear that apparently has enough knowledge to say they aren't gonna tell me anything. Then again, maybe he just wants to gauge how much I know so he can report to Monokuma.

I set my bag down on the bathroom counter and pull out the papers from under the clothing, holding them out to him when he jumps up to sit beside the bag.

"Here, this is everything," I say, noting Monosuke's leer as he takes it from me.

"You realize I could just rip these to shreds if I wanted to, right?" He asks me seriously, making me shrug.

"And you realize I could print more if I wanted to, right?" I respond simply, making the bear hum before he turns towards the documents to read. I undress and turn on a sink further away from Monosuke, throwing away the body suit Tsumugi had the audacity to create for me to model for the nasty side of the Danganronpa fandom.

There's no soap and my cleansing leaves a bit to be desired, but eventually I completely get rid of the nasty bits in my hair and body enough to use the spare shirts to dry myself off.

"Hey! Why do you have this thing? It's ugly! Like you!" Monosuke asks, suddenly lifting up that crude Monokuma drawing so I can't help but laugh a little.

"Ah, yeah, I know, but...I like it," I answer simply, just before grabbing the shirt from the bag and pulling it over my damp hair. It's a little tight, but it more or less suffices as far as clothing goes. 

Monosuke seems a bit surprised by my admission regarding the drawing, but takes the answer and quietly puts the papers back in the bag after a moment. I would have expected him to ask why I'd like something showing Monokuma in a nice light like that drawing, but…

…

"Hey, where are the other Monokubs? Monophanie and Monodam, specifically?" I ask, making Monosuke lift his head from where he's now swinging his legs on the edge of the sink.

"Dunno. Somewhere."

_ He's suddenly so tame...what happened? What did I do? _

"Are you here to take me back to the school then?" I ask, making Monosuke shrug quietly. Now I'm getting a bit worried. After he brought up that drawing, his mood totally shifted! "...Is there something wrong?"

"I'm fine! I'm just thinking over what was said in the papers!" Monosuke defends with obvious frustration, making me hide a curious look when I tuck the bottom hem of my shirt into the shorts and button them up. Thinking over what was said in the papers...okay, now I'm sure he didn't have that information beforehand, but hey, I won't call him out on it. Instead, I pull the suspenders over my shoulders and braid my hair back, using my washed red ribbon to hold it in place even though it's still damp. "Well, since you're not here to take me back and stuff, I'm going to keep looking around the school. You don't mind, right?"

"You wanna keep going? Even after hearing that announcement on the loudspeaker?" Monosuke asks in surprise. "You _ really _ wanna gamble with their lives like that, Ugly? 'Cause _ I _sure don't know what the cooked up surprise is supposed to be."

I make a bit of a face at that, but at least he addressed the announcement. That confirms it wasn't a hallucination. "I'm not _ gambling _with their lives, they'll be fine so long as I return before ten tomorrow night. That's two days I can spend running through here and researching about Danganronpa and looking for a way out," I explain, grabbing my bag and waiting up for Monosuke to get off the counter before I start heading for the bathroom exit with him.

"That purple haired brat is right, you're too cocky for your own good," Monosuke comments, making my heart jerk. That's right, he was out there while I've been gone…

"How are they? Are they doing okay? Are any of them mad at me?" I can't help but ask as we re-enter the hall, continuing my pattern of trying every door I come across for access to other rooms.

"Oh, your greenie boyfriend misses your ugly face for one. I can't imagine why, but he's pining like a heartbroken schoolgirl," Monosuke snorts in amusement, making my cheeks heat up at the thought. So Rantaro's not mad at me? "He thinks he chased you away, which is true, but I think it was inevitable that you'd find this place. I come down here a lot when I want to think alone. The other monokubs don't know it's here, so it lets me get away from them for a bit."

"I see...what about the others?"

"The girl with guns and knives think you're a traitor and expects you to drag yourself back up there. She doesn't get along with your boyfriend, both of them have had a lot of passive aggressive arguments over you. Your other boyfriend, the purple haired one, he doesn't seem to care either way what happens to you. Hmm...oh, the purple pain helped the detective in snooping around your room with that maid girl though. Maid-girl was organizing and giving the detective any items to overlook for hints you may have left behind. Other than the Sudoku puzzle, which they didn't understand of course, they didn't find much. On that note, he knows what your underwear looks like now, Ugly!"

_ Shuichi, you massive irredeemable pervert. I'm gonna kick him in the teeth when I get back. _

"Nothing else really notable, some think you actually escaped, but as far as I know, there ain't any way out like that down here," Monosuke comments off-handedly. That might be an attempt to convince me to go back to the school and give up on my exploration...well, that isn't happening.

"I'll keep looking. Maybe there's at least information somewhere that will make escape easier. I'll go back topside when I'm satisfied with what I've dug up," I state clearly, making my stance in the matter well known. "You're welcome to go up ahead of me, but...I would also appreciate the company looking around here. I feel less disoriented having someone around."

Monosuke makes a face and his mouth tightens in a firm line across his features, his body stiffening as he follows me in the hall to another locked door I fail to open. He's reacting a little weirder to some of my comments than the other bears do...I wonder if he's actually okay?

"Are you okay?" I ask again, causing the yellow striped bear to growl a little.

"Shuddup. I'm just irritated. You're a helpless annoying fart. And you're ugly," Monosuke finishes, speed walking ahead to get a bit of distance.

_ ...Well, at least it's just a reaction of vehement dislike rather than something actually wrong with him. Doesn't seem like he's going too far, so I guess that's a confirmation he's not going to abandon me down here. _

_ The company is nice._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.11 - Scared of the Dark**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
~Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

> 
> [Yellow (Monosuke & Prairie)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/190547836185/yellow)  

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.10](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189845347040/string-theory-drv3-cover-v10-v10-39)  

> 
> [Prairie: "Bite Me" ](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189989465730)  



	41. The Golden Target

❀ _**3.12 - The Golden Target**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"This is your fault!" 

"But I didn't do anything?"

"Yes, you did! You _ distracted _me! And now I'm walking around here with nasty bits still stuck to my LIGHT colored fur!"

I let out a sigh and press my fingers against my forehead, shaking my head sympathetically. Well, I didn't remind him either, so I guess I am a bit to blame here. I should have been a little more considerate of the bear after forcing a hug on him.

"Alright, fine, it's my fault. We're likely to come across another bathroom eventually, so I'll help you wash off when we get there," I say, making Monosuke huff in distaste.

"I don't need your help to bathe myself, thank you very much, _ Ugly," _ Monosuke grumbles, ever in a nasty mood. I wonder if this is how Rantaro feels with me when I'm totally uncooperative...I almost want to just speed-walk ahead and leave this rude bear in my dust.

But I won't do that. Because Rantaro didn't do that to me.

Well, at least not until I had Tenko dump him in a trash bin. So I guess I'll wait until Monosuke gets Monophanie to do that to me, or something. 

I let out a sudden yelp when Monosuke suddenly turns and delivers a kick to my shin, making me jump back and lean against a wall to nurse my now throbbing leg. I haven't been kicked like that in a while and I honestly can't say I miss it. What's with it coming out of nowhere though? I didn't do anything to him, did I?

"What was that for?!" I snap, a rush of anger hitting me as I watch the yellow half-toned bear take the lead and quickly follow after him. My shin aches, but I don't want to be left behind on my own.

"Being an annoying brat, that's what for!" Monosuke answers, more or less uncaring about my pain. Is Monosuke prone to random unprompted bursts of violence or something?

_ Rantaro ought to be glad I'm at least not as bad as him. _

On cue, my brain selects some instances refuting that to play in the forefront of my mind. When I punched him in the face during the third reset, when I threw my shoe over my shoulder that he ran into, when I had him chasing me around to the point he ran into the archway into the casino, and when I totally elbowed him in the face climbing up after me.

…_ I think those were all his fault though. _

"What if I become unable to walk? How will you show off to Monokuma if I'm incapacitated? Are you going to drag me all the way back to the school?" I ask cheekily, causing Monosuke to pause and whirl around to face me.

"You're not allowed to be incapacitated!" Monosuke claims, causing me to relax a smidgen and raise an eyebrow.

"I hardly think incapacitation is a choice...just don't kick me out of the blue like that, I'm not even doing anything to you," I say, even though it's obvious that my words are irritating Monosuke the more I continue.

The parallels of me with my behavior towards Rantaro continue to fill my head, making me eventually shut my eyes momentarily with a sigh of resignation and defeat. I'm just as irritated as Monosuke, if not more. I can't tell if I've just become hyper aware of my triggers to anger, or if I'm getting triggered more than usual in general. Everything is sort of still messed up in my head- I'm still tired and I can't be totally sure that I won't completely topple over if Monosuke decides to go ham again with kicking my shin.

"Never mind. Forget what I said. It's probably just gonna bruise at most," I snort in amusement, even though I'm not at all entertained by the thought whatsoever. "I just wanna go home to my room."

Do I really just want to give up like the others? If I go back...Monokuma is likely to figure out my method of passage and seal up all the vents. I probably won't get to explore this place again.

"Home? Don't you have amnesia? You don't even know what your home is!" Monosuke points out, making me turn back to look down at him.

"I'm talking about my room in the killing game," I simply clarify, much to the yellow-white bear's obvious discomfort as soon as I say it. "I wanna leave. Please take me back."

Monosuke actually looks a bit troubled by my admission, as if considering my words carefully. He seems like he's having a little trouble figuring out what to say.

"Could...we look around a little more? I'll take you back, I promise! But...maybe _ you _ don't care to know anymore, but _ I _ want to know more," Monosuke admits, causing me to cock my head towards the side slightly. So he _ doesn't _know much of the situation either. I guess I can't blame him for wanting to know information Monokuma won't tell even him, but…

"What do you need me around for? You can look around whenever you want, you said you know this place like the back of your hand? Wouldn't you rather explore without me hanging over your shoulder if you hate me so much? I mean-"

"STOP ASKING STUPID QUESTIONS! You can either escort me or find your own damn way outta this place! _ Capische?" _Monosuke inquires with a smug grin like he's definitely got me cornered logic-wise.

So I turn around on my heel to leave.

"Fine with me."

"W-Wait!"

I stop only because of Monosuke's tone, which has completely morphed to something sounding, dare I say it, kinda fearful.

_ Eh? He's not scared of this place, is he? He probably wants me to go for some stupid or cruel reason. _

Monosuke is shuffling his feet where I left him when I turn back around, looking down at himself in obvious discomfort. He doesn't say anything for a moment, so I take the moment of silence to instead speak up first.

"I don't like you and based on my throbbing shin, you don't like me either. Give me a reason why I would stay and escort you _ anywhere," _ I say more than ask, crossing my arms and staring him down. If this bear doesn't give me a good enough answer, I'm headed back on my own. I'll just find a way to climb up that part of the vent I fell down somehow.

"...I don't like you either, but I prefer your trash company more than the idea of waltzin' around alone down here. I only go through this specific floor by myself 'cause…" Monosuke trails off in his answer, seemingly reluctant to admit the _ why _of his actions and his request. 

"Because…? Because what?" I ask, not even hiding that I want to goad the answer out of him when I lean forward and put a hand up around my ear like I can't hear him clearly.

The yellow bear looks enraged- the red glare of his left eye sparking to life in response to his emotions.

_ Good. _

"I'm not telling you, kindergarten dropout!" He declares indignantly after being unable to take my rude behavior. 

"Okay, bye," I answer, turning around again and resisting a smirk when the bear audibly garbles for something to say. I kind of hope he doesn't, I really do want to just leave. Screw this place. Screw the killing game.

I just wanna go to my room and let time pass by. I want to stop caring about everything except enjoying my time with Tenko, Rantaro, and the others that do like me. After all, even though _ I _know Tsumugi is the mastermind...I can't really do anything or prove it. All I have are papers, but those can be falsified.

_ How do I even know the files I saw were legitimate anyways? Or the emails, for that matter? I don't know what to believe in this place...but I don't think I can handle hanging out with Tsumugi in that case. I don't think I'll be able to hold my temper around her. _

"I'm scared!" Monosuke finally admits after I've taken a couple of steps down the hall, obviously swallowing down his pride. He sounds infuriated having to say it. When I look towards him though, any response I had planned is caught in my throat like blocks of ice.

He goes quiet, enough that the familiar silence rears its ugly head in our direction and suddenly scuttles in to greedily take up the space between and around us.

I'm almost angry. 

Well "almost" isn't really the right word, because I _ am _angry again. To the point that I have to turn away to hide my expression.

_ He's _scared?

I'm scared. I've _ been _ scared this entire time. I'm scared of this place. I'm scared of dying. I'm scared of the only people I know dying. I'm scared of Monokuma. I'm scared of the Exisals. I'm scared of my past. I'm scared of finding no escape. I'm scared _ of _ escaping.

But _ he's _scared and apparently that's all that should matter.

I take a deep breath to compose myself. I gave Monotaro and Monokid respect and they turned out for the better. Maybe it won't be the same for Monosuke, but I at least owe it to him to be as respectful as I was to the other two- even if he _ is _more vicious than Monokid or Monotaro were.

…

"Alright then. Let's keep looking together, in that case," I concede, exhaling and looking back at Monosuke. My vision swims momentarily, but I just lean on the wall to play it off and try to stabilize myself again. Not that I think Monosuke will be worried, but he might complain more if he finds out I'm hardly in any state to be escorting him all over this place. 

Regardless of how mad I am, it remains that I still don't want the monokubs to suffer under Monokuma's control either. Deep down past my prejudices against the monokubs that still dislike me and work directly under Monokuma's influence, I can't look the other way if I'm able to help their situation.

_ "Yesss!" _ Monosuke pumps a fist in the air, right before realizing what he's doing and quickly straightening himself out. Showing some mercy, I don't address his glee and instead push off the wall to continue towards the troves of doors ahead.

One after another we check, and the more that the doors hold fast, the more I wish I had an obedient leech beside me to get all these pesky doors open.

We're about almost done with this floor, but I'm quite nearly done with the whole area in general. The only thing repeating over and over in my mind is that this is wasting my precious time with the others.

"Who's the damn wise guy that locked all these doors anyways?! What was the point if everyone was gonna up and amscram-?!" Monosuke complains until I lift up a leg in preparation to kick the door, letting out a scream of anger to release the pent up stress slowly building up in my body. I'm going to go insane down here. Maybe _ everything _ is a nasty, terrible hallucination. I want to _ leave. _I want to go back topside. I want-

Monosuke flinches back at the display and sound I've made as I aggressively slam my against hard enough against the door to feel some pain rattle up my leg. The yellow-toned bear has both hands up in my general direction like I'm about to go feral as I'm infamously known for- which, admittedly, I'm pretty much about to do.

To his surprise though, as well as my own, the door suddenly swings open under my physical demand. The rage in my soul dies out into a feeling of calm awe, allowing me to gape at the door before looking to Monosuke. He turns just as I do, allowing us to share the same shocked look of disbelief.

"Holy SHIT, that's a KICK! Why the hell didn't you do that sooner on all the other doors?!" Monosuke asks incredulously, prompting me to immediately turn and run to the previous door with an aggressive shout. I lift my leg again and reel it in for extra force, then swinging my leg in a similar manner as I had done to get the first door open.

My foot makes contact with the door, loud enough that the sound echoes through the hallway and darkness like thunder.

Once again, I feel some pain rattle up my leg.

And then a lot of pain.

Soon enough, I find myself curled up on the ground clutching my leg like the naive fool I truly am. I can only describe the sounds I'm making to be that of a dying walrus with constricted vocal cords.

"Ah...I guess it only worked for this door," Monosuke hesitantly comments, stepping closer as I try to will the tears at the corners of my eyes to go away. "...You didn't break your damn leg, didja?"

"No, but it feels like I did," I whimper, having to writhe on the ground for a bit longer before I can finally get up and walk back to that one door I managed to kick open. At first I wonder if my anger happened to summon some sort of "superpower" from my adrenaline like in the movies, but upon inspecting the door, I see the door frame where the metal piece fits simply broke off from weak and dry wood.

_ This place must be older than I thought...just how long ago did everyone leave this place? _

"WHOA! What's this computer and table for?! Also, holy shit, there's more nerd tools here than in the Ultimate Inventor's lab!" Monosuke says, leaping towards the table and moving stuff around curiously. He pushes past some papers and what looks to be blueprints, clearly more interested in the tools since he grabs for them first. The first item he pulls out is a pair of pliers, which he opens and closes experimentally.

I walk in the room more, heading towards the table but stopping as I examine the equipment around the walls. Cables line the floor, all rooted towards the table Monosuke is exploring with much gusto. Presumably, they're all connected to that computer beside the desk on its own trolley

"Maybe...it's a programmer's room? This all seems so complex, do programmers even _ need _rooms as big as this one?" I question out loud in wonder as I lean over to pick at a cord and lift it up with some other cables. It hardly raises from the ground, stuck in a web of other cords that keep it down against the floor.

"How would I know?" Monosuke answers, even though it was more of a rhetorical question and I wasn't really asking him. Either way, I don't talk back to the bear. I approach the desk, being careful of where I put my foot so a cable doesn't end up snagging me where I'll fall over with how bad my balance still is from lack of energy.

As I'm rounding the table, I can't help but snicker in amusement.

"Rantaro would totally trip and face plant immediately like the clumsy oaf he is if he walked into a room like this," I giggle, causing Monosuke to snort in response.

"Wow. You really have it bad for him, don't cha?" Monosuke points out bluntly, waving a mini wrench in my direction. My heart jerks in panic at the call out, causing my face to begin getting warm before I force it down.

"I-I do not! I just miss him! F-Friends can miss their friends!" I point out, making Monosuke hum in thought. Now what? Is he gonna insist I have a crush on Rantaro? It's not a crush! It's just his stupid crummy face!

"Lemme guess, you've been thinking about him the whole time you've been down here?" Monosuke accuses with a laugh of mockery, causing heat to flood to my facial features even more as I indignantly respond, _ "No! _I've thought about Kokichi too!"

I shouldn't have said that, and Monosuke makes that fact clear when he lets out a boisterous laugh like I'm the biggest joke on the planet. I meant it in a "he annoys me" way, but Monosuke has other ideas.

"Oh-ho-_ ho! _ So you've thought of _ both _your boyfriends!" He shouts louder through his laughter much to my horror.

"They aren't my b-boyfriends, stop calling them that! I've also thought about Tenko, and Kirumi! And Ang-!"

"No no no! As soon as I said you were thinkin' of Matcha Green Yogurt, your first immediate response was- _ 'Kokichiii~!'" _ Monosuke mocks me, saying the leech's name in a girly falsetto voice that has my cheeks flush more if only going by how close I feel to passing out. 

"I-I didn't say it like _ that!" _

"Yeah, well no take backsies! I know you like him! _ He _knows you like him!"

"No, he doesn't! Because I don't have a crush on him!" I exclaim, holding up a hand to stop anymore words from the bear and turning away to glare at a wall. "Look, I _ don't _ like Kokichi! It's just because he has a cute face that I may have a bit of a bias. He's rude, he's inconsiderate, he's extremely annoying, and he's clingy. Sure, maybe he's a _ little _ funny, but it's overshadowed by the fact he's the type of guy that no sane girl would EVER want to kiss. I say that on the pretense that I would sooner drink gasoline and swallow a lit match than ever put my lips near that diseased leech. That's all there is to it. Stop looking so deep into it."

I look back at Monosuke when I hear the sound of something clicking, only to see the bear turning away quickly and seemingly coughing as he fiddles with something that he soon is tying around his neck. When he turns back to face me, I see he's tied a small drawstring bag around his neck like a necklace. 

"Fine, not like I really care either way. You humans are disgusting. Anyways, I think I can turn this computer on, just gimme a second!" The bear says, jumping off the table as I run my hands over my face to calm my blush down. It was bad enough being accused about Rantaro and I just _ had _to give Monosuke more ammo by saying Kokichi's stupid name. 

_ Stupid Kokichi…! I've said it before and I'll say it again, he torments me even when he isn't physically present! _

I reach for the blueprints on the table, organizing them in front of me even though I'm not really looking at them.

_ He's such a jerk anyways...he bugs me all the time, even when I feel bad and ask him not to. He's the bane of my existence. _

Scowling at the papers, I can't help but wonder more about him. Before I left, he said he had information. That he wanted to tell me something that might help us all get out of here. Why in the world would he want to tell me specifically anything? In fact, why would he invite me into his room in the first place? I can't tell if he trusts me to a certain degree taking that into consideration, or if he was just saying what he said as bait to try and keep me around. Still, what was the point? Messing with me? Company seeking? Manipulation? Confiding in me?

I lean over the table and groan, pressing my face into my hands. Understanding Kokichi is like trying to understand rocket science in five minutes- impossible. Maybe me always trying to make sense of it and rationalize it is a mistake. I should just take him at face value and live with the fact I'll never actually understand him.

_ Then again...that time when he locked me in that classroom with him to prod at my gullibility...he seemed to enjoy me trying to pick him apart and figure him out. Of course, I was entirely unsuccessful, but maybe he wants to be understood to an extent? I don't want to act on that assumption though, I might push him away if he thinks I'm to nosy… _

_ … _

…!

Wait. I _ want _ him to leave me alone and stop bugging me! Maybe I _ should _force myself to be extra nosy with him!

"I got it!" Monosuke snaps me out of my musings, the sound of the old computer powering on along with the machinery lights around us.

_ Well, time to see what secrets this computer holds in par… _

My thoughts trail off when I finally see and process the blueprints I've been hovering over, eyes narrowing and eventually widening entirely between my open fingers when I see the bits of information my eyes pick up from bouncing all over the page.

"H-Hey...these files on the computer are…" I hear Monosuke stammer in shock as I remove my hands off of my face entirely to pick up the blueprints and skim the content furtively.

"...Monokub blueprints!" I blurt out, feeling Monosuke immediately jump over onto my shoulder to see. I point at the schematics shape and some of the internal features, namely their left eye where a red LED light appears to be inputted and their strange mouth shape. There's something..._ odd _about Monophanie's design that I can't put my finger on, so I dismiss it for the time being.

"These are Monophanie's schematics though...I guess the five of you are made differently," I observe, causing Monosuke to point at the other papers.

"Find mine!" He demands, which I comply with by assembling the five monokub blueprints out across the desk side by side. They're titled, _ Mk-1, Mk-2, Mk-3, Mk-4, _ and _ Mk-5, _ so I grab one of the dusty markers in an old cupholder on the desk and write Monophanie's name on hers, that being _ Mk-5. _

After some overlooking and debate on the blueprints with Monosuke's help, we finally mark down the rest of them: _ Mk-1 _ being Monokid, _ Mk-2 _ being Monodam, _ Mk-3 _ being Monotaro, and _ Mk-4 _being Monosuke. 

Once we have them organized, I bring forward Monosuke's blueprints for the sake of observation, scanning all the small writing and eventually pausing to point at something.

Specifically, the bomb located within his system.

_ "Ack! _Why is that shitty bomb so big?!" Monosuke asks with obvious horror, making me turn to him seriously.

He's likely going to say no, but it's worth a try.

"We can-" I start, but I'm unable to even get a single sentence out before he's cutting me off.

"No!" Monosuke answers, jumping off of my shoulder and onto the table by the blueprints. Upon turning to face me, he looks angry. "I don't need your help! _ Especially _from a bleeding heart like you, UGLY! I know where my loyalties lie!" Monsuke claims, making me eyebrows knit together as I point at the blueprints where the bomb is.

"Does that look like something worth your loyalty? A fat bomb shoved into your system if you become too 'annoying' or 'problematic' in Monokuma's eyes? That's a sick way to show respect, if you ask me," I point out, hoping to get some semblance of reason to reach him to at least let me get the bomb out of his body. With my intuition, I think I can do it. "I'm not asking you to join my fanclub, you want to hate me, that's fine! Just let me get that thing out of you so-"

"I said no! So long as I obey Father and follow his rules, I'll stay in commission. Monotaro got blown up because _ you _ interfered and tricked him, and that's not happening to me! The second I get it removed is the moment that proves I have no faith in him!" Monosuke argues much to my dissatisfaction. 

_ Fine, he loves the bomb and doesn't want it removed, whatever. His funeral. But... _

I slam my hands down suddenly on the table with a shocking bang, making the yellow and white toned bear flinch violently in response as he looks straight at me.

"I didn't TRICK him. I told Monotaro myself not to follow me or be nice to me. _ He _chose that for himself. I already knew Monokuma would likely do something to him, that's why I said something in the first place. I've spent enough hours blaming myself for not trying harder, but don't twist the situation into a fucking narrative where I WANTED Monotaro to die," I snarl, only slapping a hand over my mouth when I realize just how vicious I sound.

Understandably, I'm mad and I've acted out on it as per usual. I need to work on that, Rantaro wasn't wrong about my anger issues needing to be controlled, that's for sure. However...something about my latest outburst feels wrong. I felt it before when Monosuke admitted being scared. It's like my anger has become harder to control since I woke up...

"...I-I'm sorry, I came off _ way _too strongly, that wasn't my intention. Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad you're changing the narrative, but I didn't mean to scream at you. I haven't been well since I woke up today, so everything I do and think is all screwed up right now," I clarify, scowling down at the table even though no one is actually chastising me. Still, I feel bad regardless.

"...Whatever…" Monosuke simply answers, obviously off-put by my explosive mood swing and what I said. So much for convincing him to let me remove the bomb from inside him. "How would you even take the bomb out anyways? You're not the Ultimate Inventor or Roboticist by any long shot. What if you damage me? According to the blueprints, the bomb is under my energy module- which is my power source. You'd have to put me offline to get access to the bomb and delete the files and code associated with it so it doesn't set off the thing while you're extractin' it." 

I tap my head. 

"Intuition," I answer, making Monosuke hum and eventually nod in understanding.

"...and if I said yes, could you promise me the process won't alter any of my files? The computer can achieve that while I'm connected. How do I know you wouldn't damage or even _ intentionally _ change my files to benefit you and your stupid classmates while I'm out?" Monosuke demands, tapping a foot.

"Hm...well, I can promise it and maybe we can find a way for you to be completely aware of what's going on so it isn't uncomfortable for you. Like, while I have your systems open on the computer, maybe I can simultaneously plug you into the computer's power source so you can see exactly what I'm doing to remove just the bomb and the files for the bomb?" I suggest, peering back down at the blueprints.

"Hmm…" Monosuke contemplates on my words, looking away at the computer pensively. Will he agree? Or does Monokuma have a stronger grip on him than I thought? I don't understand how Monosuke can possibly trust that monster bear…he's a thousand times worse than any of the Monokubs, even Monophanie- and I despise her attitude. Especially how she behaves towards Rantaro…

Darn. I wanna see him. 

"Welcome back to the present! I said _ yes. _Get the bomb out of me and keep me aware so I can kill you if you try tampering with something," Monosuke snaps me out of my thoughts, causing me to focus on him as he lays down on the table belly up. "I don't know how this is supposed to go…I don't remember havin' any maintenance ever done on me, so I guess it's up to you to figure it out. Read those blueprints and do that freaky thing you do."

I know I mentioned it out loud and I don't talk about it often for the fact it's under the Ugly Rules not to bring it up, but…it's still odd to hear someone else mention it. 

"What do you think it is? I mean…is it normal at all to be able to do what I do, even slightly?" I ask, causing Monosuke to snort in disbelief. 

"Normal? I just called it 'freaky' for a good reason. You're a total freakazoid, no one should be able to do what you do. Well, maybe that lesser robot in your ranks is the most likely if he's been programmed to in his AI, but a flesh and blood human? No. It's wrong...I'm guessin' that's why Father likes you so much. He liked that you managed to escape an attempt on your life and he accurately counted on you to escape it this time too."

"Jeez, Monotaro and Monokid weren't kidding when they said he was obse…" I trail off, frowning and looking away from scanning the _ Mk-4 _ blueprints to look at Monosuke in horror. 

_ He said he accurately counted on me to escape death _ ** _"this time too"_ ** _ ? As in… _

I put down the blueprints and pull the bag on my shoulder off to pull the other documents out, my face feeling like all the blood has drained out of it when I grab the Ultimates list and scan it's contents again.

Ryoma the second victim and Kirumi the second…murderer. 

But I'm here. 

I'm the golden target. 

I started feeling funny after eating that food she made for me. I was throwing up, my stomach hurt, and everything inside me was on fire. The agonizing pain went on for so long and all I wanted was for it to stop. 

_ And only now I'm understanding it was meant to kill me entirely. _

"...A-Are you crying?" I think I hear Monosuke ask, but I'm too busy staring at the document in my hands. 

_ She poisoned my food and had the audacity to smile and pretend everything was fine, even giving me advice on a theoretical escape she probably could see right through me on after the matter. She poisoned my food after working with Rantaro to keep the tunnel a secret for my safety. _

Didn't she say something then too? When I asked her if she would hate someone for leaving her and the others behind in the killing game… 

_ "Well, I would understand anyone's desire to leave...and if they had the chance, I couldn't fault them for seizing the opportunity- especially one that causes the least damage to those they leave behind. Essentially, those left behind will still have a chance to escape, and if they're lucky the escapee can possibly bring back external assistance." _

An escape that causes the least amount of damage to the others…she was talking about what _she_ _herself _did, wasn't she? Her actions to kill me..she gave me firsthand knowledge on the matter. Because she wanted to murder me and give the others a fighting chance while she got out of the killing game and seized the opportunity…

But I needed to die for them and once again I managed to survive somehow by pulling another lucky miracle from out of nowhere. 

If people turn on one another as easily as her and Kaede…then really, what _ is _the point of me fighting so hard? 

Maybe by the time I find us a way out, _ if _I find one altogether, we will have already finished killing off one another. 

"...I really hate this place…" I manage to get out without letting a sob escape me, moving to put the document away so no more tears speckle and warp the paper. With that, I focus on reading the blueprints again so I can get this bomb removal procedure over with and head above ground. 

The tears make the reading process a bit difficult though, turning my vision blurry even when I reach up to wipe my eyes dry. 

Is it hypocritical of me to be angry with Kirumi for seizing the opportunity? I don't know. The only difference with her method of escape is that _ my _ inquiry of escape didn't involve me stabbing _ her _ in the back or anything. I hate thinking about it. 

_ She tried to kill you. You have every right to be angry. You're allowed to care about your own livelihood. You're no one's sacrificial sheep. _

I have to say that to myself a few times before the tears stop forming, allowing me properly scan the page a couple of times before I can reach for Monosuke where he's laying and looking the other way from me. 

"Okay, I'm ready," I say, more or less composed although disquiet as a result of the truth he accidentally revealed.

"...I wasn't supposed to say that," he comments after I grab some tools and brush through the thin fluff of his body to find the screwdrivers keeping his belly attached to him. 

I don't answer him, removing the screws and eventually pulling his stomach plate off to examine the material I'm working with. He has a bunch of wires and connections in the way, but eventually after some digging through the blueprints and closing my eyes, I navigate the right cord of the computer to the right connection to where I can remove Monosuke's energy module to reach the location of the bomb. I'm sort of in a daze, but once I have that set, I grab for the power cable of the computer Monosuke says should take care of keeping him powered through the process and I use my intuition on the blueprints to navigate it to the correct location. 

Using my intuition, things progress quickly since I don't need to search around or dig and second guess myself on what leads to what. 

He's hooked up properly and can watch me carefully remove the energy module, which I treat delicately as I set it aside on the table where I won't knock it over or hit it. 

I'm pretty sure by Monosuke's small hitch of a mechanical breath I'm sure serves no purpose other than to express emotion, he notices something I notice at the same time.

_ If I was terrible and I wanted to, I could break that energy module or hide it…and I could just leave Monosuke here to rot. _

Clearly neither of us really thought in depth about how much trust a process like this may warrant from either of us. Monosuke's essentially at my mercy at this point, and he knows it. 

"Relax. It's going back in as soon as the bomb is out. I'm not a monster," I tell the yellow bear, pushing my ponytail behind my shoulder and turning to the computer to start the process of deleting the bomb files before I go tampering with the physical bomb itself.

"I-I'm not nervous, Dumbass Ugly! I can still beat you up if I need to in this state!" he claims, despite the shiver that rattles up his body. 

_ Alright, what am I looking for…I don't have much of a guide for this process, I just need to be careful about what I open, move, or delete. _

It looks so complicated on the computer, but with some careful navigation, I eventually find the correct file destination and open up the files to browse the content and make sure nothing else important is in there.

"So that just gets deleted and then we should be safe from the bomb exploding, right? We can just rip it right out?" Monosuke asks, making me sigh and shake my head. He looks a bit irritated by my answer, but hey, no one said bomb removal was easy. Even for me with my intuition at hand.

"Uh, from what the blueprints said, deleting the files just prevents the explosion if it senses that it's being removed and stuff. I'll still need to be careful cutting it out of you and snipping the wires. If we leave it in now, it still has the potential to blow up if I cut a wrong wire or do something else that causes a bad chemical reaction. We're removing the file in particular that allows Monokuma the ability to detonate any of you kubs from afar though, so at least you won't have to worry about that anymore," I explain, noting how the bear glances nervously at the hole exposing his mechanical innards. 

He doesn't seem like he's all too sure about this anymore. 

Maybe I was coming on a little too hard with telling him to let me remove it? I don't want to make him feel like I'm forcing him to go through the whole process, if we at least remove Monokuma's power and leverage over him, I think he should be fine...even if what I really want is to get the whole entire bomb out of him.

In the end though, it's his own choice. I shouldn't impose it on him.

"If you're more comfortable with just deleting the files that allows Monokuma to detonate you, we can stop there. You don't have to go through the whole endeavor if you don't want to. I know I pushed, but I won't make you do it unless you're absolutely-"

"I want it out," Monosuke cuts me off to state clearly, this time with total conviction lining his tone as I blink his way and eventually concede when I believe he's sure of his decision. I turn and face the computer again, selecting the bomb files and looking back one more time at Monosuke.

When there's no objection, I drag them over the delete folder so the files vanish. This is followed by a prompting command that asks to automatically delete code in relation to the files, which I promptly agree to and allow the page to open up to a series of code that immediately has my expression twisting with concern. I'm not proficient in computers by any means...sure, the system seems to have a nifty design and function that highlights the specific strings of codes that need to be deleted for full functionality to continue, but I really wish I knew _ exactly _what I'm deleting. This might be riskier than I originally surmised it to be...

Nevertheless, I delete the strings of code anyways despite the sudden wave of anxiety rushing over me at the thought of deleting something that will mess up Monosuke's system.

_ What if we never had the chance to do this again though? If I can do this on the other monokubs, I'd need to find another computer and I'll need to repeat these actions with them too, won't I? I could try and convince Kokichi to help me break into Miu's lab since I know there's a computer in there...would Monokuma even let me tamper with the monokubs though, or would he stop me from doing so? _

_ ...Well, at least seeing the strings of code I need to delete will make the process easier later when I go ahead and abuse my intuition all over again, considering that's all I'm doing as of late. _

"How are you doing over there? I think I'm almost done with removing the code for the bomb, so..." I start to say, turning around and feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end for some reason when I notice Monosuke staring at me. He's not angry or upset looking, but the look is...odd. He's never given me a look like that before. "What is it? Do you feel something weird? Is everything okay?"

"...Nah! Nothing's wrong," Monosuke agrees after a moment, regaining that usual snarky mood as he grins and adds on, "I was just thinkin' I can see you making these expressions in the reflection of the computer screen like you're constipated as all hell!"

My concern dies away in an instant, replaced with a dry look of disdain. I almost want to remind him I'm holding his livelihood in my hands right now, but that wouldn't be proper. Instead I just turn away back to the computer and try not to look constipated, or whatever.

A few deletes later and I throw up my arms in relief, turning towards Monosuke and the table again to scan the blueprints one more time.

"Alright, here we go. Doctor Prairie's in business," I say, closing my eyes once I have the proper tools lined up for the procedure.

"Just don't kill us both setting the thing off, and we're good," Monosuke reminds me as I feel my muscles begin to work overtime, moving quickly under the confidence of my intuition. I pause to peek at the work every now and then, making sure I sort of "refresh" what I'm seeing so I don't make any mistakes.

…

And when I finally feel my intuition come to a slow in relation to my movements, I open my eyes to finish pulling out what looks to be a black box the size of maybe a lunch pail from Monosuke's body. My eyes widen when I see it and peeking over at Monosuke himself, I can see he's visibly flabbergasted as well.

The bomb is larger and deadlier looking in real life than it was hidden behind all the cables or on the blueprint.

"I-I'll just...set it over here," I say, putting it aside on the desk and reaching up to wipe the tickle of blood at my nose away with my forearm. Reorganizing his cables is easy enough, and once his energy module is back in, I unplug him from the computer. I put his stomach plate and the screwdrivers back and eventually let out a sigh of relief.

_ Success! _

With everything finished, Monosuke sits up and tests moving around, eventually standing on the table and making a noise of surprise.

"Woah, I feel so much lighter now! Damn, that shit was _ heavy!" _Monosuke says as I start gathering the blueprints and the tools I used into my bag. Seeing this, Monosuke gives me a look and eventually seems to relax in understanding. "Ah, you're gonna try and get bombs out of the others, aren't you? God, you're predictable. Whatever, do what ya want. Just a reminder that I ain't treating you anything like Monokid does, so I hope you don't regret this when I immediately start kicking you and knocking you around again in the killing game!"

I don't say anything to that, simply looking back at the bomb.

Should I bring it with us? Although then again, what would I even do with it? I could probably fling it at Monokuma, but...chances are that I'd sooner detonate it on myself. It's a bomb- hardly something that should be toyed with.

"Ready to keep exploring then?" Monosuke asks as I pull the bag of contents over my shoulder again. 

I start to take a step around the table and end up needing to stop and grab the edge when I sway, my vision going dark enough that I end up having to guide myself to the floor so I don't end up hitting my head on anything from lack of balance. 

My ears are ringing. Everything feels like it's either swaying or spinning, even though I can feel that I'm on what should be steady ground. 

_ I feel weird… _

"I'm just gonna…close my eyes for a little bit…just a little bit…" I try to say, unable to hear my own voice as I look around for Monosuke. I can barely make him out since I eventually drift off into darkness. 

When I come to again, it's only for a few minutes and I can see Monosuke is seated beside me digging into my bag. I can't tell what he's doing for a moment, until I see him ripping up the emails and documents I'd printed out from the computer downstairs. He seems to notice me having caught him, but he continues ripping them to shreds anyways, which I can't help but feel both horrified yet resigned about. Figures that he can't allow me to waltz back topside with the papers…Monokuma wouldn't like that and regardless of the procedure, Monosuke is still working for Monokuma. 

I feel my eyes drift shut again after that discouraging sight, and with some more passing time, I eventually come to again to feel Monosuke slapping at my arm. 

"...ome on! We'll try and walk to the exit, it's scary down here if you're just gonna keep sleeping like this!" 

I let him poke, pull, and pinch at me incessantly until I can properly open my eyes and force myself on my feet. Everything is spinning still, so I have to use the wall just to keep myself upright. 

_ Where's the bag? Did he rip up the blueprints too? _

When I look to the bear again, I notice he's carrying the bag in question. To my relief, he didn't tear up the blueprints, so I guess he has some sort of heart that at least cares for the other monokubs. 

In my daze, I manage to follow the bear a good distance without falling over too much. On the other hand, I have to stop often so I don't pass out entirely when the inky darkness in my vision starts to intensify, but I eventually follow Monosuke into an elevator somewhere in the same floor. 

_ We didn't even get to use the last day to explore and now we're going back… _

I'm starting to close my eyes again, losing the battle to keep myself awake. 

"Hey, no! Don't fall asleep again! If you don't make it back in time, who knows what Father will do to your loser friends! I'm not dragging you up there and out of this elevator!" Monosuke says, making me force my eyes open to look his way in confusion even though I feel so heavy. 

Make it back in time? We still have a whole day to explore, I thought he wanted to keep walking around to find information…?

"Don't look at me like that, I don't have to do this. I'm just putting us on equal terms since you took that shitty bomb out. You've been sleeping forever, so now you're on short time. I even managed to get the nasty bits you left on me cleaned off in a bathroom while you were out! It was scary going alone!" Monosuke accuses, making me look around for some identifying source to tell me the time. Of course, there isn't any inside the elevator, so I simply slide down into a sitting position and try to keep myself awake. 

Everything feels like it's slowing down, and yet Monosuke's over here telling me I blinked out for hours and now it's almost the end of the time frame. 

_ I don't feel particularly in pain, if anything I'm completely pain free. I just…feel like sleeping… _

My eyes drift shut until I hear a bell ding, causing me to snap open my eyes and slap my cheeks lightly to keep myself from drifting off. This state I'm in definitely seems to be the result using my intuition, I wasn't feeling like this til after Monosuke's operation…

I reach up with my arm to check my nose, and there's a few more drops of blood than the last time I checked. It's not a lot compared to other times of backlash. 

Running my fingers to my eyes, ears and my mouth, I find no blood in any of the other usual suspect areas. It's odd, since the other times I've bled enough to look like I was on the verge of dying. I can feel this pressure in my head that feels like it's about to burst at any moment though, so maybe that's the buildup of the rebound?

The elevator doors have been open for a while now, and I realize this when I see someone step into my line of sight a couple of feet away. I'm still in a total daze but I can just barely make out the fountain and the garden past the person. How did we get back so fast? I never noticed an elevator in the garden, that doesn't even make sense.

_ Am I hallucinating all this? Maybe I'm still in the computer room, aren't I? None of this is happening. I don't need to worry about anything I guess... _

Monosuke is by their feet, telling the person a couple of things before I realize who is in my presence. Despite the fact that I've told myself nothing's real and that I don't need to be concerned, my blood still seems to go cold when I see her.

It's Kirumi who's found me...although Monosuke seems to be in conversation with her- one that I can barely make out from how much of a daze I'm in. Kirumi herself looks troubled, looking from me to Monosuke and back as if she's confused about something. Considering she did something to my food, it's no wonder she's surprised to see me back here. She probably expected me to be dead already.

_ But I guess this is just my subconscious idea of how it would be if I was really back, right? Or would Kirumi try to kill me right here and- _

Just as I think that, I see Kirumi pull something out of her apron pocket, looking back towards me completely and promptly kicking Monosuke aside with a careless foot to approach me.

The pressure is on the verge of bursting and I try to reel myself back in even when I realize what's in her hands are a pair of large scissors. 

_ ...This is a hallucination, right? So I can just sit here and I'll still be fine? _

Kirumi is getting closer. 

She doesn't look anything like Kaede did the time she tried to kill me- Kirumi has this gritty look of steeled determination across her features. It's an expression of conviction I've never seen on anyone's face before, one that makes my stomach churn violently when the familiar panic ridden sensation of fight or flight sets, made all the worse since I can see her unlike how Kaede was approaching from behind. I thought it was worse not seeing it coming, but I was wrong.

_ I don't care if it's a hallucination, I want to run away! _

I grab the bag beside me that I notice Monosuke dropped when we arrived, only to feel my brain scream from the inside when I realize how groggy and slow my movements are.

_ Move faster! _

_ No, forget about that, you need to defend yourself! _

** _Grab something!_ **

I snatch a large wrench and turn back in time to see Kirumi already swinging.

On impulse, my eyes snap shut and I swing the wrench, feeling my arm speed up just in time to knock the scissors out of the way. They go flying and I take the chance to push myself up by jamming my shoulder up into her collarbone as I go. Kirumi falls back and I take my chance to head for the door.

At that point reality seems to snap back into place even though I'm still immensely groggy and weak.

This isn't a dream.

I'm actually being targeted again.

What doesn't help is the fact I can't even walk in a straight line at the moment.

The luxury of indecisiveness that Kaede had as well as my mobility are all but non-existent this round. All I can think about as I stumble across the fountain by running straight into the water is that I might not survive this time. 

I can already hear her heels clicking swiftly behind me as she jumps in the fountain and tackles me into the water. The weight of my own body succumbs to gravity and I manage to throw the bag in time so the blueprints aren't ruined, all which is followed by the awful sound of a crack as my forehead connects with the edge of the fountain hard enough to make my teeth and spine rattle from the impact.

The agonized shrill noise that escapes me is only natural, but it's quickly drowned out when Kirumi yanks me back and grabs the back of my neck and shoves my body under the water. Illogical broken thoughts fill my mind- things I shouldn't be registering or thinking about considering the situation.

_ Wait- _

_ Not enough air- _

_ Can't breathe- _

_ Too much water- _

_ My head hurts- _

_ Where is Kirumi? _

I open my mouth in response to the overwhelming need to take in air that I can't reach, squirming violently despite Kirumi's hands at my neck and the feeling of her entire weight resting there and keeping me down. Until the moment I realize I can't inhale even the water, it clicks that she's strangling me to try and kill me faster.

_ Where is the wrench? _

I focus on looking for the wrench even though I feel more and more like just giving up and letting it happen. Just quitting everything- even seeing Rantaro, Tenko, and the others again.

_ If they're all just going to line up and do this to me, what is the point of living anymore? _

_ Don't think like that- _

_ I don't want to think like that- _

_ I want to live- _

My left hand wraps around something and with all the force I can muster, I jam it back into Kirumi's ribs as hard as I possibly can, making her grip around my neck loosen for a moment.

_ AGAIN! _

Bending my knee under me and against the bottom of the fountain, I jam the wrench back harder in the same place with my intuition and I feel her grip loosen once more, which is enough for me to push up and get out of the water to take in some air. Before I can get a satisfactory amount of oxygen, her grip tightens again and she moves to try and shove me back under. My grip on the wrench with my soaked hands sends it under the bubbles of the patchy pink water again and grab onto the edge of the fountain with my hand, fighting off her weight despite how much larger she is than me.

A graceful individual with a stride like a dancer and a kind smile.

_ Lies. _

I force myself to turn and whip my arm back, giving in to my urge to hurt her when I use my nails to scratch her face as hard as I can- digging into her skin and trying to ignore the satisfaction of her pained cry. I don't know where I scratched her or if it was as meager as I think, but still. Everything about _ wanting _to make someone else hurt in a manner unlike the irritable kind that has spawned from times before feels so wrong.

I want to hurt her more.

_ Where is the wrench? _

I let her force me down a little and grab it, this time whipping my arm back and jamming it against her face hard enough for her to cry out louder this time. She lets go completely and falls back in the water.

** _Now turn around and hit her again._ **

Hesitating on letting my instincts regarding the "fight" element in my fight or flight response, I leap out of the water on unsteady feet and grab the bag I threw outside of the fountain, sweeping in the tools and blueprints along with dirt and mud from my wet arms.

I don't even turn to look at Kirumi, keeping the wrench at hand if I need it. Is she okay? I don't know.

I don't even care.

Stumbling out of the garden, I look from the school to the dormitories. I have a safe space I can hide out in either location...and from what I can see, the dormitories are the closest to me. Straight and to a sharp right near the end of the path.

Halfway across that stretch, I hear footsteps behind me again. The clicking of her heels have been replaced with the sound of crunching gravel as they close the distance. My hand tightens around the wrench and I swing around with the intention of hitting her straight across her face.

"You…" the voice starts, a hand grabbing hold of my free arm as I turn to whip my left arm around as hard as I can.

I manage to stop halfway when I realize the voice is different, slowly coming to the realization who's grabbed me as I slow down my assault.

It's not Kirumi, it's Maki.

She frowns, eyeing the wrench in my hand and then looking to my forehead, neck and body.

Maki looks like she wants to say something, but I just buckle down to my knees in defeat when I feel a sharp pain in my head. In an instant, I turn away and blood spills out of my esophagus like a waterfall. I'm not sure if that's my limit or it's caused by the relief of seeing somebody else, even someone that hates me like Maki.

But maybe this is a bad thing too. What if she decides to kill me here too? Unlike Kirumi, something tells me she would have no qualms with that, even as the Ultimate Murderous Fiend.

_ What do I do? Do I hit her too? I don't know what to do, she's still holding onto my arm. _

My vision tints pink and red, making me desperately wipe it away with my arm like it will allow me to recover from backlash faster. Just before my ears suddenly pop painfully, I hear Kirumi's heels finally catch up and stop in our presence. In fact, I can hear her saying something too.

"Kirumi...what's going on," I hear Maki say more than ask, the two of us watching Kirumi catch her breath. Using their momentary stare down with one another, I look around and try to blink the blood from my eyes to find an escape route.

It looks like it's a little past sunset, so clearly I made it before ten pm but earlier than eight pm.. Still, I could use another "classmate" stumbling across us so I'm not teamed up on and stabbed to death, this isn't good.

"...Maki, please get out of the way. You're not involved in this and I don't want to hurt you," I hear Kirumi state, my hand finding its way up to Maki's grip around it. I'm about to try and pry her fingers from around me before I feel the tickle of blood at my nose and can't resist wiping it away instead.

_ I'm going to die here, aren't I? Maki probably wants to leave as badly as Kirumi...will they fight over me? _

…

"I don't feel like moving," Maki answers to my surprise, making me look back up at her in time to see her eyes flick towards me for a split second. "Prairie, go to your room. Now."

_ S-She actually sounds like the Ultimate Child Caregiver for once... _

The relief that washes over me is instant and I can't help but exhale heavily, the weight of all the stress on my body heavier than ever. I want to keel over and take a very _ very _long nap.

Just as I stand up though, Kirumi opens her mouth again and my heart stops.

"I saw her come out of a hidden elevator with a monokub. You can't tell me you'll just let her go as the mastermind, look in her bag. She even has blueprints with the monokubs names on them."

Maki looks, although her head is angled in a way where Kirumi is still easily visible in her peripherals. Since I know I'm playing a losing game, I hold out the bag with my trembling arms and open it up so she can see the messy contents in it. Regardless of the dirt and tools, it's obvious that Kirumi is telling the truth and I look like the villain again.

"I see...well, then. I'll take care of her then," Maki answers, looking back at Kirumi. "If she dies, we can leave, after all, right? Kaede seemed to believe it."

_ I give up. _

The wrench in my left hand falls to the ground with a clatter and I look away at the ground. More blood is collecting in my mouth, which I swallow despite how awful it tastes. 

_ I guess I can rest now. _

Maki pulls me in front of her with her arm around my waist, bringing something out that's attached to her leg hidden under her skirt. As soon as Kirumi sees this, she takes a step forward and Maki points what she has at my head.

"Careful." The sound of a click makes Kirumi surprisingly stop in her tracks. "My finger might slip early. This needs to be a clean kill."

The gun is right against the side of my head with the safety clearly off. Any moment now and I'm a corpse.

…

…

Maki isn't doing anything…

"...You look tense, Kirumi. You don't think she's the mastermind anymore?"

Two things become apparent to everyone at that moment. 

Maki isn't going to kill me and Kirumi now knows it.

Kirumi takes another step closer, causing Maki to instead point the gun her way. When she doesn't immediately stop, Maki surprisingly fires the gun, making me jerk in her arms before she tightens her arm around my waist to keep me still. It doesn't hit Kirumi, but she stops at the sound it makes.

_ Am I actually safe? Why would Maki, who doesn't trust me and believes herself that I'm part of this whole charade with Monokuma? _

"Odd that you have a gun on you, isn't it, Maki?" Kirumi asks after a moment of tension.

"I don't think you're in a position to be asking questions. You've been caught and as long as I'm here, you can't kill this brat. So leave."

…

Kirumi's entire form seems to relax at that point. Her shoulders sink a little and she sighs. Everything settles down in that moment as Kirumi slips the scissors she was carrying in her apron and turns around.

At least, I thought things would settle at that point.

Maki raises the gun in her hand and aims at Kirumi again, likely for a kill shot from what I think. At that, my hands dart up in panic to push the gun out of line from hitting the Ultimate Maid. Maki hasn't shot the bullet, but she throws me a dark look at my interference.

"You can't or you'll be executed," I remind her with a croaky weak voice, watching as she scowls and seems to consider her actions. 

Scanning my bloody face studiously, she eventually releases me and shoves me back onto the ground- hard enough that every part of my body complains when I hit it. 

"You can go now too. Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm protecting you because I'm nice...I still don't trust you. Go hide before the others get here and see you in this sorry state too. I'll let them know what happened when they get here," Maki says, making me glance at her gun and then back up at her. She looks like she wants to say something, but I cut her off as I climb up to my feet weakly.

"T-Tell them you confiscated the gun from me, okay? I'll confirm it later," I state, turning and stumbling off towards the opposite direction from the dormitories and the school instead. The others are more likely to come from those two places…

I'm gonna go to that stupid Kumasutra hotel to get cleaned up, there's probably a shower somewhere in there.

Nearly tripping several times, I eventually make it to the front of the hotel without bumping into anyone, allowing me to sigh in relief until I come to a slow when I see Monokuma standing at the front wearing what looks to be a bellman outfit.

"Welcome, welcome to our _ first _customer! Wow! You sure have seen better days!" Monokuma opens his big mouth to say, making me narrow my eyes at him.

"...I just need a shower and I don't need the others ogling me," I grumble, causing Monokuma to chortle in amusement.

"Puhuhu~! I'm sure you do! You're lucky, we don't normally just let anybody in unless they have the secret key, but since you won big at the lottery...I'll debit your account later and advance the key just for you! I've even left you a clean set of clothes up there and a first-aid kit! Aren't I a great bellman? Please visit Kumasutra Hotels dot com and give my service a good rating if you can! Here you go!"

He tosses me a thin gold chain with a pendant that has a red crystal embedded inside a heart shaped head of a key.

"Anyways! Thanks for a great show! I hope to see more of your capabilities, Miss Marble...don't disappoint me! Toodle-loo~!"

And just like that, Monokuma bounds away, leaving me with this gross bitter taste in my mouth- which isn't the copper flavor of blood filling my mouth either.

_ ...I'll use cold water so I don't drift off now that I think about it. Kirumi made me hit my head pretty hard against the fountain. I don't want to fall asleep and end up not waking up. _

With all that behind me, I step into the hotel and allow the doors to close behind me before I let the tears finally form and cleanse my eyes of it's pink and red tinting.

_ I really hate this place. _

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.12 - The Golden Target**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
~Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

> 
> [Yellow (Monosuke & Prairie)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/190547836185/yellow)  

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.10](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189845347040/string-theory-drv3-cover-v10-v10-39)  

> 
> [Prairie: "Bite Me" ](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189989465730)  



	42. The Hell Hotel

❀ _**3.13 - The Hell Hotel**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Even after entering the Kumasutra hotel, I can't help but feel as if Kirumi is still following behind me. I look over my shoulder several times before entering the main hall where the hall splits from two directions on either side of me and to a set of stairs ahead of me.

I'm not sure _which _room Monokuma chose for me, up until someone jumps into the hall, leaping on the stairs in my line of sight.

Surprised and still feeling anxious from Kirumi chasing me and having to deal with Maki, I let out a shriek at the sudden movement and reel back a few steps until I lose my balance and fall back on my ass hard with a squeak that cuts my panic off long enough to realize...

It's just Monodam.

I feel the tension in my body ease up before noticing how Monodam appears slightly uncomfortable. Well, I guess it's not very surprising- I got scared of the quietest bear and totally screamed in his face...

A beat of awkwardness passes over us when I don't immediately say anything, mostly for the fact that I'm trying to quell the internal panic that wants to take over my system. Seems like panic has followed me from my tussle and near death experience.

Monodam patiently waits for me to compose myself, just like the time when he patiently waited for me to finish crying when it was his turn to escort me around to introduce myself to the others.

Once I find my spine, I let out a small apology and pull myself onto my feet with my bag of tools and blueprints. As soon as I'm up, Monodam looks up towards the stairs and then back at me as if signaling its importance. Before I can ask anything, Monodam is promptly bounding up the stairs and out of sight.

_Well, I certainly appreciate his company over the other two kubs...not including Monokid, of course. Speaking of the kubs though, where did Monosuke even go? I don't remember seeing him after Kirumi came after me._

I don't have any answers to my questions, so I simply blow out a breath and start climbing the stairs. Even after a couple steps up, I become dizzy enough and out of breath to have to grab the stair rails and stop for a moment.

_Calm down, you're safe now. Why are you still feeling so panicked?_

Standing still for too long evidently makes it easier for me to notice my accelerated heart-rate, so I force myself to push onwards despite exerting myself. Once I reach the second floor, I look to either hallway till I find Monodam in the right wing hallway. He's holding something, which he holds up to me as I walk on over to him and the door he's standing in front of.

When I take what he has, a white envelope with a green heart drawn on the back and my name crudely scribbled on as "Prairy", he almost immediately bounds away like lightning and out of sight. Looking around and deeming him gone, I eventually turn my curious gaze to the letter- which has something inside it- and gently open it by the front lip. Turning it over, what immediately falls out is a digital watch, half blue and half white with a clean digital screen and matching bear ears at the top to show which side of the screen reads to face you. It _almost _looks like the monopad and padphanie from before, but it's a watch. So...a "kidwatch"?

_Who cares what it's called- I get to see and keep track of the time again even though Monophanie said I wouldn't get that luxury again! HA!_

I slip the elastic wristband over my hand and press one of the side buttons, smiling as it lights up to display the time.

With that set up, I pull the crooked folded paper out of the envelope as well and open it up to read the large messy scrawl- one clearly written by an individual that has two paws rather than opposable thumbs.

_"He doesn't bully me anymore," _it simply reads, along with a _"Thank you" _scrawled further near the bottom.

Did I accidentally "corrupt" another monokub again?

...

_Well, no matter. Hopefully with how well Monokid is doing to keep from getting on Monokuma's bad side, hopefully he gives Monodam pointers to stay safe too._

There's nothing else, save for a crude crayon drawing of me, Monokid, Monodam, and even Monotaro near the "thank you" at the bottom that makes my heart swell. It's like all the stress and panic finally escapes me in that moment, my shoulders easing up from my stiff straight posture.

Feels like I can breathe again. So long as I'm in here, Kirumi can't enter unless she buys the Kumasutra hotel key, right? I think that's what Monokuma implied.

I push open the door to the room after turning the key, only to feel my fight-or-flight kick in again when I see what the hotel room looks like on the inside- if only for a completely different reason than before.

There's a disturbingly "feisty-romantic" theme going on regarding the setup and decor of the room, coupled with a single large king sized bed and a demonic merry-go-round theme going by the two cutout horses that seem to be electronically operated as they circle the bed.

Upon initial glance at the two horses with scary demon-like faces that surround the bed, the first thing I understandably do is walk over to a switch setting I spot by the bedside and turn off what reads as "carousel mode". As soon as I flick the switch off, the cutout glow horses stop and promptly flip down against the floor, following the grooves of the track they ride along to retreat around the bed and behind the large heart-shaped headboard where they sit stationary and out of sight.

_Thank god I can turn those things off, they're creepy._

As promised by Monokuma, there is a set of clothes, but when I give them a closer look and walk over to unravel it, my face hits a boiling temperature when I realize it's not clothing. Well, it's clothing, but it's the kind that hardly counts as proper "clothing".

Specifically, Monokuma has left me a set of electric red lingerie pieces, two identical full-body suits that are likely to leave little to the imagination if I were to put them on, and matching red semi-transparent stockings with little bows on them that go up to my upper thighs.

_Like I'd put this on! I knew I should have expected Monokuma would do me dirty- that nasty lying bear...!_

Tossing the lingerie back on the bed with the second one, I look to see a red box with a white plus symbol on it. At least Monokuma left me the main thing I was desperately in need of- a first aid kit. Opening it up for a quick peek, I can see there's about everything I'd need to treat my injuries- and some ointments for my bruises as well. I could have used some of that medicine much earlier- especially after being thrown around so many times.

_"Why is it that _ ** _you're_ ** _ the most beat up out of all of us when the killing game hasn't even started yet?"_

I frown at Rantaro's words in my mind, closing the first aid kit and pulling my dirty clothes off. There's really no place to put them and I'm certainly not planning on putting them on again after I get cleaned off, so I simply discard them in the corner of the bathroom attached to the room when I enter it. The lights flicker on upon my entry, similar to the motion detecting light of the dark hallways underneath the killing game grounds.

As I turn on the water in the bathroom and step in, I immediately wince at the sharp sting of pain at my forehead when water spills over the open wound. Kirumi really managed to get me to hit it hard, jeez...is it still bleeding?

Turning to look back at the mirror across the shower before it really fogs up, my eyes catch sight of all the bruises and scabs across my body. I look like a beat up rag doll at this point- curls matted with knots and oily from lack of care, dried and wet streaks of blood sticking to my entire face, neck, and body...there's even bags under my eyes. All of that is just what's visible, none of my outward appearance hints at the degree of sluggish exhaustion I'm feeling at the moment.

Everything hurts- from my muscles down to my bones. Either way, I'm not a pretty sight at all.

_Well, at least I'm still alive, so I might as well be grateful for that much. Things could have ended right at the fountain if I hadn't forced myself to proceed with my intuition despite being so worn out._

When I look back at my face, I can't help but feel a bit of shock at the expression on my reflection's face. It's still so odd to look back at a face I hardly recognize and see an expression I don't realize I'm making. Every time I do, I try not to notice how disconnected I feel from myself when I see who's looking back. It's hard to ignore though. I don't feel like myself. I don't feel like the person looking back is me- regardless of the whole "Perfect Blitz is dead and I'm Prairie Marble" confusion.

Maybe it's the amnesia. Maybe I'll never get used to it.

I look away from the mirror after a second, focusing on the shower and stepping in.

Once my shower is finished, I return to the room and take the first aid kit from the bed in my towel, walking over to the mirror near a seating area by the bed. It's a whole set up of small seats and a short block shaped table, one which I bypass to sit on one of the seats and set the kit on my lap.

Looking up at the big red cut on my left temple, I can't help but wince a bit. It still looks pretty bloody and it's been quite a while already. Hopefully a bit of treatment helps- even for what it is. Guess it won't take the headache away though, will it?

I apply medicine to my forehead before placing a gauze pad over it, a sharp pain reminding me that this won't be much help in the long run. Not to mention the bruise at my side is still a bold noticeable dark purple...and now my neck somewhat matches too with the blotchy blue-green ring of varying intensity around the circumference of my neck where Kirumi was trying to strangle me.

_...I don't want to be spending the entire time here walking around in a towel..._

I look back at the bed and grit my teeth with a scowl. I'm gonna have to put one of those stupid things on, aren't I? Dang it, why didn't that stupid bear leave me _real _clothes! I swear, they're completely pushing the fan service, this is ridiculous!

_Wear the comforter over it then, at least have something on under it- even as humiliating as that thing._

Reluctantly, I finish pulling on the pathetic lingerie Monokuma left me and throw the towel aside, grabbing the bed comforter and pulling it around me to cover my body.

When the door knob to my room wiggles as if someone's grabbed it, my heart lurches in my rib cage. There are no locks on this door, so I understandably dart around to the back of the bed's headboard where I can hide myself. If it's Kirumi and she has somehow managed to get the amount of coins necessary to enter the hotel...

My breathing picks up speed as I wait for the door to open and steel myself for another tussle...until I realize the knob has stopped turning. The door isn't opening either. Instead, I hear a few knocks on the door, following by the nervous voice of a familiar Ultimate Pervert.

"P-Prairie? It's Shuichi, are you in there?" I hear his voice drift into the room. Although I'm glad to hear that it's not Kirumi, I still hesitate to walk over to the door and open it to let him in. Eventually, I find my spine and climb up to my feet, quietly making my way over to the door and pulling the comforter tighter around my small figure.

_Shuichi won't hurt me, right? He's...the most trustworthy from what I believe._

...I stop at the door.

_But I thought the same of Kaede and Kirumi. I had faith in even _**_Miu_** _for helping me climb the cage wall with that magnetic apparatus. Haven't I been proven wrong enough times on what constitutes as trustworthy? I don't even know why I'm bothering anymore...I should just assume everyone wants me dead by default._

Despite my thoughts, I open the door and step aside to let Shuichi in- who has turned to maybe check another door before turning back around to see me.

"Oh! You're...!" He looks like he was about to say "okay", but his eyes evidently land on the mess of my forehead, which is the only visible injury at the moment since my neck is securely covered by the thick blanket. "So Kirumi really did try to kill you...are you alright? Did she do anything else? Do you need any medicine or extra bandages?"

I sigh, releasing the door knob and turning to walk back to the bed to take a seat. Shuichi enters and shuts the door behind himself, casting the bed a nervous glance before sitting next to me carefully. He kinda looks like a sheep that's wandered into a wolf's den...

_Jeez, **I**_ _didn't pick how the room would look and it's not like I'm going to jump him like a lovesick puppy. I'm not the pervert of us two._

"Relax. It's just a bed. Trust me, _nothing _would ever happen between you and me. You have the face of a dead frog," I say, hearing Shuichi sputter in embarrassment at my frank tone before turning towards the mirror in the room with curious horror.

_He doesn't actually believe me does he? Aren't detectives supposed to be a little less gullible?_

"I'm lying, don't worry about it. You're good looking, I just don't want you to sit here all stiff like you were. Even if I _did _want to, I'm too tired for anything like that," I come clean to ease his nerves, noting how Shuichi relaxes and has the decency to look a bit guilty.

"Sorry, that's...not important right now, you're right. As far as we know, we heard from Maki that she caught Kirumi chasing you around. What happened? And where were you all this time anyways?" He asks, making me shrug before thinking about the dark halls beneath the school.

What in the world was the purpose of that whole system of office rooms under the killing game grounds? What happened down there and where did everyone go? Furthermore...why didn't Monokuma seal it off to begin with? He had to know it was down there, right? He had to know where I was, even _Monosuke _has been going down there! It just doesn't make sense that Monokuma wouldn't know about it, he watches those bears as much as he watches those of us involved with the killing game.

"I went beneath the school, but there's no way out. Just old halls and broken decrepit computer rooms that have been abandoned for what looks to be years..." I elaborate, looking down and playing with the fibers of the comforter as a method of distraction. I miss my ultimate outfit. It feels like forever since I've worn it around and considering all the cosplay trash Tsumugi has tricked me into wearing, it's a miracle I almost _prefer _that orange rib cage revealing suit now. If anything, I'm even starting to like it now. "Going down there was a waste of time."

_That's another lie. You just don't want to tell him you removed Monosuke's bomb because you're scared of him mistrusting you and turning against you._

"How did you get back up though? I mean..." Shuichi pauses, giving me a closer look as I turn his way. "You look exhausted, do you want me to come back later? I mean, if you need to sleep after all that has happened, I totally understand."

My heart leaps at the thought. I don't want to be left alone yet, but I don't want him to think I'm scared of being left alone.

Even though I am.

I shake my head vehemently, enough that it even starts to ache to the movement when I stand up and pace. That's right, I hit my head really hard- I couldn't go to sleep yet even if I'd have wanted to. I can relay the concussion concerns to Shuichi so he stays a longer.

"No no no, sleep is a bad idea. I can't really remember how I got back up since I was blacking out and Monosuke was leading me along during a series of dizzy spells, but I remember an elevator while I was on the way out," I explain thoughtfully, pointing at the gauze pad under my forehead as I face him. "I came out in the garden with the fountain in front of me, so..."

Thinking a little and using my head to map out the garden and sighing when the memory refuses to click properly.

"It's definitely somewhere in there, I at least know that. Kirumi gave me the forehead wound by tackling me into the fountain and slamming my head against the edge. I'm not sure if I can get a concussion like that, but I don't want to fall asleep and not wake up. Having you here to talk to definitely helps, so...feel free to stay for a bit. Just please don't try to kill me."

Shuichi looks mortified, but even more so by the last part of my statement. When he opens his mouth, probably to deny the idea altogether, he evidently and wisely shuts his mouth moments after. Guess he's realized I'm still bound to be scared and nervous regardless of whether he denies it or not.

"Um, who knows about what happened then? How are Rantaro and the others?" I ask, causing Shuichi to chuckle awkwardly as a smile reaches his features.

"Yeah, pretty much everyone is aware you're alive now. Rantaro in particular is not happy about what he heard. As we speak, he's in the casino right now trying to win casino coins like crazy," he says, making me scowl and cock my head to the side in confusion before recalling Monokuma's words earlier. I pull the key up from the necklace I have on under the blankets, showing it to Shuichi.

"He's trying to win one of the keys, right?" I ask, making Shuichi pull out the same key fro under his own button up with a nod. "Monokuma said he would debit my win from that time I hit two jackpots before, but...how much are these things anyways? How many coins will Rantaro need to win to get one?"

"Ah...ten thousand coins," Shuichi answers, making me frown. It sounds like a lot... "The casino's output for coins is low and the takeaway tends to be larger, so...it may take a bit of time. Some of the others are trying to help him win enough coins though. At the moment, I'm the only other student with a key here, as far as I'm aware. I doubt Kirumi will be entering to try and win casino coins either, considering the fact everyone is now wary of her based on her actions against you."

I look at his hotel key before feeling my cheeks begin to get warm when I think of something. Admittedly I'm not really dressed properly for meeting with him, but...

I want to see Rantaro.

"Shuichi, do you think...would you be willing to lend your key to Rantaro for a little bit? Just so I could see him?" I ask, watching Shuichi sigh as he puts the key back down under his shirt.

"See, that was the first plan we came up with. Monokuma said only students with the "love suite" key could enter the hotel, but...when Rantaro asked me to borrow mine to see you, Monokuma popped up and vetoed it. He said he'd even confiscate mine if I tried to lend it to Rantaro."

I huff in annoyance, puffing up my cheeks and scowling at the door pointedly. Stupid Monokuma...

"Prairie, are you sure you want to stay here? You kind of sound like you don't want to leave," Shuichi states before looking around the room. "I mean...this isn't a normal hotel room. It's pretty weird looking."

Looking around, I have to admit he's right. This isn't the best of atmospheres for a room, but...

"Kirumi...or anyone else for that matter can't come up here without their own hotel key. I feel safer here than in my own room and I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm scared," I explain, evidently causing a look of understanding to cross Shuichi's features. "I want to see Rantaro, but I don't want to leave this hotel if it's currently the safest place I can be right now. I'm pretty sure Kirumi is willing to try again at killing me, I mean, if she was willing to give it two chances, then-"

"A _second _time? S-She's tried to kill you before already?!" Shuichi asks incredulously, prompting me to nod in confirmation. Just thinking about what happened before I was exploring the office and hallways underground...it makes my throat and mouth ache a little at the painful memory.

"Just before I left the killing game, she prepared me food in the dining hall before I went into the warehouse and before I ran into you and Kokichi. Well, I think she put something in the food and I ate the whole thing without noticing anything wrong. While I was gone, I got really sick. I was sick enough to get knocked out for two of the days I was gone- and it wasn't just a minor stomach ache either. I'm talking about vomiting, a swollen throat, difficulty breathing, and awful burning in my mouth, throat and stomach," I state, looking down at the comforter around me and playing with more of the fibers as I clutch it tighter against me. Shuichi visibly shrinks back at the corner of my eye. "...I thought I was going to die alone down there."

"God, that's awful...well, I'm glad you're still alive. And I'm sure Rantaro and Tenko would say the same thing. I can't imagine how bad that must have been. Do you know what she put in your food?" Shuichi asks, making me shake my head.

Beats me, I sure didn't see her putting the dish together. I had been dancing around trying to mimic her graceful movements like an oblivious idiot.

"...God, Kirumi though. I can't believe it. And we let her go into all of our rooms, we let her wash our laundry, we let her _feed_ us...she's in the perfect position to take advantage of any one of us."

_Thankfully I only had one key made for my room, so I couldn't have lent her one even if I wanted to. I guess that's nice and all in the fact that I might be safe in my own room, I don't want to risk making my way from the hotel all the way to the school only to run into Kirumi- or even_ **_someone else_** _that decides they don't want to deal with me._

But besides that, everyone else let her into their rooms? That's not a comforting thought, especially now that she's outed herself as a candidate to murder someone. What if she decides to call it quits on murdering me and instead decides to sneakily murder someone else? I know I'm the perfect opportunity "golden target", but...she can still change her mind. We're likely to suspect herfirst in comparison to any other person if a murder were to occur, sure, but it's up to her whether she still wants to preserve the lives of the other students by killing me.

After all, she doesn't owe the others any mercy- if she still _has _any mercy for them left after Maki stepped in and decided to foil her plans. Why did Maki decide to defend me anyhow?

Does she harbor some doubts despite the things she said before about me?

"Oh, that reminds me, Rantaro sent you something," Shuichi snaps out of his own passive moment of quiet contemplation to say, turning and pulling something out from a bag I only then notice he's carrying over his shoulder on his other side. Almost immediately as he unzips it, a pleasant smell of food hits my nose and I perk up when I see him pulling containers out- including a sealed bowl of soup, two water bottles, some baked fish in another container, and another container of assorted fruits. I can see some juicy nectarine slices among the chopped fruit... "He had to stop gambling to make all this since he didn't trust anyone else to. After everything you've been through, you definitely need to recover your strength, so as much as he wanted to see you, he chose to prioritize feeding you before getting back to gambling for casino coins."

_Ah...now I kind of feel bad. Maybe I should leave the hotel just to see him? I mean, I can ask Shuichi to escort me, right?_

_..._

_Then again, my "clothes" (if we can even call them that) are even __**more**_ _inappropriate than my stupid pajamas. I can't just leave like this! He'll just end up scolding me!_

He might be more worried about other things.

_No, he's made it a habit to point out when I'm wearing something or doing something wrong. He's still an overprotective wannabe-big-brother figure, there's no way that part about him changed during the three days I've been away from him._

"Um, Prairie...I don't mean to be rude or change the subject abruptly, but...why are you wearing that comforter anyhow?" Shuichi timidly asks, even though I have the blankets wrapped tightly around me. Considering how petite I am, the comforter practically swallows me whole.

"Monokuma said he left me clean clothes. Technically he did. I won't say anything more...but now that you mention it, you should give me your shirt," I boldly suggest, looking to Shuichi directly so he can't help but break eye contact momentarily with a nervous laugh. Is that a "no"?

"Anyways, that aside...some of the others are worried that your inconsistent diet is a relapse from the time you were Perfect Blitz, by the way. Rantaro was mostly unaware it was an issue, but it helped in his decision to send you food as soon as he could. I hope that doesn't bother you..." The Ultimate Detective continues, making me frown in confusion. A "relapse"? Of what?

..._Did I use _**_drugs_**_ as Perfect Blitz?! Don't tell me that's somehow the reason Miu was looking for LSD in the warehouse when I first met her!_

My look of horror seems to alarm Shuichi, enough that he seems to make the connection of what I'm likely assuming.

"N-No! I'm sorry, not a relapse of drugs or anything, don't worry! You never advocated drugs or alcohol, I promise. I meant a relapse of your eating disorder...you've had a history of frequently skipping meals- to the point of making yourself sick and sometimes going two or more days without food or on very minimal snacks. I mean, I'm sure that's nothing for cause of alarm now though, you probably have been keeping your diet in check, right?"

"Right. Absolutely," I lie, clutching the comforter tighter around me as Shuichi's trusting expression instantly twists to that of disbelief and concern. He didn't buy what I was selling- shoot. "Don't tell Rantaro."

Feeling my stomach grumble as the smell of the food gets to me, I take the bag Shuichi has and pull it open to fish out some cutlery I was hoping to find. When I look to the containers of food though, something evidently occurs to me. I really want to swallow that food down in one go. Heck, even the tupperware too. I'm prepared to chuck it all down my belly- to think Rantaro specifically went out of his way to make me this...

My heart flutters, but I quell the feeling immediately. Sure, it's touching, but Shuichi is still here and now that I think about it, I don't want to be rude and just go eating it in front of hi-

"By the way, feel free to eat now if you want, I already ate earlier and I'm sure-"

At Shuichi's prompting, I grab the container of baked fish and practically rip the lid off, digging my pink rabbit-decal chopsticks into it like a ravenous animal. It flakes and bites of it are popped into my mouth one after another. By the time I'm opening one of the water bottles, the fish is completely gone and the container is closed so I can move to the next course.

"By the way, do you need anything from your room? I can go grab you some things if you're really gonna stay here, I'd just need you room key...feel free to say no though, I know that might be too much all things considered."

As I stuff the empty container back in the bag Shuichi brought and set aside my chopsticks on a napkin atop it, I eventually turn to face the Ultimate Detective again.

"Not necessarily, no, but...can I _please _have your shirt? For real?"

Shuichi blinks- and when he seems to notice how intense my stare on him is, he starts to stand up slowly with a hint of strained casualness that doesn't go by unnoticed as I also stand up with him. He swallows thickly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

"W-Why do you need my shirt if I'm leaving anyways?" The uncertainty of his tone is obvious.

"I don't have any clean clothes in my room at the moment, everything is dirty. Unlike you guys, I only had one room key, and Kirumi was banned from taking care of my laundry. I was also lazy though and I didn't wash the first set properly when I attempted it prior to opening the Ultimate Maid's lab, so some pieces of what I have are crusty and need to be rewashed properly. What I _do _have on under this blanket is really the only clean thing I have at the moment," I explain, watching as Shuichi's body language adjusts to better prepare himself to bolt for the room exit. Going by his expression, he isn't likely to cooperate despite my situation. "I hope you know I'm not planning on letting you leave without donating your shirt to me..."

"Prairie, i-if I leave without my shirt, the others will ask questions. They might get the wrong idea and-" he's cut off when I reach back and throw a large pillow at his face in time as the blankets fall to my feet. With him blinded, I tackle him to the floor and press the pillow against his face, making sure his face is turned to the side where he can still breathe but can't see me. He lets out a complaint of shock from under the pillow, struggling even as I hold him down.

"Stay still and don't touch me! I can't have that clumsy oaf coming up here to find me in this trashy thing if he manages to luck out! Be a little considerate, I'm not asking because I just _want _to wear your stupid shirt out of the blue!" I complain, eventually feeling Shuichi relax and sigh in reluctant resignation as I unbutton his top so he's left in a black tank. "Psh, you're whining for nothing, you even have something on under it. What happened to sharing is caring?"

Once it's off of him, I pull the button up over myself. It's not very long, even for a petite girl like me, so I have to help Shuichi up while keeping him turned around so he can't look my way.

"No looking. If you manage to get me clothes from one of the other girls, that'd be great, but for now this will suffice I guess. There's some things I'd like to tell you about while I was away, but...I need to reorganize my thoughts. I think I can explain when you come back though, I doubt it will take you long to get me proper clothes," I say, unable to resist looking around for Monokuma at that point.

He doesn't appear to care much about what I'm saying, even though I've basically stated I'm planning on telling Shuichi something- even if it _is _just in the planning stage. Does he not care? Or does he find me trying to open my mouth a sign of continued rebellion towards the killing game interesting? Is rebellion really that amusing for him?

_Or is this another breadcrumb trail set up for me to experience failure?_

...

_I'll need to think more on the matter and of the information I can give Shuichi in that case._

What about Rantaro?

My stomach twists anxiously. I don't think I should tell him...as much as I miss him and want to see him, unfortunately Monokuma was right about one thing: I don't trust Rantaro. Maybe not for the same reasons as Monokuma had claimed, but nonetheless I don't trust him. I can't be sure he won't try to still stop me from doing things. Unless I can be sure that he'll pursue my own endeavors, this is how it'll stay.

_What happened to giving up? Quitting on all this meaningless battle with Monokuma and kicking back? Does this mean you aren't done yet?_

...No, I'm done. I refuse to do this to myself, it doesn't matter what Rantaro does or doesn't know, I just want to be around him and forget about everything else wrong with this place. At least I'll get to enjoy my time with him here for as long as it's permitted. No more fighting, no more arguments, no more discourse. Besides...he'd have to leave if we escaped, right? He'll leave me and go back to his sisters, won't he?

I'll be all alone in the end.

_That's toxic._

I know. But I can't help it, and it's useless fighting it anyways.

Trying to get us out has only resulted in more pain and tragedy on my part- Rantaro was right pointing out just how damaged I am compared to the others. It's discouraging...and as toxic as it may be, Rantaro and company are honestly my only silver lining here.

Well.

Except for _that _cow...

"Tsumugi Shirogane..." I say out loud, only realizing I've let her name slip out from my lips when I hear my own voice in the silence between Shuichi and I. My stomach drops when I remember Shuichi is still here in the room with me, able to hear even the slightest of murmurs from my lips. What's he going to think if I've just randomly name dropped the cow out of the blue?! "I-"

"Ah, that's right! Tsumugi was making cosplays for you to test out, I can bring you something she's made. You'll return my shirt if I bring you clothes, right? Shuichi asks, turning to face me hopefully.

_Right, we were talking about clothing last! Phew, yeah, I'll just go with that! ...What's this nut-job worried about though, doesn't he have five other pairs of shirts the exact same as this? Does it really matter whether I return it or not?_

"Sure. If she has something decent and modest, I'll give your shirt right back and-" I cut myself off when I realize he's staring at me. Almost immediately upon processing the look of alarm across his features that are slowly tinting a red shade from under his skin, my temper snaps.

He's looking at me.

Good thing Rantaro's not here yet.

"I SAID DON'T LOOK, YOU IDIOT!"

"GAH! I'M SOR-?!"

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

About an hour after I've sent Shuichi away with a pretty red hand print on his face, I find myself curled up under the comforter on the bed- relaxing as I wait. It's taking this dude a while to bring me clothes. I expected maybe a thirty minute wait maximum, but not an hour...did something happen?

_The only way to find out if something's wrong is by leaving the hotel and seeing for yourself._

Not happening.

_What if Tsumugi did something to them now that you know her identity as the mastermind of the killing game?_

...

I groan and flip over, peeking my head out from under the blankets. There's no more food because I ate it all, and I'm tired. Maybe laying in bed isn't the greatest of ideas if I don't want to fall asleep yet...

Pushing out of the comforter to the point that I'm practically digging myself out, I eventually get back up on my feet and start walking around the room to keep myself active.

...But seriously, what is that boy doing?!

"Bing-bong, Ding-dong~! Iiiit's Monokuma here!"

I jump and turn, feeling my heart skip a beat when I see Monokuma and feel the sudden urge to snatch up the comforter to cover myself. Wait, it's just a stupid bear though, right? I hardly think that bear would be concerned about my state of dress at all...

Still, I edge around the bed and hide half behind the headboard of the bed, eyeing the cackling black and white bear as he sees me.

"Oh? What's wrong, Miss Marble? You don't like the outfit I left for you?" He asks, much to my irritation as I claw my nails into the headboard with rising anger. This monster knows _exactly _why I'm upset.

"You call this an 'outfit'?! I look like a hooker and Shuichi saw me like this! Why didn't you leave me _real _clothes?!" I demand heatedly, watching as the bear rubs his belly with a big grin.

"Because we've gotta please _that _corner of the fans somehow! What better way than to whore out the cute fiery tsundere to everyone's eyes?" Monokuma openly admits to my shock. Oh, so he's gonna just go out and say it now? He knows I know?

"...So then hundreds of people really are watching us..." I mutter to myself, feeling heat crawl up my neck at the thought.

...

After a second, I swallow down my pride and stand up. Once I step out from behind the headboard of the bed, I feel my nerves somewhat settle down. There's no point hiding when everyone and their mother can see me then. I'm screwed either way.

"What do you want anyways?" I ask, making Monokuma. "Surely you're not here just to humiliate me, are you?"

"No, no! I almost forgot there are no speakers here, so I came to relay the message...it is now ten p.m.! Or at least it hit ten p.m. about forty minutes ago! Which means the dining hall and gymnasium are now closed! In extension, as you are our first patron, that rule applies to this hotel too! You may check out whenever you'd like, however we will not be accepting anymore hotel guests for the night. Visitors are welcome though! Let the operations of the special events commence!" Monokuma announces, before abruptly bounding away and out of the room with a slam of the door before I can go and question his words.

_"Special operations"? What did he mean by that?_

My eyes dart around the room curiously before I find myself digging around every hiding place, searching every nook and cranny until I'm comfortable enough to say I'm completely alone now. No one else is hiding in here, it seems...

_He said no more guests will be accepted, but visitors may still enter...so what's taking Shuichi Slow-hara so long to come back with clothes then?! What if Rantaro's dumb butt gets here before he does with my clothes?!_

I crawl back on the bed when pacing around eventually begins to tire me out, hiding under the covers.

I'm not supposed to have fallen asleep, but the drowsiness evidently wins out and I fall into what I consider as being half-asleep.

I don't feel rested at all when I hear the door shut suddenly, making me bolt awake and panic when I find myself in complete darkness. I left the room light on, didn't I?!

_Dummy, you're under the covers._

Remembering where I am and slowly coming out of the hazy dreamscape, I dig myself out of the covers and jump off the bed, only to feel my nerves relax when I find myself in the familiar red and pink hotel room. The lights are indeed on, just like I left them. The first aid kit is where I left it on the sitting area by the mirror to the left of the bed, and my dirty clothes are still on the floor next to the bed where I discarded them.

And Kaito is...

Kaito is...?

"K-Kaito?!" I squeak, horrified when I see him suddenly grin brightly my way, as if this is the most normal situation ever.

_What am I wearing?!_

Looking down at myself, I grab the hem of Shuichi's shirt and try to tug it down lower along my thighs, but alas, my strawberry shaped birthmark and most of my thighs are still on full display despite my efforts.

Before I can tell him to look away, he barks out a laugh and I flinch in surprise.

"I'm surprised you didn't run off with your tail between your legs!" Kaito says, making me blink in confusion and let out a puzzled _"hah?" _of bewilderment. Run off...? What's he talking about?

...If he heard about the Kirumi thing, I _did _run, so no matter which way I look at it, that still doesn't make sense...unless he's talking about me running considering the state of dress I'm in right now?

I open my mouth to say something, but Kaito is already answering my noise of confusion once again.

"We've each got ninety-nine wins now...so this'll decide the true winner," he claims, much to my further confusion. Wins? The true winner? "Now, let's _end _this!"

His raised voice makes me jump again.

"Kaito, what are you-?" I ask, just as he begins to approach me. Horrified, I backtrack a couple of steps, hitting the edge of the heart shaped headboard of the bed in my retreat. As soon as I do, he stops his advances to grin wider. "When did you- no, _how _did you-?"

"Ah, so you _are _a little scared of what I'm capable of! Ahaha, well, you know what they say! A little bit of the nerves is always a healthy sign!" Kaito steamrolls right over my words, causing my features to twist in anxiety. Is Kaito...delusional? Like for real?

"Kaito-" I try to speak up, only for the tall magenta haired teen to cut me off yet again. It's a bit irritating, but maybe he'll say something to clear my confusion, so I don't argue against it.

"The first time we met...it was in the sky..." Kaito seems to reminisce, completely oblivious to the face I'm making as I listen to him wide-eyed. "I'm Kaito Momota! Luminary of the Stars! I decided that before I enter the vast universe, I'd conquer the blue sky...and _there you were!"_

This man is on a whole 'nother planet...! We met in the killing game, what's he going on about with the sky? ...Who the heck does he think I am?!

"Y-You mean someone else, I'm-" I try to say, before he's chuckling to himself. I stop speaking, wondering what he'll say next.

"We didn't even know each other's names during our first airplane race!"

_Airplane race?! I can't fly a plane! ...or can I? Wait, what if Kaito is coming clean about something here? What if he's saying he knew me before when I was Perfect Blitz? Is that why he won't let me speak then? He wants to get it all out right now?_

"It was the beginning of a heated battle over who was the fastest and coolest! But..." he pauses, laughing to himself, "I never dreamed our battle would last this long."

...

Something about this still doesn't feel right.

"Let me get this straight. So we've both won air races ninety-nine times each. We're...pilots. And we're up for one last air race, but-" I start to reiterate just to make sure I'm understanding things correctly, but Kaito just cuts me off again before I can mention how one, there are no planes here, and two, why is acting as if we're just picking up wherever we may or may not have left off.

"This is pretty much it. There's no more extra innings, you got it?"

No. No I don't _"got it", _I still have no idea what the heck he's talking about.

"Yeah...this is it...honestly, I feel like it's a bit of a waste to put an end to our fight. I wish these days could last forever, y'know?"

"...I mean, I like a challenge as much as anybody else, but-" When Kaito cuts me off, I roll my eyes and throw up my arms in frustration. Can he just..._shut up for a moment?_

"It's like even though we're rivals, our hearts are one. I like that. But...one way or another, this has gotta come to an end," Kaito states, looking more or less unconcerned about the annoyance clearly depicted across my features. "This sky we flew through together wasn't so bad...but my true destiny's the universe!

Do I punch him and kick him out now? Or later? Now I know why I don't actively seek to talk to him much, he's even weirder than the other ultimates.

"...Right," I simply answer, well aware of my dry tone. Only then does Kaito seem to notice something off, frowning slightly as he gives my face a closer look. I'll give him some props for looking at my face at least, considering the fact my legs are on full display.

"What's up with you? Where's your fire, Prairie?" Kaito asks, causing my nerves to strum a little like the chords of a guitar. That's the first he's used my name since I first woke up to him in my room...so he's definitely aware he's talking to _me _then, right? "This is gonna be our final race. Come at me with everything you've got!"

"Kaito...I don't think-"

"No, _you_ don't get it!"

I flinch violently and let out a sharp squeak when he suddenly advances even closer, my back pressed against the headboard as he towers over my much smaller form. My fire has doused a little at the shock, and all I can do is stare up at him like a cornered mouse. Like this...I can see he's even taller than _Rantaro...!_ But furthermore, what is he doing? Why is he leaning down closer towards me?!

"Are you really gonna go into our final race like _that?" _He demands with a shout, slamming his palm hard against the back of the headboard near my head. As if instinctual, all my nerves and muscles tense up suddenly.

That's the ticket.

Without remorse or any more hesitation on my part, my hand balls up in a fist and I deliver the hardest uppercut I can possibly muster with my eyes wide open. My knuckles brace as it makes contact under his chin, sending his face snapping up towards the ceiling in bewildered confusion as I then move in closer to grab his wrists and pull back my leg.

This is about the closest I'll ever get to giving this asshole a hug, one that results in my knee jamming up lightning fast between his legs where it counts the most. It's something I've thought about doing to Kokichi once or twice.

Kaito's breath hitches and his expression twitches into one of sheer pain. Good to know it works well even with tall guys!

"You...you think you can just waltz in here and freaking _kabe don _me? After coming up with some crazy stupid fantasy or something- _whatever _this was?! Have you ever heard of 'personal space'?!" I yell, watching him fall back and curl up on the ground to clutch at his groin with a moan of pain. "Kaito Momota, if you EVER get that close to me again, I'm gonna castrate you like a pig, you hear me?! I'm sleeping in a different room, don't bother coming to apologize, you jerk!"

I snatch up the first aid kit and my dirty bag of monokub blueprints and tools, storming to the exit and throwing open the door to enter the hall. It isn't until I've opened one of the other doors and look around to make sure I'm alone that I drop the bag of things and lean back against the door with my hands pressed into my face.

_Did that really happen? Why was Kaito acting so strange and what was he talking about? Why did he suddenly cage me beside the bed? What was he planning to do? Did he really think I'd accept that kind of behavior?!_

"Wow, that was incredible! He'll sure feel THAT in the morning!"

I yelp and yank my hands off of my face, only to see Monokuma jumping up and down on the bed with a friendly wave. The room looks exactly as the one I just left, save for the fact everything is neatly organized and no one has slept in the bed or left dirty clothes lying around.

Never mind that though...!

"What do you want _now?" _I snap, not really in the best of moods to be dealing with Monokuma after what just happened with Kaito. The _closet_ pervert. "As much as I love our meetings, the sight of you still makes me sick."

"So how did you like the special Love Suite Event? I'll be honest, I was wondering who would show up now that we've had our first patron here! I mean, the _other_ guy wasn't interested in staying, that's for sure..."

"'Love Suite Event'? What are you saying? Explain. _Now," _I demand, making Monokuma laugh to himself.

"Puhuhu~ so you're interested now? Okay, sure! Listen up then! Hotel Kumasutra, and in our many rooms you may experience an intimate scene with one of your living peers at random. You, Miss Marble, are a 'guest' staying at the hotel since you entered with the Love Suite key before ten p.m. to stay the night. Kaito Momota is the random 'visitor' who's heart you so cruelly decided to break...among other things!"

_Is that what he meant before? About the hotel being closed to "guests" and open to "visitors"? As in these were not normal circumstances?_

"What are you talking about? I broke Kaito's heart...?! He hardly knows me! He was talking like he was coo-coo over there, he'll get over a sudden crush- if that's what you want to call whatever _that _was!" I state, making the bear cross his arms over his belly and shake his head.

"You poor poor misguided young lady. Visitors that enter the hotel arrive in a dream-like state and they perceive the guest and their identity as their essential 'ideal'. You, as the guest, are to figure out your own role as perceived by the visitor and play your role successfully, or the visitor will take it as a bad dream and wake up the next morning feeling absolutely horrible! The _worst, _I tell you! Alas, that is what you have dropped onto that poor hopeless romantic, Kaito Momota...he had no intention of sexual deviancy towards you. I think you think too highly of yourself, Miss Marble, you're not exactly sexually enticing," Monokuma states, much to my irritation. Considering how he and Tsumugi love to corner me into wearing the raunchiest garbage they can make or find, I just ignore that last quip and focus on the real issue at hand.

"So...Kaito's going to wake up feeling awful and thinking it was a nightmare? How does that even work, he looked like he was aware and wide awake! I mean, I get he was talking hokey and stuff, but..." I press, only for Monokuma to stop jumping on my bed and wave a paw my way.

"Believe me, Miss Marble, visitors all _forget _the scene of these visits entirely after they leave- just as your friend is doing now! During the scene, they completely believe the crazy fantasies they summon, even those ones as wacky as being pilots having ninety-nine races in the sky! Boy, that one really is out of this world, isn't it?" Monokuma laughs a little, right before looking straight at me. "Lucky for you, _you _get to spend the rest of your life thinking about how you shattered Kaito Momota's ball sack and punched him in the face! AHAHAHA!"

And just like that, Monokuma bounds away, leaving me standing by the door flabbergasted with red cheeks of embarrassment, rage, and horror.

...

...

_Just what kind of a hotel **is **_ _this?!_

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 3.13 - The Hell Hotel_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
~Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

> 
> [Yellow (Monosuke & Prairie)](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/190547836185/yellow)  

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.10](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189845347040/string-theory-drv3-cover-v10-v10-39)  

> 
> [Prairie: "Bite Me" ](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189989465730)  



	43. A Leech's Pride

❀ _**3.14 - A Leech's Pride**_ ❀

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By the time my new watch has indicated that it's nine a.m. in the morning- all the while I've forced myself to stay awake- Shuichi remains a no-show. From what I reckon, he must have been barred entry from the hotel yesterday night since 'guests' and 'visitors' have very strict definitions tied to the special Love Suite event Monokuma explained went on in the hotel at night.

If that's the issue though, where is Shuichi now that it's morning? The hotel is in its open hours again, he should be here already.

Hours pass of me trying to keep myself entertained. I run around the room dragging around the comforter of the bed like a grand cape, I spin around in it until I feel sick and regret it- and Shuichi still doesn't show up. Heck, other than Monodam, even the monokubs haven't visited me either. It's pretty much a me, myself, and I party in this hotel room.

Sometime during that time, twelve p.m., is when I begin to feel the symptoms of sleep start to weigh down on me.

_How long am I supposed to stay awake anyways? Do I keep fighting it, or can I close my eyes? What do I do?_

I make a noise of frustration and start running around the room again.

By two p.m., my stomach is furiously growling and I'm once again laying on the bed far back enough that I'm half slouching towards the ground with my torso hanging over the edge of the bed.

No Shuichi, no food sent up courtesy of Rantaro, and no sign of receiving decent clothing.

Thinking his lack of arrival is because I've switched rooms, I even make a note attached to my old room door with a message to direct the slowpoke detective to the right room. Unfortunately, more time with my grumbling tummy passes...still no Shuichi.

_Is he mad at me for taking his shirt? Or for slapping him after he looked at me even though I specifically asked him NOT to look?...I refuse to apologize for any of that, I'm horribly dressed and Shuichi didn't even hesitate to look down at what I had on under his shirt!_

Sometime in my groveling for Rantaro and his cooking, as well as worrying over Shuichi's safety among other things, I eventually fall asleep despite my worries.

_...What time is it?_

I sit up, once again completely stuck in pitch black darkness until I dig myself out from under the covers and blink away the sting as light hits my retinas. With a yawn, I rub my eyes and feel my heart jump slightly when I hear the sound of a door closing in my momentary blindness.

_Relax, Shuichi is the only one that has access to the place._

"Jeez, took you long enough, Slowhara, for a while there I thought-" I say, finally clearing my vision enough to look towards him at the door and cut myself off.

...

..._No._

"Eh?" Kokichi cocks his head to the side curiously, blinking a pair of innocent violet eyes my way with a clueless edge that has my gut churning anxiously.

My expression is a strained one as I slowly lift my right wrist up to look at the time.

It's MIDNIGHT. Instead of Shuichi coming back with food, "visitor" hours have started and I had the misfortune of getting freaking _Leech Face!_

_What if he came and the note fell, so he had no idea I was in this room? What if one of the monokubs like Monosuke or Monophanie took it off to spite me?_

"Prairie-" Kokichi starts as he takes a step into his room, just as I'm getting on my feet to head for the door.

"Uh, hold on, I-I just need a minute to check on...yeah..." I stammer my way out of the encounter for the moment, briskly moving past him until I hear Kokichi let out a disappointed sigh that makes me stop dead in my tracks.

"I knew it," he says, causing me to turn my head curiously at just how..._sad_ he sounds. I know I should be wary since he's a professional pretender, but...when he turns again, his expression is solemn. "Prairie..."

_Wow, he's calling me by my actual name and not "Prairie Dog"._

"...Knew what?" I ask, now more than curious at what Kokichi's getting at. He's fantasizing this, so...maybe it'll give me a better look into his character. I'm not sure how it's happening, this "they appear as if they're in a hazy dream" thing still sounds really sketchy. Whatever though, I'm not gonna be able to figure out how that works here in this place- and certainly not with Leech Face around.

Kokichi doesn't look like he wants to answer me, but eventually after playing with one of his unruly locks, he meets my gaze directly.

"You don't love me anymore, do you?"

Just hearing him say that has me so taken aback that I can't help but turn away to press my forehead hard against the door. I probably look like I'm trying to phase right through it, and I won't doubt that it's something I wish I could do.

_Ugh, do I have to? Can't I just...run away and let this leech succumb to a nightmare? I don't think the stress I'll get out of playing his "ideal" is worth the trouble. Kokichi can take it, he's a big boy._

"I mean...you're leaving again. Every time I try to talk to you, you say you have to go do something else. Anyone can see it's a lie," he continues, rubbing his arm and averting his gaze after a moment. He looks so...sad. Come to think of it, I've never seen him legitimately sad. He never looks concerned by anything at all, but now his brows are knit together and his lips are twisted with hurt.

I'm not even sure what to say to him. Everything inside me wants to scream out that he's dreaming, but if I did that, he'd wake up feeling awful...I want to _not _care, but I still feel pretty bad for Kaito from the night before.

And yet...

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't lo...luuh..." I'm sweating just trying to get the words out, as if someone from afar is judging me or laughing at me for the situation I'm stuck in. Considering this is a broadcast to a thousand people outside of the killing game...that's probably the case. "Luuuh..."

"See, you can't even say it to me anymore. You sound like you swallowed a frog-" he says to my horror, causing a momentary fleck of annoyance to cross my features before I remember the situation. Right, this is his fantasy. Getting mad at him will only make him feel bad. "If you want to leave, then fine."

Kokichi turns away, crossing his arms and turning his back as if he doesn't want to watch me go.

_If I leave like this, he will definitely take this as a nightmare and wake up feeling awful._

Swallowing down my pride, I wrap my arms around him despite my cells shriveling up into nothingness one after another by the act.

"I-I'm not leaving," I start off with, feeling a wave of heat rush across my face when his hands rest over my own. "I didn't mean to make you feel unloved or unwanted."

_...God, this is so weird. I don't think I'd be able to live this down if he was actually conscious._

Kokichi reaches up, pulling my arms closer over his chest so I'm half-leaned into his back. It makes me uncomfortable.

"If you really mean that, then say it. Tell me you love me," Kokichi simply asks, causing a familiar fluttering sensation in my chest that I quickly stifle in embarrassment.

_Why me?_

"I...I love you," I respond, feeling a warmer wave of heat roll over my face with intense embarrassment. Calm down, me, he won't remember any of this. I'll be taking what happens here down to my grave.

"Hmm...but how do I know you mean _me _specifically? What if you're only able to say that because you're thinking of someone else rather than a nuisance like me?"

Kokichi's really pushing it...leech. Just what kind of angsty fantasy is this supposed to be anyways?!

"I could just fall in a heap and die from my broken heart...but please don't be concerned, I'm sure I..._might_ get over it. Maybe. Probably not." Kokichi lets out a heavy sigh, pressing his hands to his face. "I just don't know how to live without you."

_I would gladly fall into a heap and die right now, if only to pull myself away from this misery._

"I love you, Kokichi," I pathetically say, face so warm that I'm sure Kokichi can feel the heat rolling off of it.

...

"...Say it again."

"I-I love you, Kokichi," I repeat, horribly embarrassed. I'm trying to remind myself he's not legitimately asking me to profess my love for him multiple times, but despite this knowledge I still feel like diving under the bed and becoming one with the carpet.

"Again! Like you _mean _it!"

"I SAID I LOVE YOU, KOKICHI!" I exclaim, quite near the point of passing out as I press my cheek against the back of his neck on his bandanna to sell the lie...and pause when something cold touches my face besides the checkered fabric.

Lifting my head, I look where I've felt the cold chain and blink when I see a metal cord hanging around his neck- barely peeking through the bandanna's folds. Almost immediately at the sight of it, my stomach begins to swirl with unease. I have a feeling...a gut feeling that I know exactly what I'm looking at. Seconds pass and I reach over his shoulder to start pulling out from under his bandanna and coat.

Kokichi himself has fallen still and is no longer saying anything. He isn't even trying to stop me. Needless to say, the lack of a reaction at all is not promising _or _comforting. Especially since it only prompts my suspicions to grow as I pull the pendant of the chain closer into view.

_Please no...don't let it be what I think it is..._

...

Eventually I reach the pendant.

It looks like a key. It looks like _that _key.

The Kumasutra Love Suite key.

The same key "guests" may use to enter the hotel without having to come in as a brainless zombie living a pathetic fantasy.

A strangled noise escapes me as I stare at the key in my hand, my brain only making things worse by highlighting every embarrassing thing I've done and said in Kokichi's presence since I first woke up. How I've been _dressed_ in his presence.

The sound is enough for Kokichi to turn his head and look straight at me with a smug smirk of amusement befitting of a trouble-making little impish monster like him.

"So Prairie Dog _loves me_ then_, _right? For realsies? Because I'm cute, clever, and charismatic? Do you love me enough to kiss me?" He asks, fully turning around so he can face me. Naturally, I let out a squeal and jump back several steps to avoid him. To my horror, he continues to lunge forwards up until I turn to just run away from him.

I wish I could punch him, I really do, but I'm not dressed for the occasion. The best mode of action is retreating _immediately._

Easier said than done, of course this leech immediately dashes around me to jump right in front of the door to slam himself over my escape route.

"You can't leave yet! I just got here and I haven't gotten my kiss! You _liar! _You don't love me at all!" Kokichi accuses me to my frustration.

"No, _duh!_ Who would love someone like you?!" I snark, only to receive this absolutely wide grin from Kokichi's face as he stares at me. "STOP IMPLYING THAT WOULD BE ME! You're terrible! You tricked me and made me say all those embarrassing and humiliating things!"

"Why are you embarrassed?" Kokichi snickers, crossing his arms as he leans back against the door. "If you don't like me or care about me, then whatever you do in front of me shouldn't bother you at all for the reason that you wouldn't care about my opinion...which proves you care about how I see you! Which means you _do _like me!"

_I hate him and I hate his weird logic!_

"Shut up and let me be angry without criticizing my reasons for being angry, you dumb leech!" I complain, stamping a foot on impulse before Kokichi lets out a snort like he thinks my behavior is hilarious. "Go away!"

At that, Kokichi relaxes a little and shrugs like he understands, making me feel a pang of sudden regret when he turns to open the door with a simple 'okay' on his part.

_Wait!_

"W-Wait!" I blurt out to my utter embarrassment.

Kokichi pauses, the door cracked open slightly as he turns his head back my way.

"Eh? Well, make up your mind. Do you wanna kick me out, or do you want me to stay?" He snickers in question. He looks amused and I'm just standing there feeling exposed in more ways than the obvious. Why did I say anything?! I can see him _thinking _things! I don't like it!

But...the thought of being alone again...I think I dislike that idea a lot more than I dislike Kokichi's annoying presence.

As embarrassing as that fact is.

"I don't particularly want it to be _you _staying, but..." I start grouchily, watching Kokichi open the door wider.

"Oka-ay~! Here I go on my way then!" He says in a sing-song voice until I have to bat my pride aside in panic and dart forward to grab the sleeve of his coat. He pauses one more time, laughing a little as he looks back over his shoulder at me. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on leaving anyways. I want to stick around and bug you like I planned three days ago."

_Why is he always manipulating me to embarrass myself?!_

With a moment of silence that extends longer than usual, I eventually smack the back of his head a few times with a low growl. He retreats out the door snickering like mad, but to my relief returns with a heavy looking bag similar to the one Shuichi brought before. I've got to admit though, this time the bag looks to have much more this time than it did last time. To think Kokichi would have actually thought to haul it along with him though...

Speaking of which!

"Hey, how did you even manage to get a key anyways? I find it hard to believe you'd be like Rantaro or Tenko trying to win a key just to see me," I comment curiously, causing Kokichi to raise an eyebrow in my direction as he follows me towards the bed.

"Oh? You thought I wouldn't want to see cute, sweet, Mousey-mouse? But, but! But what if I _did?_ What if I just couldn't stay away from you? What if-!"

"You would never. Kokichi, don't act as if you like me- as a friend, I mean. You just like to mess with me like I'm a shiny toy," I point out upon turning to face him and crossing my arms as he stares at me. Kokichi pointedly sets the bag down between us to bring my attention to it, to which I just roll my eyes. "Thanks for bringing the bag, but one nice thing doesn't change a regular behavior of trying to upset me."

Kokichi just stares at me quietly, and almost a second later, tears are rolling from his eyes despite his stiff smile.

"You really hate me that much, huh?" he asks in such an honestly hurt tone that this little sympathetic kernel in my heart jerks yet again. No, there's no way I'm falling for this trick again! He's just a good actor!

"I-I do! I hate you! Because you play with my emotions and do things like freaking _this!"_ I snap, gesturing to his teary-eyed innocent look of despair. "Stop crying, you baby! You're not really sad!"

Somehow, and little do I know it's even possible, more tears manage to erupt from his eyes. It's getting harder for me to stand my ground, so I turn away to give him my back.

"Aw, Prairie Dog, you're so sweet to show me _every _angle of your behind! Nice mole, by the way~!"

_I knew he was lying!_

I turn back around and back off quickly to the bed, grabbing the comforter and wrapping it around my legs protectively with a face as hot as lava.

"T-There's no mole back there!" I snap, knowing full well what I look like from top to bottom at this point.

"Oh, really? Huh, I wouldn't know because that was a lie. I'm not interested in looking at anybody's ass," Kokichi says matter-of-factly, his face clean of tears entirely already despite how much was pouring out earlier. Following that, he lifts up the bag again from his feet and makes his way to where I am on the bed. "Anyways, behold the Prairie Dog Care Package! Let's get started, no more interruptions out of you Prairie Dog!"

_If anyone is making weird interjections, it's _ ** _you_ ** _, swamp leech._

"Nishishi, if looks could kill, I'm sure you'd have already escaped this killing game for real by now!" He snickers, opening the bag up with a quick unzip. "I guess you'll have to come up with a better plan next time!"

"...There is no plan for next time. I'm done," I say, prompting Kokichi to stop pulling contents out of the bag. There's more containers of food, all which he sets out on the bed up until I open my mouth. As soon as he stops, a little voice in my head immediately jumps up with only the most obvious of remarks.

_See? Look, he's not happy hearing that, is he? As much as you try to see him in a good light, he doesn't actually care about "you". He cares more about your utility and usefulness to his own benefit. So long as it saves his own tail._

"What's wrong? You're so quiet all of a sudden," I can't help but say, taking a container and crawling closer to the bag to fish out those familiar pink wooden chopsticks with white bunny decals- cleaned and ready to be used again. When I open the first container, I'm delighted to see cooked chicken, mushrooms, and veggies with white rice, all packed in the same dish. There's toothpicks over the piece of chicken, holding two carrot circles in place as eyes and two others holding a long slice of half an onion ring as a smile.

I can't help but bite my lip to stop my own smile from forming at the sight of it, even slapping a hand over my mouth. Did Rantaro Amami _really _make a smiley face on my food? It's so cheesy!

_Stop fluttering, stop fluttering, stop fluttering-_

"So you're finished trying to escape? You don't want to leave so badly anymore? ...Do you like it here even though Rantaro could possibly be killed next too?" Kokichi asks casually upon noticing my giddiness over the cooked surprise, making me spear the chicken chunk into easy pieces to grab with a little more aggression than necessary.

Bye-bye, smiley face. Blame this demented party-pooper for your demise.

"I tried, I failed. I don't know what else to do. I discovered things, but nothing that will help us actively get out. All I've learned only makes our situation seem all the more bleaker. What more do you want me to do?"

Kokichi clicks his tongue, looking a tad bit irritated.

"Not quit just because it's not easy? How about that?" He says, prompting me to bite on my tongue painfully at his words mid chewing. I jerk and whine, scowling a little as I wait out the pain before continuing to chew. Is that what he thinks? That I'm so shallow and lazy that I'd quit simply because it wasn't "easy"? If that was the case, I would have quit long ago, like during the third or fourth reset at the beginning.

_No, he's just saying this to get a rise out of me and make me angry._

"Yeah, I'm a lazy hog. I quit. Rantaro, the rest of us, and myself...we'll all die here. Maybe. But you're a smart leech, I'm sure you and some other lucky student might make it as a final survivor duo or something," I answer in response, noting a subtle twitch in what is usually Kokichi's carefully composed expression. "What? Will you only acknowledge I've tried hard enough if I got us out or died trying?"

"Yes," he answers without hesitation.

I narrow my eyes, but eventually just return to eating my chicken and rice veggies from Rantaro. I get his logic, it's the same logic I brought up plenty of times before. If you're not willing to put your life on the line to escape a situation that will take it from you, you've already lost. And here I am going against it now.

"Are you really that willing to quit? Even knowing how far you've gotten? Even with your advantage over the rest of us?" Kokichi pushes, making me scowl as I scoop rice into my mouth.

"Advantage? What advantage?" I half snort as I swallow my chewed food down. If anything, Monokuma has made it his sole objective to make sure I'm consistently at a _disadvantage _no matter what I do.

"...You know what I'm talking about," he pushes, staring up at me quietly until my chewing comes to a slow when I repeat his words in my head.

_Wait...is he talking about...?_

My mind flashes back to a few points in time, specifically the times he watched me do something he possibly perceived to be too accurate- too fluid- too perfect to be normal.

"No, I don't think I do," I object, since it's not possible at least in my own mind that this leech could have figured something as impossible as that out. "Let's not talk about this anymore."

Not to mention, if he knows...Monokuma might kill him off outright. Let's just hope he's got a wrong assumption and end the subject before he says something that'll get himself killed or before he figures something out that Monokuma will be mad at the both of us for.

"Yes, you do, Prairie Dog-"

"I don't, now _drop it_. I don't want to talk about it anymore," I snap after a moment, watching as an edge of vexation appears on Kokichi's face. After a second though, it dissipates. He shrugs and takes my chopsticks with a hum of resignation.

"Alright, alright...by the way, I like Sudoku Puzzles too," he comments, immediately making my irritation sizzle out. While I'm thinking of his statement, he reaches out to steal some rice and pop it in his mouth with a grin.

When I was climbing the wall...that was a while ago, but I remember he looked like he had done something and I never figured out what that was. Come to think of it, I thought that it was weird the puzzle book I put in my back pocket managed to stay on while I was climbing the whole way. Even when I had slipped a few times and when I got tossed by the Exisal, I still remember it in my pocket at the end.

Kokichi shoves the chopsticks back in my hand, making me look at him directly.

...The puzzle book hadn't been in my pocket while I was climbing, had it? The thing Kokichi had done was _steal _it. And once he finished giving it a browse, he just put it back where he found it.

"I _knew_ you did something back then!" I complain, pointing my chopsticks towards him in an air stab. "Keep your grubby hands to yourself, jeez!"

_I'm not talking about it still. Whatever he's thought he's figured out, I refuse to give him any more information about my intuition and that's final._

I adjust the chopsticks in my hand to shove some rice in my mouth, mulling over his claims until he starts snickering and pulls my attention back to him.

"Indirect kiss," Kokichi suddenly switches gears unexpectedly to point out with a bright smile, enough that I blink at him in confusion. He points at my chopsticks, his grin getting wider. "I stole some rice with those."

...

My face suddenly heats up several levels warmer, causing Kokichi to burst out laughing.

"I've got to admit, you have the best reactions to things. You're not boring at all!" He states, making me drop my chopsticks to hide my warm face in my curly hair.

"Why would you point that out?! N-No, why would you even put your mouth on chopsticks I've _used?!_ Wait..._why would you steal the food Rantaro cooked for __me__?!" _I demand, my tone becoming more aggressive as I go through my thoughts, eventually settling on rage and reaching over to smack him over the head until he stops me with a chuckle. "Stop trying to embarrass me!"

"Prairie Dog...I don't have to try. Like, at all. It's super easy, seee~?" He comments, making me squeak in horror when he turns to get up and lean closer towards me. I grab the container of food and practically leap up off the bed to get away from him when he starts laughing at me even more.

_"Stop _it! You're being so weird! I know all of _this-_" I stop to gesture around to the stupid room, the stupid bed, and the stupid BDSM corner. "-is otherwise greatammo on the 'get Prairie to humiliate herself over boys' scale, but that's enough! Cut it out already! You're stressing me out!"

I calm down a little when he stops laughing to stare at me quietly. Seeing this as a sign I'm getting through to him, I give him a pleading look.

And Kokichi promptly makes a face at that- a rather dumb face. One like he's telling me he chooses to ignore my pleas altogether.

"What the heck is that stupid expression for?! Don't you have any respect for a person's boundaries?!" I demand. "All I'm asking is that you stop playing around with my hormones!"

...

"But what if I'm _responding _to your hormones-"

"UGH!" I groan, walking over to the mirror away from the bed to have some space and eat in peace. Whatever! He wouldn't _actually _do anything to me, he doesn't even like me as a friend. I just need to keep reminding myself that and I can get through this.

_Is this torture still worth it? Wouldn't it be better to kick him out and be alone? I won't have to deal with his behavior if I do that._

"By the way, Rantaro packed you clothes," Kokichi only _then _decides to let me know, making me quickly finish up the first course of food. I stand up and march back over to the bed where he is, setting the empty container with the chopsticks down angrily and snatching the bag of garments from him viciously. Of course he waits until the last moment to say something. OF COURSE! "Nee-hee-hee! I love you too, Prairie Dog~!"

"DON'T MOCK ME," I snap, slamming the bathroom door shut as hard as I possibly can and locking. Does it matter if I really lock? Probably not, but false sense of security or not, at least I _feel _freaking secure.

_Who does he think he is?! That leech is always out trying to rile me up! I hate him!_

_..._

_Alright...forget about him for a moment. What did Rantaro pack me? Furthermore, Kokichi couldn't have gotten the things Rantaro wanted to send me unless Rantaro gave them to Kokichi himself, right? So then why did he send Kokichi over Shuichi?_

_Where is Slowhara? I would rather deal with him and his perviness over Kokichi and his whole entire personality! At least Shuichi is easier to order around...he's kinda like a doormat._

I look down at the additional bag of clothing and unzip its contents, releasing a small noise of horror. The first thing I see are undies- causing my face to grow incredibly warm. Because _Rantaro_ didn't wash my clothes and undergarments...did he?! Did he see my panties?!

Dizzy, I maneuver myself down onto the floor so I don't fall over and hurt myself. It isn't until my face cools a little that I see a note folded neatly atop the clothes. It's been pinned in place with a safety pin, which I gently remove...before realizing something's off about the suit. I mean, it looks familiar in that it has the same design as my ultimate outfit.

What's off is that the orange parts are now white, along with a white ribbon rather than an orange one.

_What the heck happened to it?_

I pause and lean in after pulling some of it out of the bag, noting how some parts of it seem...whiter than others. Still, the paint is admittedly well done considering we're all stuck here and everything. Unless you really squint, the cream colored parts blend in perfectly.

Curiously, I give the suit a sniff and feel more confusion fill my system. Yeah, it's definitely been painted, but why would anyone go through the trouble of repainting the orange parts of my ultimate outfit anyways?

There's simply a quick note scribbled on the small card, but it's enough for the steam to leave my face and a sigh of relief to escape me when I realize it _wasn't _Rantaro that packed my undies and clothes.

"What, did you take that good of a crap?" Kokichi remarks from the room in obvious amusement, making my head snap up and my cheeks burn.

"I'm not using the toilet,_ carcinoma_, shut your trap!" I shout back, hearing a hum on his part like he's impressed with something. Not that I care whatever's impressed him, he's mental.

_"Sorry I don't have a cosplay finished yet! I resorted to washing a pair of your old clothes instead, I hope that's okay! -Tsumugi"_

I know it's that traitorous stupid cow, but still, better her than Rantaro. And none of that explains the color treatment done to the outfit...other than the fact that maybe it was Tsumugi considering I imagine only she could handle fabric manipulation this well.

_Well, there's no point complaining. It's still my suit- and that's drastically better than another raunchy cosplay or lingerie from Monokuma._

Figuring it'd be nicer to step in these new clothes squeaky clean (since I still feel dirty from that time underground), I jump in the shower and clean myself off again. Once I've dried myself, I pull my new clothes on and grab the hairbrush in the bag that now carries the stupid lingerie thing Monokuma left me as well as Shuichi's shirt.

Pushing open the bathroom door and stepping out into the cool temperature of the hotel room, I'm surprised to see Kokichi lounging on the bed casually.

"You're still here?" I ask, curious to hear what reason he'd have on staying.

"It's not boring with you," he answers to my dismay. "Plus, didn't you want me to stay? Because you love me? You said it like three times..."

A flicker of irritation hits me but it's gone pretty fast. Still, there's no way I'm gonna let him make jokes of me like that.

"Don't act like I said that of my own volition. I thought you weren't aware of what was happening. Obviously you know the stupid gimmick of this place, considering you used it against me," I huff, causing Kokichi to chuckle.

"I learned as I was coming in! This is my first time in this place," he states, making me roll my eyes.

"How'd you manage to rack up 10,000 coins, anyways? Isn't that a waste of time?" I ask, followed by this leech immediately answering, "Not if the reward means seeing Prairie Dog."

My cheeks burn again even though I'm noticing something rather annoying. He won't answer how he got the stupid key or _anything_ about his entry here in particular...no, every time I try, he says something to distract me.

Smelly leech.

"Why do you keep avoiding my questions about the Love Suite key?" I pointedly ask, looking his way and receiving a broad smile for my bold question. That better not be all I receive, because SHUICHI is supposed to be here. "Don't think I can't see that you're flirting with me as a method of distraction. Haha, embarrass Prairie and make her uncomfortable so she forgets what we were talking about- I wasn't born yesterday, you know?"

"Hmm...okay. You really wanna know?" Kokichi asks, sitting up cross legged as I walk around the bed and to the mirror on the other side. Seeing me headed that way, he gets up to follow me.

"No, I was just asking for fun," I deadpan, facing the mirror and brushing my fluffy hair. I already blow dried it, but it's still damp here and there...

Kokichi walks around me, leaning against the front of the mirror so he's effectively blocking me from seeing my reflection. I drop my hands and stop grooming myself to glare at him.

"Will you do me a favor if I tell you?" He asks, smiling when I give him a dry look at the idea.

"Why would I do anything for you?" I ask, before regretting it since I know what he's going to say. "Never mind, don't answer that. I know what that dumb peanut-sized brain of yours is gonna spout out in response. You're so predictable..."

Although I hadn't meant to pluck a nerve, his eyes narrow slightly and his expression becomes a bit more plastic than before. I'd say I regretted saying it, but...it's not every day you find something bothers the Ultimate Supreme Leader. Especially when it's a remark that irritates him during a very casual conversation. Calling someone predictable isn't even the slightest bit insulting...is it?

Or maybe Kokichi's just prideful about being unpredictable by nature? Pfft. Stupid leech.

"Oh, that bothered you? Too bad. Cry me a river. And no, I'm not doing any favors for you. I'm not interested in knowing how you got here or how you got the key anymore," I say, stepping forward to scoot him out from in front of the mirror.

He does not move.

When I try to push him, he braces himself against my pushing, still clearly not happy despite the casual mask he has on. I push more until I groan and turn to use my back and whole body to try and get him to move, but he refuses to budge even an inch.

"Kokichi, MOVE!" I complain, but he doesn't answer as he stands in the way like a stubborn statue. "God, you're so sensitive, get over yourself!"

He seems to be less happy about the additional remark, because when I turn to try and push him manually again, he reaches over and pulls on a lock of my hair. It's not hard enough to really hurt too much, but you don't just go pulling on people's hair.

Especially not the hair of an individual that has been through enough crap thus far and is on the brink of snapping at any unlucky scoundrel that happens to anger her.

I reach over and grab his hair in response, yanking harder than he'd done to me so he curses and reaches over to pull my hair again- as hard as I've done to him this time.

It's at this point I decide he's not leaving this room without a few beatings, so I take a step back and promptly charge him full on- finally removing him from in front of the stupid mirror with a battle cry and tackling him to the ground. I'm up on my feet relatively quickly to snatch one of the firm pillows on the bed a few feet away, returning to start delivering the long-awaited smack down of the century to stupid Kokichi Oma.

"You're! The most! Annoying! Pain! To ever! Exist! On this! PLANET!" I exclaim, hitting him with every sharp statement before he finally catches the pillow and starts trying to pull it away from me. "Are your feelings gonna be hurt if I say you're surprisingly easy to offend? Man, I guess I was saying all the wrong things before, right? Oh! Except for that one thing! What was it again?"

I pretend to consider it, causing Kokichi's eyes to narrow as he holds the pillow in a death grip to prevent me from hitting him again. It almost looks like he could rip it to shreds, despite the fact he looks more or less expressionless now.

"Oh, yeah, I remember! You're N A I V E," I huff, only to feel my heart jerk in mild horror when he suddenly rips the pillow out of my hands with a force I wasn't expecting.

Because I'm holding on to the pillow so tightly, I'm swung forward where I land on my stomach ungracefully beside his feet. The feeling of landing on my bruises is as uncomfortable as ever, but I brush it off as I see him face me and lift up his newly acquired weapon.

_No no no!_

I roll out of the way with a squeak of terror so he hits the floor with it instead, feeling the blood drain from my face when I hear how hard he's slammed it into the ground. It makes an audible smacking sound that echoes in the room, enough that I _know_ I don't want to be hit by him from ANY angle.

"M-Mercy...?" I ask timidly when he begins to straighten up, doubting my pleas will be answered when he brings the pillow up with him and casts me a malicious gleeful grin that only promises torture. He raises the pillow and I scramble away on all fours on the double to increase the space between us. I regret everything I said and I regret my boasting and bad attitude. "You can't hit me! I'm already battered up as it is, that would be cruel and-!"

"Well!" he cuts me off, continuing with, "I guess you'd better get good at _dodging!"_

He brings the pillow down where I'm trying to get up on my feet, making me throw myself out of the way as the loud smack reverberates in the room and reminds me what a hit plus all my injuries are likely to translate into on the pain scale. Is he really so cruel that he'd hurt me more?

"You're a bully!" I complain, finally getting up and running across the room over the bed. He follows quickly, swinging the pillow to try and hit my torso as I jump down the bed. I duck as my feet hit the carpet, his pillow hitting the control panel on the headboard for the evil carousel of cardboard horses to start up again. Dodging one of the cardboard horses, I dash to the area near the BDSM set-up since it's pretty much the only direction to escape.

"And you aren't? Hey, stand still for juuust a moment."

"Like I'd do that, you psychotic leech!" I step back and manage to trip over some ropes I didn't see on the ground, landing hard on my behind with a squeak before seeing Kokichi raise the pillow.

Admitting defeat, I whine and curl up in a protective ball on the floor with my eyes snapped shut tightly as I wait for the blow. My heart is suddenly pounding as if my life is in danger, even though I know it isn't. Kokichi's only chasing me around with a pillow after all. Even if he's throwing it around pretty hard, the most I'll feel is sore and grumpy.

So why is it getting harder to breathe then?

Before he brings it down, I realize I can't breathe and suddenly bolt up into a sitting position. I can hear myself inhaling and exhaling deeply- too fast to be normal. To my surprise though, just that alone is enough for Kokichi to toss the pillow aside carelessly and jump down beside me.

"Oops. Okay, Prairie Dog, you win and you're perfectly fine! I'm just gonna prop you up here-" he wraps an arm around my waist to pull me back against the nearby wall as I heave for air.

Panic physically coils around my nerves like snakes despite my confusion. There isn't any sort of danger here, so why is my body behaving as if there is? What's wrong?

_This is familiar...something a bit similar to this happened a bit when I was in the vents under the tunnel, now that I think about it. Back when I fell down a long vent and thought I wouldn't be able to get out. When I thought I was going to be stuck down there and die._

_I'm hyperventilating again._

I was able to stop it before and I managed to get control of it during that time though. For some reason however, I can't control it this time. All I feel is panic grabbing hold of my body from every direction. It's making me feel light-headed to the point my vision starts to get grainy and dark. My hands even feel like they're going numb.

"Okie dokie, now I'm gonna put your hands right here-" Kokichi grabs my hands and suddenly places them cupped over my mouth so I'm forced to slow down my breathing. It feels uncomfortable enough that more panic begins to crawl in, so I remove them to get the generous airflow going again. At that, he grabs my hands once more and yanks them back over my mouth, adding, "Keep them there. Don't worry, you won't pass out if you do this! And if you do...uhh, sweet dreams in advance."

_That's not comforting! This isn't a joke!_

"Oh, before you do pass out though- just to let you know, I wasn't planning on actually hitting you with the pillow. I figure I should say that now since this didn't go as well as planned," Kokichi admits, although he still looks pretty unconcerned.

_This is your fault-_

"In my defense, I didn't know you'd wig out over a pillow fight," Kokichi adds, as if completely understanding me just by the sharp look of my eyes on him.

Granted, he sits with me the entire time as he waits for me to calm down again. It takes a while before I stop feeling like there's impending doom hanging over me, and by the time I'm not panicked anymore, I feel completely exhausted.

"...I hate you, Oma," I grumble, making Kokichi smile in response.

"Aw, I hate you too, Marble," he answers casually, reaching over to pat my head lightly. I can't believe I'm thinking it, but I'm somewhat relieved that he doesn't actually SOUND like he hates me. Although, he did just spend twenty plus minutes on the floor with me to make sure I don't pass out. "By the way, you gonna eat the food Runturdo cooked you, or can I eat it?"

I growl at the idea and get up on all fours, crawling back over to the bed where he left the containers of food and the rest of the "Prairie Care Package" as he called it.

_Well, if he chose to sit down with me the entire time, I guess he must have some sort caring element in his system, right? Right?_

Don't hold your breath, miss wanna-find-Kokichi's-redeeming-quality. No wonder he thinks you like him, you make it way too easy when you actively try to find his good qualities.

"New-hee-hee! Prairie Dog, are you embarrassed for having a panic attack?" Kokichi asks by the time he's joined me on the bed, watching me grab another container so I'm now digging into some kind of soup. There's something that looks like seeds in it...maybe lentils. Regardless, it's incredibly tasty.

"What? Why would I be embarrassed about that?" I ask, raising a brow his way as I pause in my eating. How my body reasonably responds to perceived danger is not my fault, I've been through enough to warrant being triggered suddenly like that.

"I dunno, you tell me. Your face is a tomato," Kokichi snickers, reaching over to poke my cheek. His finger is noticeably cooler than my face.

If anything, my face begins to radiate more heat at that point because I know what I was thinking prior to him calling my red face to attention.

"Shut up..." I grumble, returning to my soup until I've entirely drained and eaten its contents. The next thing I see Rantaro has packed me is a round ham sandwich, one with toasted bread that hits the nose with a delectable smell.

I don't know if it's just the sandwich itself that looks tasty, or the fact it's a tasty looking sandwich _made by_ Rantaro that makes it look all the more appetizing.

You know, until Kokichi leans over to take the first bite from where I'm holding it. He leans back once he's gotten some, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing and smiling.

"Ooo, it is as tasty as it looks!" he states, only making my heart yearn for another tantrum against him.

"Hey, that was mine!" I object, watching him shrug dumbly.

"What, do you want it back? If you say so. Gimme some room so I can go mother penguin over here-" he says, sitting up more and beginning to put a finger in his mouth until I grab his wrist and stop him with a snappy, "Don't be gross!"

"Okay~! Can I have another bite?"

I back away from him and start eating, only for him to follow me around even when I get off the bed and try to keep the distance between us reasonable.

"Leech, you're gonna give me another panic attack," I warn him, even though I don't feel any fear like I had before. At the moment, I'm just defensive and annoyed.

"No, I'm not! Just one more little bite, pleeeaaase?" he asks again, evidently making me stop when I realize he's just going to keep asking me. I hold out the sandwich and narrow my eyes.

"_One_ bite," I agree, only to immediately regret it when he ducks and takes a big bite out of my sandwich that isn't by any means considered 'one' bite. "What was that?! That gigantic shark bite was like THREE whole bites!"

"You saih wuhm biee, noin avoh hou bih hh biee gouh veh," Kokichi comments innocently around the bite, barely managing to speak it because it's just this giant lump in his cheek.

"I can't understand you and you can hardly _chew_ it. God, you're ridiculous." I can't help but feel giggles attempt to rise from my chest, restraining myself from laughing because I don't want him getting ideas.

Still, it is funny. As mad as I am that he's taken a giant bite of _my_ sandwich Rantaro made for me, I can't help but want to laugh at the stupid face he's making trying to eat what's in his mouth. He's literally bit off more than he could chew.

He finishes eating it after a moment though, even stealing one of my napkins to clean his mouth on top of everything he's already done.

"So about that favor I mentioned! You can keep eating, I just wanna play with your hair," Kokichi says, causing me to raise an eyebrow and take another bite of my sandwich. My hair...what is it with the boys wanting to play with my hair...? First Rantaro and now this guy? "Just say yes. All you have to do is sit."

I scowl. "You're not gonna cut it or put anything weird in it, are you...?" I ask, before another thought comes up and I add, "Or give me a weird hairstyle?"

"Pinkie promise, I'm not gonna do anything bad! Would I lie?" He asks, holding out his pinkie and giving me a bright grin that screams pure innocence. Of course, I know better.

...

"Fine, whatever, weirdo," I agree after some mental arguing with myself on the matter.

_I hope I don't regret this._

On that note, Kokichi reaches into the care package and hauls another bag out, grabbing my free wrist with the other to pull me back where we started beside the mirror on the other side of the room. He pushes one of the seats in front of the mirror, sitting me down so I continue to eat my sandwich while he opens that other bag of his.

To my surprise, he pulls out a hair straightener, making me look up at his face.

"D-Do you even know how to use that?" I ask, genuinely surprised considering...well, he's a boy that doesn't really care for his own appearance, case and point his messy styled hair. Not to mention that the tool is one mostly used by those that swing towards the feminine end of the spectrum.

"Yep," he just answers, walking around the mirror to plug it into a wall outlet and set it on the ground using the tools kickstand. He doesn't add to that, instead pulling out a spray bottle that I can see is heat protection spray and another hair brush that makes me turn to look around the room for the one I had before. Where did I even drop it...?

As I do that, Kokichi starts tinkering with my bow and removes it from my hair. Once it's tied around his wrist, he brushes through my hair and eventually begins to straighten my hair.

"Don't burn my ear," I huff when he gets the hot iron a bit too close to my ear for comfort, hearing him hum in response but say nothing else. In fact, as long as it takes for him to go through and straighten all my curly hair, the session is entirely quiet altogether. My hair seems longer now that it's not in these crazy curls, and once he finishes the back, Kokichi comes around and kneels down in front of me to start straightening my bangs out too.

Unfortunately, he's right in front of me, so I try to avert my gaze to all these other directions.

_I never noticed how pasty and pale this leech is. Now that he's this close...he's not cute. I can finally say that he's not at all classifiable within the parameters of something "cute" whatsoever._

I look back at his face and eye his features, noting the subtle tint of purple under his eyes. He doesn't have the same unfair god-given eyelashes Rantaro does, but they _are_ more noticeable this close to him. One thing I hate to admit is how clear his skin is as well, smooth and not the least bit oily.

His nose is small and almost feminine-like, but with his boyish features and facial proportions, it fits perfectly well. Even his lips are fitting for his face, a tight pink line of concentration as he focuses on my hair and keeps from burning me with the iron.

Kokichi doesn't have a jaw like Rantaro's, but...

Before I realize what I'm doing, I've already reached out and brushed the single lock of his hair out of his face to see what he looks like without it in the way.

Kokichi stops what he's doing with a fleeting look of surprise, right before his features slowly contort into a grin of amusement. Meanwhile, I'm still processing my actions and the repercussions that will surely follow with wide eyes of bewilderment.

"You wanted to see the whole canvas, huh? How bold~" he coos, making me scowl and furiously yank my hand back. When I open my mouth to shout at him, all that comes out is a bunch of gibberish mashed together that makes my cheeks burn even warmer. I've done it again.

I've gone and embarrassed myself all of my own doing.

To my relief, he doesn't press the little issue, instead focusing on ironing the last part of my bangs with a chuckle and setting the tool aside once he's done.

He brushes through my hair again and then moves to my right side, taking a large lock of my hair and creating a braid three chains long. After using a little band around his finger to keep it in place, he moves to my other side to create another braid.

Glancing in the mirror, it actually looks surprisingly pretty...though it's hard to shake off that feeling of unfamiliarity. Nevertheless why would Kokichi consider this a "favor" to him? In what way is he benefiting from this?

Kokichi stands straight as soon as his work is done, taking a step back to eye me.

I can't help feel uncomfortable being looked at the way he's staring at me right now. It's not like he's admiring me or his even work...no, that's not it. The only way I can categorize how he's observing me from every angle, is that it's the kind of look one gives something that is somewhat familiar.

_He looks a little confused...what's the point of this?_

Instead of getting up and resuming our previous activities- for me, that being my desire to search for more food Rantaro may have packed me- I wait until he's done circling me either which way.

"...Okay! I'm satisfied. Now I'm leaving," Kokichi states clearly with a grin, not even bothering to unplug the straightening iron as he makes a beeline for the exit casually.

"Eh?" I ask in confusion, turning in time to follow him the rest of the way to the door. He's dropped the ribbon he'd originally taken out of my hair, allowing it to flutter to the floor behind him.

He's really leaving just like that? He said he would stay...

_Obviously, that was a lie._

"I'm not staying to babysit you. Bye-bye~!" Kokichi says, opening the door and stepping out without waiting for a response from me as he closes it immediately on my stunned face.

...

Well. It is what it is.

I yank the bands from my hair and unravel the stupid braids he made, ruining his work and scuffing up what was once meticulously straightened by the leech. When that doesn't completely ruin his hard work however, I unplug the straightening iron and waltz on over to the bathroom to soak my hair again.

I don't exit the bathroom until my hair has been completely blow dried and brushed back to its original curly state, tying the ribbon back to its original place.

_Stupid Kokichi. Stupid liar. Stupid me._

In the room, I take a seat on my bed and think back to our prior conversation. He didn't tell me about how he got the key or how he got 10,000 casino coins. And he's walking around with some kind of knowledge about my "advantage".

Still, what could Kokichi have surmised from the Sudoku puzzle and my actions prior? My intuition...it's more or less unnatural. It shouldn't be possible and it's outside the realm of possibility for everyone except myself, Monokuma, and the Monokubs as far as things go.

_And the mastermind._

I purse my lips, looking down at my lap in thought. Should I ignore it? I said I'd quit trying to escape...but Kokichi demands I use my advantage to our benefit, whatever he believes my advantage might be.

Maybe I should just be upfront and ask him, devil may care.

...

_Nah._

I lean back on the bed, ignoring the care package and crawling under the bed sheets.

_I'm going to sleep, to a place where I have no worries and things go my way._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.14 - A Leech's Pride**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
> 
>   

> 
> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Splash Art](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188189615420/my-OC-Prairie-Marble-from-my-Danganronpa-V3)  

> 
> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.10](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189845347040/string-theory-drv3-cover-v10-v10-39)  

> 
> [Prairie: "Bite Me" ](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/189989465730)  

> 
> [String Theory Cover V.11](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/613808931164258304/string-theory-drv3-cover-v11-v11-313)  



	44. Unfolding A Mystery

** _3.15 - Unfolding A Mystery_ **

Sunshine everywhere. The pleasant rays of the sun are beating down on my skin and there's this sea breeze from the west rolling over my hot skin. I'm in a cute one piece bathing suit in the middle of a tropical island. Beneath me is a checkered red picnic blanket along with a fruit dish and plenty of other meals and beverages.

I feel perfect.

Everything is perfect.

Nobody is here to bother me.

I toss a large piece of an apple slice into my mouth instead of just biting a piece off, whining a little when it becomes a bit hard to chew from the size and its ridgid corners. Nevertheless, the succulent apple flavor tastes wonderful.

"Prairie, if you take big bites you're gonna cramp up your jaw. Here-"

I look up, tilting my hat back to see a pair of beautiful green eyes looking down at me. It's Rantaro Amami that's sitting behind me. He's smiling and holding a small fork out towards me with a bite sized cut apple piece. Of course he's nice enough to cut it to a reasonable size…how sweet of him.

I smile like a pampered pooch and open my mouth, giddy as he sticks the apple between my teeth and lets me remove it from the fork. This is more like it, easier to chew and everything!

"Are you thirsty?" His velvet voice asks, making me smile and nod before he's holding a small glass up to my lips and carefully tilting what tastes like raspberry-lemonade into my mouth. It tastes wonderful.

I feel wonderful.

Everything is wonderful.

"Since you're being so nice, I _guess _you could paint my nails and brush my hair today…but this won't be a common treat, so you better enjoy it," I comment, holding out my hand to him and watching Rantaro's eyes light up with delight.

He grabs a pillow from somewhere and tucks it under my head along the blanket, letting me lay back and cross my legs daintily as he rummages around his pockets and eventually produces a pretty mint green shade to paint my nails.

While he's enjoying himself, I use my free hand to pop tomato grapes in my mouth, smiling at the sweet flavor. Who knew tomatoes were so good when they're raw?

"Your hands are as pretty and small as always, Prairie. I could paint your nails all day and never get tired," Rantaro comments, his fingers tracing my palm down to my wrist and making my cheeks grow warm with my smile. I'm moments away from just throwing myself in his arms, I can't help it.

So much time away from him was the worst. If it means he stays with me more, he can pamper me as much as he wants. I missed him too much to argue. Plus…maybe there is a small fragment inside me that enjoys being pampered, but…a little less enjoyment when the pampering is a result of looking down on me and misjudging my own strength.

"Hey, your nails are done. I'll get started on your hair next, alright? Just sit tight for me," he says, my smile big when I see how fancy my nails look. He even puts some crystals on a few of my nails. "Your hair is very pretty…it'd be a shame if it was cut, but I'm sure you'd make any short hairstyle look lovely."

_Oh no, I'm gonna get cavities from him, he's too sweet…!_

"I-I'm not planning to cut it…what would you brush if I got it all chopped off?" I respond, casting him my sweetest smile and basking under his attention when he gives me a warm look and brushes some of my hair out of my face.

I can't sit here anymore. I wanna hug him!

My heart is on the brink of bursting with delight as I leap into him, wrapping my arms tightly around Rantaro to make sure he can't leave me again. All the apologies I want to tell him, all my faults I've acknowledged and want to work on…

"...Wow, that happy to see me, Prairie Dog?" A voice dryly asks.

_Eh? "Prairie Dog"...?_

Opening my eyes, I come to the slow realization I'd been dreaming. Rantaro and I are not having a nice picnic together on a tropical island. Rantaro did not paint my nails or do my hair.

_Oh right. I'm still in the killing game…it was just a meaningless dream._

_Wait. Then who am I hugging…?_

Replaying what I heard before, I blink my eyes and look up to see Kokichi. It's not a dream or my imagination, sadly. I really just jumped into Kokichi Oma's arms.

"WHAT?!" I exclaim, narrowing my blue orbs on him before realizing I'm still in bed. In fact, I'm still laying down.

And so is Kokichi.

I squeak in pure horror, jumping back and recoiling my arms and legs from him like a violated octopus as he sits up and stretches out. With a small crack of his back and a sleepy grunt, he lays back down on his side and casts me a somewhat irritated look. He sure has some nerve, all things considered! Isn't he in _my _hotel room?!

"W-What are you even doing here? I thought you _left!" _I complain, pulling the blankets further over myself since I'm wearing my usual small pajamas from my room. I found them near the bottom of the Prairie Care Package (as Kokichi put it), although I had considered putting on the stupid lingerie since I didn't want to already get my outfit (as white as it's been dyed) all sweaty from sleep. "You marched out of here all, 'oh, I'm not _babysitting_ you!'"

…

Kokichi just stares at my face longer, clearly exasperated for some reason. I don't know why he's not answering me or why he's looking at me like that…was he sleeping and grumpy now because I woke him up?

"I'm not talking to you," he says, turning to lay where he gives me his back. It's only then that I notice his neck is bare, making me glance at the checkered bandanna, shoes, monopad, and kubz pad he's left on one of the chairs in the sitting area to the side of the room.

_How long has he been in here…? No, never mind that. What is he mad at me for? This can't really be about waking him up, right? He's not _ ** _that _ ** _sensitive, no way. I didn't do anything to him! I let him mess with my stupid hair before he left and everything!_

_…_

_Oh, whatever. If he wants to be mad and invade my room, fine. I'm sure not staying with cranky-pants though._

"Okay, fine. Enjoy the bed, now you can stretch _all_ across it. I'll be in the other roo-" I start to say, crawling from out under the covers and towards the end of the bed only to yelp when Kokichi grabs my arm and yoinks me back into him suddenly. Shocked, I flail a little and look back. He's _much _too close for comfort! "H-Hey!"

"I'm just lying, Prairie Dog~! Nee-hee-hee, you're so cute when you're upset," he brightly comments with a smile, prompting a scowl on my end.

"Um, you're lying _now. _I don't know what's your problem, but I don't want to be a part of it, _Leech Face," _I snark moodily, struggling to get him to loosen his hold around me. Every time I get one arm free, he just goes and collects it back under his own arms. "Excuse me! I'm trying to LEAVE here? You've made it clear my presence is unwelcome, so I'm doing you a favor to fix the matter!"

"Do you _really _want to leave? When we're as cozy as we are right now?" He chuckles when I pause to catch my breath, the leech having watched me struggle to no avail since I'm still more or less getting rid of the sleepy feeling in my limbs. "Let's go back to sleep. We can cuddle as much as you want to, you know…?"

His voice has dipped to a husker and deeper tone, one which makes my heart skip several beats since he murmurs it so close to my ear.

_Now I _ ** _really _ ** _want to leave! This is giving me red flags on the "pervert" alarm!_

"Let go, let go, _let go!" _I struggle even more now, up until I manage to irritate him enough to give up and release me with a click of his tongue. Scrambling off the bed is easy enough considering Kokichi doesn't reach for me again, instead leaning back on the bed and folding his arms behind his neck. These mood swings though! Kokichi is gonna give me whiplash!

"Fine. Leave," he simply comments to my utter displeasure. Really? Just…_really?_

He invaded my room again just to bring in this bad attitude of his?! He's worse than me!

I don't even gather my things, choosing to storm towards the exit.

"...I'll see you in whichever room you end up choosing in five minutes, Prairie Dog," Kokichi casually drops as he stares at the top of the bed frame where the canopy is designed like a carousel hood. This of course only makes me fume even more, out of rage, confusion, and humiliation.

What in the world has come over him? This is by far the most erratic behavior I've seen from him yet, and in such a short frame of time from last seeing him too!

_...You know what? No! _ ** _I _ ** _shouldn't have to be the one that leaves! _ ** _He _ ** _should! I was here first!_

The sound of a boxing ring bell echoes loud and clear in my mind as I stop mid-stride to spin around on my heel and march back over to the bed. Kokichi looks up at me when he notices me stop at the side of the bed he's on, more or less composed and unbeknownst of my intentions as he lays there like he owns the place. This rotten sewage scrap of a leech…

…

I grab his legs suddenly and muster all the strength I have to yank him straight out of the bed and onto the floor. He lets out a curse as he hits the carpet with a thud, barely catching the edge or the bed frame and ultimately missing when I proceed to drag him as quickly as I can towards the exit of the room.

"Hey!" He complains when I get him out, ignoring him and making a break to get back in my room so I can hold the door shut on him.

Maybe he'll give up, right? And then I can find something to hold the door shut from in here…I don't know what can stop him, but I need to try. There's no way I'm letting this grumpy leech in, much _less _to sleep in the same stupid bed as me!

Kokichi grabs my legs and yanks me down into the dark hallway with him, much to my surprise as I hit the ground with a small noise and am dragged back out of the room where Kokichi is. The only thing illuminating the floor in front of the hall (and just that portion) is the light from my room.

When he tries to get up to race back in, my temper rises.

"Oh no you _don't!" _I huff, grabbing him by the straps of his coat at the arms and pulling him back where I get him on the ground.

Before I can get up, he growls irritably and rolls over to pin me down, startling me since he reaches to restrain my arms. If he does that, I _definitely _lose!

"You're not kicking me out!" He claims, just as I maneuver my entire body to flip us and pin Kokichi down instead. In fact, it's almost surprising how easy it is now to flip him under me considering I was having trouble just getting my arms free earlier. Either way, an uncharacteristic snort of laughter slips from my mouth. He looks rather insulted by my amusement…

Good.

"Wow, you're shockingly light for someone just barely over five foot…you _definitely _need to drink more milk," I snicker, causing Kokichi to scowl and snap both hands on either side of my waist, digging his fingers in presumably to flip us over again so he has the upper hand.

The moment his fingers grip my sensitive sides, I let out an embarrassing squeal- one that sounds a bit too…_Miu-like._ My hands slap over my mouth in horror, a terrible warmth crawling over my entire face to the tips of my ears as I then grab his hands and promptly pull them off of my waist. It's quiet now- _painfully _quiet.

I am absolutely mortified and embarrassed over my reaction. Glancing at Kokichi, he's visibly stunned like he's been caught off guard once again. It's a look similar to the one he made when I moved that lock of hair from his face earlier in the night…I can't say the expression isn't refreshing, considering it's an honest look in comparison to his many usual "masks" he wears.

Now, that's fascinating and all, but…I remember the look that quickly followed his stunned expression last time.

Just as I start to slowly crawl off of him in shame, his mouth curls in a dark smirk of pure mischief and amusement.

"Is Prairie Dog…_ticklish?"_ He asks, causing my stomach to drop as he rolls over and starts to get up on all fours with that intrigued expression of his.

"No," I lie, but it's obvious. It's _so _obvious and Kokichi isn't stupid. His grin only widens.

It's the kind of grin that threatens suffering.

_"No…" _I say again, this time in a broken pathetic whimper as I ready myself to bolt at any moment. From the look on his face, he's ready for that moment.

There's a second of silence, the two of us frozen in place.

I'm absolutely embarrassed. This isn't the kind of weakness I wanted _Kokichi _to learn about.

…

Time to go.

I turn to get up and Kokichi laughs, grabbing my sides again and yanking me back to the floor with him where he pins me back to the ground and easily swats away my hands. I shriek- practically sounding like I'm in the process of getting murdered.

When Kokichi starts to actually tickle my sides and stomach however, my shrieks morph into uncontrollable giggles intermingled with squeals as I try to fight the leech off.

"NO! STOP! P-PLEASE!" I laugh, squirming under him furiously. All of a sudden, I can't even muster the strength to try and throw him off of me. This is humiliating! _"KOKICHI!"_

"Ah, say my name again in that funny squeal, you sound like a little piggy~" he teases, unfortunately in a much better mood than he was moments ago. "Wow, Prairie Dog, you look pathetic! If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were actually enjoying this!"

"I'M NOT!" I squeal.

"Jeez, you're so loud. Hey, Prairie Dog, just admit you're enjoying yourself and I'll stop! You sound so giggly and stuff, Nishishi~!" Kokichi laughs to my horror. Everything feels sensitive and tingly…actually, I don't know how I feel about it. I don't really hate it, I guess it's kind of nice in a way I've never experienced before, but…

LIKE HELL I'LL TELL HIM THAT.

Admittedly, I can already tell I'm not really fighting as hard as I technically could. I gasp for air, heart thumping violently in my ribcage as I manage to finally grab his hands and shove them up and away from my sides. Kokichi is still grinning, eyeing me curiously when he pushes against my resistance to tickle me again and I breathlessly extend my arms to push his hands further away.

"...You like this. No one normal behaves like _that _if they actually hated it," Kokichi snickers, suddenly snatching his hand from mine to dive in with the tip of his finger and poke my side. I yelp really loud. "Boop!"

I grab his hand again, shoving it back with a scowl. After a moment of silence where I'm starting to get my breathing under control and Kokichi has moved away to give me space, he hums in interest.

"Actually, now that I think about it…that's kind of gross, don't you think? You're dirtier than I initially thought, Prairie Dog. I almost don't wanna be in the same room with you!" Kokichi states, getting up on his feet and looking down at me where I'm still catching my breath.

_Huh? What's he talking about?_

I'm still composing myself, but I manage to lift my head and give him an inquisitive look that prompts him to cock his head slightly to the side.

"...You don't know what I'm talking about, do you? Pfft. You're so innocent," Kokichi remarks with a chuckle as he turns and walks back through my room doorway.

...Wait.

** _Hey_** _! ...Oh, whatever. At least he isn't horribly moody anymore. I could try and ask what had him so upset and stuff, but he's likely to play it off as a lie, change the subject, or altogether dismiss it entirely like he did with me asking him how he got the hotel key._

"By the way, are you everplanning on telling me about how you got the-" I stop myself when I shift to get up on my knees, half slipping out of the rectangle of light spilling out of the hotel room. Finding myself staring into an unnatural dark hallway, I blink and my thought process derails from the hotel key entirely.

"The Love Suite key? Nah, I don't think I will, but thank you for asking," he answers pleasantly, even though I'm standing up and focused on looking down each end of the hall for anything out of place. It's easier to see now that I'm standing in the shadow and not being blinded by the light from my hotel room...and I can see the room next door, particularly the one I was using prior to the Misfortunate Momota incident, is open just a crack.

The room itself is pitch black on the inside from what I can see, even more so than the level of darkness in the hallway. It's kind of strange, I've never seen the lights in the hallway turned off before when I was peeking out every now and then. In fact, that extends to the hotel rooms as well, but even in this darkness I can't see any light escaping between the cracks of the series of doors.

I open my mouth to ask Kokichi something, but then let my lips come together and allow myself to let go of the inquiry.

If something odd is going on and someone's in that room...I don't want to alarm them by first asking Kokichi if he's opened any doors or played with the lights.

Leaning back to look in my current room for a moment, I can see Kokichi has returned to the bed and is reclined comfortably with one leg propped up over his other knee as he stares up again from where he's laying. He doesn't seem to notice anything odd...probably because this is only his first night here, I guess.

_I'll check out the other room just to be safe. If it's clear of any suspicion, I'll just come back and ask him._

I step back into the darkness and take quiet steps towards the hotel room, seeing my sign still attached to the door. With a somewhat nervous feeling swirling in my stomach, I push open the door gently until I'm greeted with pitch black darkness. The door stops just enough to allow me to step in and feel around the wall for a light switch. Is there a light switch though? I don't actually remember seeing one even in the room I'm currently in now.

Hm...it's super dark though. Should I really go in alone?

…

Who cares.

I step in more when I'm unable to find anything in the immediate area, throwing up my arms with a nasty face of vexation. Where's the stupid light switch?! Is there really no switch?

Taking another few steps in, I immediately freeze dead when I feel something damp under my feet, my breath hitching sharply as I process the feeling. There's also something small and pointy in particular pressing against my heel- similar to the feeling of a sharp pebble in the shoe.

_What is that? Why is it wet here?_

My imagination runs wild at the thought, enough that I can't help but bend down and press a hand against the carpet curiously. Oh, it's definitely wet. I really hope Kokichi took a shower in this room and trailed water out from the bathroom or something.

As I shift carefully so I can move to the side and examine how large the spot is with my hands as my only guide, I wrinkling my nose when I get closer to the wet spot. Thankfully it doesn't smell like blood or anything, and that's enough to calm me down substantially. Thing is...it doesn't smell odorless like water either. It has a distinct subtle scent, but I can't for the life of me pinpoint the identity of the smell no matter how many sniffs I give- even when I lean down more to get a better whiff.

It smells chemical- almost like the smell...of medicine…

And with that, my heart jumps to my throat again. There's really only one person at this current time I imagine would need medical assistance at the moment, someone that could likewise professionally administer said medical assistance.

Presumably, even on herself if she had to.

I'm just about to stand up and bolt for the door when it makes an audible slamming sound, the pitiful light that had been just barely making its way into the hallway now completely blocked off as I jump up to my feet and make a hasty walk for the bed.

Footsteps thud against the floor.

Footsteps headed straight towards me.

Just as my leg hits the noticeable raised steps towards the bed, I take advantage of the darkness by allowing my intuition to lead the rest of the way. I at least have a recollection of what the beds here look like.

_It should be the same dimensions as what I remember, so-!_

I race around the step and feel around until I reach a column, one of two sitting either side of the headboard. Putting my Ultimate Talent to use, even if this isn't a rocky vertical terrain, I scramble straight up the stone structure.

A sharp yelp of pain escapes me when something sharp cuts across my right calf, the only pain once I'm high enough to swing over the top of the carousel hood over the bed. I can hear the knife hit stone and the sound of it scraping across the hard material, just as I hear footsteps running down the hall just outside the room.

_Don't tell me that leech heard me _ _and he's…_ _!_

"Prairie Dog?" I hear Kokichi ask as he opens the door curiously.

"Stay back, Kokichi! There's-!"

More footsteps and then Kokichi lets out a pained grunt, followed by a thud like a body falling. Since it's so dark, I can only assume the worst as I scramble to hop down again even before I hear one set of footsteps begin running down the hall outside the room. Who those belong to, I don't know, but something tells me it's more than likely _not _Kokichi's, and rather the aggressive individual that we'd found hiding in here.

"Kokichi? Where are you? Are you okay?!" I ask, still more or less blind as I hear a grunt of annoyance.

"Here. And no," he growls, very much unhappy once again. "What the hell was that? And why did you just go wandering off?"

"I-I saw my old room door was open a little and thought it was weird that all the lights besides our room light was off…I was worried, so I went to check it out," I say, before noticing something a little irritating about his words that make me scowl and add, "What, am I not allowed to go anywhere without you or something?"

"Psh, no dumbass. You must have some earwax in those ears, but I was talking and it turned out the only one listening was the wall," Kokichi complains.

_…Has Kokichi ever called me by a curse word?_

"You're definitely okay," I huff, standing up and making my way back to the room without him since I'm currently bleeding out from my leg. Not that he's about to ask _me _if I'm alright…callous jerk.

"Hey, no I'm not! I feel horrible, ohhh the pain! I need a kiss from you to make the hurt go away! You can't leave me like this, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi begs, all of a sudden sounding more like a kid in need of attention. Playing up his little acting chops isn't about to make me turn around after what he called me though, that's for sure.

"Who's Prairie Dog? Apparently, I'm dumbass," I correct him snootily, hearing him laugh a little from where I've left him. At least he's able to get up, judging by how quickly he jumps to his feet and catches up with me in the hall.

_There was definitely someone in there, but…I couldn't tell if it was Kirumi. Why are all the lights off though? It didn't seem like she was trying to set up a trap, I mean, Kokichi has clearly been here for a while and he could just have easily waltzed in there instead of me. Furthermore, the best chance to attack would have been the second I stepped into the room to begin with. This was kinda sloppy._

_It felt more like I was…unexpected._

Entering the lit hotel room with Kokichi, I eventually make my way to the mirror and turn my leg to see the damage. There's a dull ache that becomes more noticeable and hard to ignore whenever I take a step, but I'm at least okay for the most part. The deep gash just looksworse than it actually is.

"Ouch," Kokichi remarks as I make my way to the bathroom and lift my leg up to the sink. Once I have it steady and at a good view, I rinse the wound off as best I can. "So, did you see who it was in there?"

"No, it was way too dark for me. I didn't even feel anything other than the knife, to be honest…what about you?" I ask dismissively, assuming he didn't register anything either considering he's the one asking me in the first place. Of course to my surprise…

"Tits."

I pause mid rinse, turning my head to give him an appalled look. He doesn't appear even slightly ashamed by his statement, even tucking the first aid kit he's carrying under his armpit so he can hold up his hands to cup the air in front of his chest. It's almost funny how serious he looks saying and doing that.

"When she shoved rudely into me, I felt boobs," Kokichi claims, to which my face heats up considerably. It's hard to look away, and I'm not really sure why...but what sort of gesture is _that?!_

"D-Do you _have _to be vulgar about them? I know what boobs are, you don't need to make weird motions or-"

Kokichi cuts me off by making a squeezing motion in the air at his chest, followed closely by him laughing and shielding his face when I growl and throw a few splashes of water his way furiously.

"And here I only thought there was _one _Ultimate Pervert among us…" I grumble, shutting the sink off and grabbing a small towel to carefully dry off my leg.

"Oh? Who's the other one?" Kokichi asks. He doesn't sound at all insulted by my remark, rather he sounds curious about it.

"Saihara," I answer, followed by Kokichi letting out a sputter of laughter to the side. I'm not sure if he believes me or not, but there's nothing that's gonna change my own mind about the Ultimate Detective at the very least. Not after the most recent incident with Shuichi.

"Of all people! Well…I guess I could see it. If you ask me-"

"I didn't ask you," I try to shut him up quickly, because my brain already senses that he's about to say something I'm not gonna like. Of course, he opens his stupid mouth anyways.

"I think you fit in the mold of an Ultimate Pervert pretty well yourself!"

I gasp in offense, which only seems to entertain Kokichi.

_"Me?!_ What are you talking about? No I wouldn't!" I object, hearing him hiss a bit of air in between his teeth like he pities me. "What's that reaction for?! You're crazy. Go away."

"This coming from the girl that ten minutes ago was all over me going, 'Yes, Rantarooo~ You can paint my nails and brush my haiiir~'!" Kokichi mocks in a falsetto voice, prompting my face to rise several degrees hotter with shame and embarrassment.

_My dream…I was sleep talking?!_

"T-That's-" I stammer, before snatching the first aid kit from him when he holds it out to me with a smirk. I can barely hold eye contact with him now. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? You don't know…? Why are you blushing so much then?" He asks, putting on an innocent wide eyed look and making it rather obvious that my lies are as pathetic as they've always been. "You look pretty constipated right now…good thing there's a toilet here if you need to drop anything!"

"I'm not freaking-! Stop being _gross!"_ I complain, turning to look at him as I snatch the curved needle out of the kit and try to focus on what I'm about to do despite my warm face. Come to think of it…I don't know anything about how to apply stitches. I only know how to clean wounds because Rantaro did it several times for me before.

_Shoot. Is there an instruction booklet in this kit? No? Of course there isn't...Monokuma just couldn't provide one for me, could he?_

Seeing me hesitate with the needle, Kokichi reaches over and shifts my leg to wash his hands in the sink I have it propped against. Once they're clean and damp, he plucks the needle from my fingers and the forceps from the kit before I can stop him.

"Get ready for some pinchies, Mousey-mouse," Kokichi comments, making me scowl and then wince when he takes the curved needle and begins to pierce the edges of my skin. My whine of discomfort falls on deaf ears, but I eventually get used to the feeling as Kokichi gradually seals up the gash with the thick red thread and dabs more drops of blood away with the edge of my damp towel. "You just need _everyone _to take care of you, don't you?"

"I didn't ask you to do this…I could have figured it out myself," I huff indignantly, which earns me a dubious hum from Kokichi as he moves my leg to get a better look at the rest of the gash and retorts casually with, "You mean you could have figured out how to get yourself gangrene."

I puff up my cheeks in disapproval, even though I know he's totally right.

…

_I still want to see what was with that room. I know there was a wet patch, but I want to see the rest of the room. I don't understand what any of us would be doing there at this time of night…_

_What time is it?_

Glancing at my kidwatch and seeing the numbers flash on the square screen, I'm honestly surprised to see it's already a little past morning hours. I guess in here it's harder to tell since there aren't any windows or announcement displays where the kubs announce morning or night hours.

_Okay, so that means "guests" are able to enter already. What happened to the Love Suite Event last night though? Were we visited by a visitor? Hm…_

_…?!_

_Wait! But then…! How did _ ** _Kokichi _ ** _enter the hotel? He entered my room at midnight, but the last time anyone can be entering the hotel is before ten pm! Furthermore, that makes the fact he brought hot food all the weirder!_

"Kokichi, what time did you enter the hotel yesterday?" I ask as Kokichi finishes sealing the wound and makes a tie at the end of the string. He innocently hums after sweeping a little alcohol over the stitches, makes me whine and scowl his way as a result of his reaction. Funny he does that when I ask him a question I know he probably doesn't want to answer…

"The time, the time...well, to be honest, I don't really remember, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi very obviously lies, taping gauze over my stitches while I glare at him pointedly. I want an answer to something important and all he wants to do is bug, bug, _bug._ Why can't he be serious for once?

"Never mind, forget I asked. Thanks for the help," I snap with little gratuity, irritated as I turn the leech around and push Kokichi out of the bathroom quickly. As soon as he steps out, I purposefully slam the door on his behind and smirk when he yelps in an uncharacteristic manner.

Okay, I feel a _little_ better.

"WAAAAHHH! Prairie Dog, you're such a BULLY! After I nearly _broke_ my fingers trying to get that needle through your nasty armadillo skin, this is how you _treat me?!_" Kokichi dramatically sobs from the other side as I disrobe and start changing into my ultimate outfit.

_He has been around me much too long already. I should have just left the room when he started being a pain._

Once I have everything and my boots pulled on, I step out of the bathroom in time to see Kokichi jump up from sitting on the floor. To my surprise, he's already gathered his things and wearing his shoes, looking mega excited much to my irritation.

"So, where are we going?" He asks brightly.

"UGH."

Rather than saying anything else, I hurry past him and towards the door in hopes that I can maybe outspeed him. He of course speeds up to meet my walking pace easily. I speed up some more, enough that my legs start to burn a little.

"You're gonna tear those stitches and who's gonna fix them for you next time?" He points out, likely in an effort to get me to stop.

Kokichi...really should already know that I hate doing things I'm told to do. I don't care how logical the excuse is, but I hate it being implied I shouldn't do something for any reason other than my own.

So with that, I speed up even more and storm down the stairs to the first floor. I can hear him following and leave him to decide whether to continue or give up as I speed out of the hotel and casino area towards the main academy building.

"P-Prairie?!" This sounds like it's coming from Kiibo somewhere around, but I just ignore the voice and continue my march into the school.

I can feel the stitches objecting to the abuse being done to my leg, but it isn't enough to stop my rebellious nature.

_If they rip, I'll fix it myself. I saw him apply the stitches and I can replicate it if I have to._

Once I reach the warehouse and come to a slow stop, I realize the aching in my calf has gotten...sorta worse.

Oops.

"Kokichi! Prairie!" I ignore Kiibo again and focus on looking around. I'll just let Kiibo be Kokichi's punching bag while I try to find the flashlights in this place...maybe I can sneak out of here and ditch Kokichi in the process too. "Eh? Prairie, is that _blood_ on your leg? What ha-?"

"Yeah! I just stitched it up for her too, isn't that so rude? All my hard work has gone to waste!" Kokichi complains, sounding eager to get a word in. "I even straightened her hair all neat yesterday night and she ruined it the moment I turned the other way!"

"What? Wait, you were with her yesterday? H-How did you get a hotel key? You've hardly gone in the casino at all!" Kiibo exclaims, audibly confounded by the revelation. So...no one knew Kokichi was with me?

"How do _you _know? What if I've been sitting on all these casino coins and you just never noticed?" Kokichi points out, prompting me to roll my eyes. Somehow I don't believe that...but if he's saying that, it makes sense considering Kiibo has just mentioned that Kokichi has hardly been in the casino. How else could he have gotten the key if he wasn't in the casino?

"Hey, hey, Kiiboy? What did Monokuma tell us when Shuichi tried to give his key to Runturdo?" Kokichi inquires innocently. "Tell Prairie Dog."

"Oh, um…'students that lend their hotel key to another student will have their key confiscated permanently and must purchase a brand new hotel key if they are to enter Hotel Kumasutra'. That's what I recall from my memory bank."

I dig into a bin and pull out one of several zipped duffel bags, pulling it open and smiling when I see a pair of large flashlights for my taking. Testing the switch and brightness on both, it looks like they'll do the job in that dark hotel room for the most part. I'm just about to turn and leave when I notice the disposable cameras in a bin beside the flashlights. It might be a good idea to take two of those, right? Yeah, I think I'll just shove a pair in the bag too.

_Alright, so that's done...but I sort of don't wanna leave yet if Kokichi's about to finally say how he got the stupid hotel key. He's being so vague and he was dodging the question so much before, so I'm really curious._

"Hm...so that's what he said. Kiiboy, let's say I stole the key. Snatched it right off of someone or something. Hypothetically speaking of course~! Now, that's not the same as _'lending'_ a hotel key to someone, is it?" Kokichi asks with innocent curiosity, prompting me to swivel my head right around to gape at the leech with amethyst streaks in his hair.

"Kokichi, did you steal that key off of Shuichi?!" I demand, marching right up to him and yanking the zipper of the duffel bag shut.

"Noooo! I said 'hypothetically', I swear!" Kokichi turns to face me and then starts backing up when I continue to advance towards him. I had to deal with him for several hours and all for what? To learn he just jacked the key off of the person I'd been worried about and was waiting to see this _whole _time…! "I promise I'm not lying, Prairie Dog, I-"

He turns when I lunge for him, racing straight out of the warehouse so that I begin making a chase after him despite my aching calf.

"Get back here you stupid leech!" I shout, swinging the duffel bag over my arm and charging after him.

"W-Wait! Prairie, don't you think you should go see-" Kiibo calls after me, prompting me to snap back, "Not now, Kiibo! Can't you see I'm about to beat the living crap out of this filthy urchin?! Whoever it is can WAIT."

Kiibo sounds like he's not sure what to do, his words twisted together like he's trying and failing to get something cohesive out fast. Unfortunately, he doesn't get the words out in time since Kokichi and I are much too far now.

"I said I wasn't lying!" Kokichi has the audacity to sob as I chase him towards the dining hall.

"Liar!" I accuse, making the effort to speed up just a little as I enter the dining hall and pounce.

_I've got him!_

Arms snap around me suddenly just as I'm about to complete the jump and sink my fingernails into Kokichi, prompting me to hang in midair from someone's grip as Kokichi dashes out of the dining hall and out through the other door.

_No, he got away!_

Furious, I wriggle wildly in the arms of my assailant, prepped to punch whoever's had the audacity to stop me from delivering righteous justice. I know I want to get back to the hotel as soon as possible.

"Hey, let go of me! I almost had him and you-!" I cut myself off when I feel the arms squeeze me tighter, making me fall silent as a chill climbs up my spine in mild fear. Well, fear might be overstating it, but if I'm to guess who exactly is holding me right now...and who stopped me from beating Kokichi Oma up for being a prick…

_Please don't be Rantaro, please don't be Rantaro, please don't be Rantaro…_

It's not that I wouldn't be elated or thrilled to see him, I've missed him a lot. I _want _to see him.

I just don't want THIS to be how he sees me again. Me chasing Kokichi with an obvious bloodthirsty intent, I mean.

"Prairie~!" The voice exclaims, a cheek pressing against mine as I register the voice and feel myself relax and grow excited. Why? This person would _never _scold me for trying to beat Kokichi up! "I'm so glad to see you're okay, I just _knew _you would be!"

"Tenko!" I chirp, swinging my legs back and forth cheerfully before she sets me down and I turn to look up at her. She looks as organized as always, a small crumb of bread stuck to her cheek that I brush away with a smile. That's kinda cute. "A-Are you cooking?"

"Ah, yes, that's right! We heard about Kirumi and what she did, but we haven't seen her around much. Since she's done what she's done, we're all just cooking for ourselves. I'll be honest, it's pretty scary knowing someone that tried to kill is walking around…! But don't worry, if I see her, I'm gonna teach her a valuable lesson for trying to hurt you! I'm still the Ultimate Aikido Master!" Tenko claims, taking a fighting stance proudly. "Are you hungry? I'm still making some food, but it should be ready soon. Only if you want, of course!"

"Oh, um, I actually need to get something done in the hotel right now. I'm just out and about for this thing," I say, holding up the flashlight at my side. Tenko almost looks a bit sad by the decline so I can't help but immediately add, "B-But, I can come eat after! It shouldn't take too long."

She brightens up at that note.

"Okay, I'll make extra! Himiko should be getting up soon in about an hour...she said she only needed to do laundry before breakfast, but that should only take a few minutes after she gets up. Does that sound like a good time?" Tenko asks, making me nod confidently. "Perfect! I'll see you then! Proceed with kicking that annoying little menace in the ass, Prairie!"

_She didn't ask me about where I'd been all this time prior to Maki reporting to them about Kirumi trying to murder me...well, she might ask me later when she knows I'm not in a hurry anymore._

"You got it~!" I simply giggle, turning to run out the back door where I'd seen Kokichi running. Once I've pushed open the door and have stepped out, I turn to see Kokichi leaning against the wall beside the door like he's been waiting for ages. He turns his head and then pushes off of the wall, stretching and cracking his back like he had when we first woke up. Once he has loosened up, he groans obnoxiously. "Wow, you girls talk _forever! _Am I invited to breakfast with Himiko and Tenko too?"

"No, you are NOT, degenerate male! Make your own pathetic food!" I hear Tenko calling out from the dining hall, prompting a smile to form at my lips as I let the door close behind me and fall into step with Kokichi.

"My food isn't pathetic, everyone that's eaten my cooking _loves _my food," Kokichi proudly states. It's hard to imagine Kokichi as a cook, but...well, I didn't picture him to be good at medical stuff either and yet he could stitch my leg up just fine.

"Whatever floats your boat. Anyways, back to the subject we were originally discussing," I state, ready to continue the topic even when Kokichi lets out a hum of amusement.

"You mean the subject that caused you to go feral?" Kokichi asks. I wave a hand in the air, dismissing the details. "Alright, alright...so I stole the key off of Shuichi. Can you blame me for wanting to see my sweet, indecently dressed Prairie Dog- _Nishishi!"_ He steps away just as I move to swat him, grinning at the look of irritation returning to my face.

"You're a nightmare, so yes. I _can _blame you. I'd rather deal with Doormat Perv-hara over you any day of the week. The longer I'm stuck around you, the more I'mtempted to find Kirumi and ask her to do me the favor and release me of my worldly concerns," I scoff with a scowl, allowing him to trail along after me when I speed up my walking pace. "Why are you following me around so much anyways?"

"To make your life a living nightmare," Kokichi answers with this bold upbeat smile. Figures he would answer like that.

..._I still don't understand how the heck he managed to enter the hotel with hot food. If Rantaro cooked it, he wouldn't have cooked any later than ten pm because there would be no way for Shuichi or Kokichi to enter the hotel past that hour. Even just stepping out would count as "leaving", wouldn't it? So that's not possible._

I open my mouth to ask, but then close it and decide against it. He's been very uncooperative with my questions for some reason, so it's probably no use. What's the point of asking if he's not going to answer me?

Besides, what do I care? He's not related to the incident of that mystery person attacking me in my old room.

"What is it, Prairie Dog?" Kokichi surprisingly asks, making me roll my eyes and shake my head.

"Nothing important…" I mumble, leading the way down the path towards the Kumasutra Hotel. At my response, Kokichi makes a whining noise of complaint.

"But I wanna know," he says, linking his arm with mine as we walk. Considering he doesn't give me the time of the day with my queries, I just shrug his arm off and ignore his pleading noises as I push open the doors.

In the lobby, I yank my arm from Kokichi and pull the duffel bag off. Taking one flashlight out and flicking it on, I'm pleased to see just how much light coats the room.

"There we go," I comment, reaching into the bag to hand Kokichi the spare light. He takes it with a grin, flicking it on and following me up the stairs until we reach the specific two open doors in the hotel. One is the brightly lit room we were using for the night, and the other is the pitch black room where we found an unknown student lurking about.

Stepping into the dark room, I immediately shine the light in the general area I remember the wet spot to be, taking a few steps in and getting down to feel around with my hands. I can't see it, but I click my tongue with disdain when I feel the damp section. I should have remembered about the ugly black and red marble design of the carpet...even if someone had dropped wine or marinara sauce on the darn thing, there's no way I'd be able to see the stain- cleaned off or not.

"Stupid ugly carpet…" I grumble, Kokichi leaning down beside me to feel the carpet with me.

"Whooa, Prairie Dog...don't tell me that lady scared you so much you had an accident-" Kokichi says, causing me to pointedly turn to shine the light at his face. He makes a noise of objection and turns his face the other way to protect his eyes.

"Are you sure the person that ran past you was a girl? How do you know you felt...breasts?" I ask, feeling my tone grow sheepish on the last word. Kokichi to reaches out and points my light down so I'm not blinding him anymore, clearing his throat.

"Trust me, I know what tits feel like. One of my favorites at my organization's headquarters is a bombshell with hers, and unfortunately she never lets all of us there forget it," Kokichi explains, much to my irritation.

"'Bombshell'?" I echo quietly, feeling just a twinge of sharp irritation at his words. Kokichi knows women like that…? What sort of crazy 'bombshell' woman would be anywhere _near _this annoying leech? And on top of that, one that is described as bold enough that Kokichi would know what her chest feels like and would refer to her as his 'favorite'?"

_Pig. Kokichi...is a pig._

_I don't think I believe him on any of that either._

Trying to wring out the questionable annoyance from my system and ignore the accusatory thoughts my brain is trying to tell me, I shine the light past the wet area where I see a large sparkle on the ground. It looks like there's glitter on the floor...but there's one larger piece that I reach out and collect so I can get a closer look.

...It's a piece of broken glass. I'm not sure how it got here, as far as I know there's nothing in the hotel room made of glass.

"Weird," Kokichi comments, making me turn my head to see his light shining over the rack in the right corner of the room where the BDSM tools are lined up.

"Eh? What is it?"

"Hm...I'm gonna give the other rooms a quick look and I'll be right back. Keep looking around if you want," Kokichi comments dismissively, turning his light in the opposite direction and standing. I wait until he's completely out of the room to scoff under my breath.

"His 'favorite'...that's so stupid," I mutter, pocketing the shard of glass and bringing out one of the camera packages. I rip it open with my teeth angrily as I let the rage build up inside. He didn't answer me and his demeanor changed. He's obviously noticed something, but decided he couldn't be bothered to clue me, the jerk.

Oh, but I guess that's because I'm not a _'favorite' _or anything.

Stupid Oma and his stupid fake organization…

_If you know it's fake and that the lackeys he's talking about are likely fake too, why are you so angry?_

_I'm not angry about that! He's keeping information from me even though looking through this room was __**my idea**!_ _Everything Leech Face does pisses me off! Screw him and his stupid 'favorite' big jugged girlfriend!_

I hurl the wrapper of the camera away, tucking my flashlight under my arm and turning the reel of the film until it clicks. Alright, let's take a photo of the area where the wet chemical spot is…

Stepping back a bit, I make sure I have the flash on and take a picture of the floor, the room lighting up entirely just enough for me to make something out that I didn't notice before. My temper cools a little as I grab my light and shine it at the bed, walking closer to look at the duvet.

Or rather, the _lack _of a duvet. All that's on the bed is the pillows with the hearts and diamonds printed on it, along with the plain white sheets. The duvet is missing entirely.

Curious to find it, I duck down and look under the bed before traversing the room. It's nowhere, not even in the bathroom, so I take a picture of the bed itself before moving to the corner of the room where Kokichi had been examining the BDSM corner.

_Now, since he won't tell me, what did he notice…?_

I stand there with my flashlight to the rack, heart going a steady normal beat even though I know what I'm searching for. Incriminating evidence. Since I noticed the lights off in the hallway and the door ajar to this room, I've felt just a tad bit awful even with Kokichi around to distract me.

Maybe because I have suspicions of what this could mean in the grand scheme of things.

For breakfast, everyone (likely excluding Kirumi) is going to gather up in the dining hall. As long as I get there at the time Tenko has invited me and Himiko to have breakfast with her, every student is likely to be in there at that time. We'll be able to confirm nothing bad has happened.

I take a picture of the rack before even realizing what I'm doing, only to feel my brain snap into business when something hits me. The rack seems a little spacey...are there things missing?

…

I turn to jog out of the room, heading over to my own room just as Kokichi is stepping out into the hall from the room directly across from my own with a contemplative expression across his face that's barely illuminated by the light from my hotel room. I pass him without sparing a word, stopping in my doorway and glancing towards the rack at the right corner of the room.

_The chains and rope from that other room are missing. I guess I can assume Kokichi was searching the other rooms to see if anything else had disappeared?_

With that thought in mind, I decidedly start going through every other room on the floor. It takes a bit of time and who knows what Kokichi does in that time since I've chosen to ignore him, but I eventually get more photos of rooms on the second story floor that tells me three other random rooms are missing chains from their racks.

_Why would anyone need any chains?_

"Hey, Prairie Dog! Aren't you going to meet up with your crazy girlfriend right about now? It's already almost nine-thirty and I'm bored wandering around here!" Kokichi complains as I'm leaving the last room I've needed to check.

"What, do you need my permission to leave?" I ask dryly without sparing him a glance, giving him the cold shoulder as I tuck the used camera in my pocket and start heading for the stairs anyways. I'm leaving, yeah, but not because he's reminded me. It's just that I've finished looking around this place and I'm hungry.

The leech can do whatever he wants so long as he leaves me alone.

"Huh? Why won't you look at me? Did I say something to get on your shit list again? Prairie Dooooggg…" Kokichi asks as I make my way to the stairs and put down the duffel bag with the flashlight on the ground out of the walking path. I don't need them anymore, I have the camera and that's all I need in case I'm right about something fishy going on.

I waltz out of the hotel without a care, continuing to ignore Kokichi's whining and complaints for my attention as I head into the school after scanning the field. It's strange returning to the school and leaving Hotel Kumasutra...I could run into Rantaro at any moment.

_Not that it would be a bad thing, but I don't think I'm emotionally prepared yet. Maybe I'll go find Himiko first so we can walk together to get breakfast- that should give me enough time to psych myself up to see him!_

"Tell Tenko I'm gonna get Himiko and I'll see her in a few minutes," I simply say to Kokichi when we pass the dining hall, noting as he leaves my peripheral vision and releases the arm of mine he'd been pulling on for my attention.

"I don't want to! Meanie!" Kokichi shouts after me when I continue to walk. At least he isn't going to follow me, so I'll take this as a win!

_Idiot Oma. You were the one being a meanie first, so ha._

By the time I've reached the Ultimate Maid's lab, my back has straightened with anxiety at the sight of the life-sized dolls seated at the dining table in the middle of the room. Although my legs brought me here, I had almost forgot Kirumi's lab was where all the laundry machines were located.

_I'm not likely to run into Kirumi anytime, am I? I don't want to deal with running away from another student filled with bloodlust again!_

"Prairie…? You don't look like you're here for laundry…" I hear Himiko say, only to jump when I realize she's sitting at the dining table with the dolls. She lifts her head and fixes her hat, making me blink in surprise. I didn't even notice she was there! She's so lazy she blends into the environment too?

"Oh, Tenko invited me to breakfast and said she was also cooking for you. I figured we could just walk together after," I say as I gravitate towards the dining table, only to notice a bag beside her on the table that seems to be full of pieces to her ultimate outfit. They're dry and they don't look dirty, but...something tells me Himiko isn't half-asleep on the table because she's tired from the hard work. "...You haven't started, have you?"

"Nyeh...I don't actually know how to use laundry machines...I asked Angie for help, but she hasn't showed up yet," Himiko comments, prompting my stomach to swirl nervously at that note. Angie is late to do laundry with Himiko…

_I really hope it has nothing to do with the weirdness in the hotel._

"I don't mind helping, I know the basics. Here, let's go," I reassure her, watching as she sighs and looks at the bag of laundry beside her in obvious disdain.

"What a pain," she responds, but still gets up and drags the bag behind her when I lead her to the first washing machine. I open the door and look in, only to scowl when I see a metal mop bucket greet me. "...Who was dumb enough to put that there?"

I shrug and reach in to tilt it a little, scrunching my nose at the scent of bleach. There's a large piece of white fabric shoved inside of it, one that looks like it's practically about to overflow out into the washing machine entirely. Even if we took it out, we'd risk there being bleach somewhere in the machine and Himiko's outfits could end up spotted…

"Forget about it, let's just try the next-"

Opening the door is simple enough again. It's locked in place, but a quick turn of the handle allows us to see whether it's empty.

It's not.

We stare for a long time, the two of us blinking curiously at the sight before us. The washing machine is pretty large and it would definitely fit Himiko's clothes considering how small her bag is. Heck if we wanted to, Himiko and I could just as easily fit inside of one of these things no problem. We're both small and can easily hide in there if we had to, although we'd have to have our own separate machines.

Now…

The question isn't how Ryoma managed to get inside the washing machine. Rather, the question is why he is laying there inside of said washing machine with wide eyes like we've just caught him doing something heinous or illegal.

His eyes stare blankly at us for a bit, but they don't jump from me to Himiko with uncertainty at the situation. Rather, he just sits there with his back against the side of the curved machine walls frozen like a statue

There's no way for me to tell how long I've been standing there holding the washing machine door open. I don't know how long Himiko and I have been staring at him, waiting for the Ultimate Tennis Player to react. To even just blink or make a noise.

He doesn't.

And eventually that's what has Himiko Yumeno screaming bloody murder into my ear at the realization that, yes, we have found a body.

And yes.

The killing game has kicked up again.

** _ End of 3.15 - Unfolding A Mystery _ **


	45. Games With The Heart

❀ _**3.16 - Games With The Heart**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Calm down!" I shout to the red haired girl currently blowing my eardrums out with her scream, grabbing her arm and giving her a shake to snap her out of her shock if only for a moment. "Stay with me for a second, if _you_ panic, _I'm _gonna panic!"

Himiko seems to understand my sentiments and her scream reduces to shaky breaths of disbelief. She's obviously still panicked, but I can't really blame her for the reaction considering I'm not any less freaked out myself. Ryoma _looks _like he's still alive- his eyes open wide as if he himself is consciously acknowledging that this situation is startling. In more ways than one, it's disturbing to see that look on his face since he's clearly unresponsive, but I do my best to keep my own shriek of horror inside me. Freaking out won't help our situation.

_Ding-Dong! Bing-Bong!_

Ah, there it is. The announcement.

_Wait...but there's only two people here? Isn't the rule that three people need to witness the presence of a body for the announcement to go off?_

"What's going on in here?! Who's screaming? Are you okay?!"

Both Himiko and I turn to see Kaito enter the room in visible panic, just as the announcement monitor in the lab switches on to reveal Monokuma with his all too familiar menacing half-smile.. As soon as Kaito's eyes find us, he seems momentarily caught off guard by my particular presence up until his eyes settle on the monitor. Himiko and I look up again, still huddled together nervously.

_"A body has been discovered! Everyone! Please make your way to the Ultimate Maid's lab!"_

A confirmation of the nightmare before us. I can't even fully process it yet, even though I had my suspicions already because of the strangeness going on in Hotel Kumasutra.

"B-Body?!" Kaito asks as the announcement monitor flicks to black simultaneously with the audible click of the speakers shutting off. The tension in the air is thick like slime, coating us with heavy layers so that we almost seem rooted to our spots. "That's not true...we all agreed we wouldn't kill each other after what Miu did. I don't see a body around, what's that psycho bear going on about?"

He's asking that, but I'm pretty sure he can tell by our pale expressions that it's likely not a lie on Monokuma's part. Himiko and I are practically attached to each other from seeing Ryoma, and we scoot out of his way so he can look in the washing machine I'm still holding the door open to. Kaito doesn't immediately approach, looking from me to Himiko and back at the washing machine before his lips quirk in an uncertain nervous smile. He won't be able to see Ryoma unless he ducks his head and looks in...clearly he doesn't want to though.

It's not like people regularly line up to see corpses, much less the ones of people they know.

"What? Wait...you're pulling my leg, right? This is just a bad joke? Prairie, have you been hanging around to Kokichi too much lately...?" Kaito asks, obviously reluctant to believe or even see the truth currently sitting like a rag doll in the washing machine. Even though he's forced the words past his lips, he seems as if he doesn't even believe his own suggestion. When both Himiko and I simply continue to stare at him, he eventually gathers the nerve to walk up to us and peer lower into the washing machine before immediately reeling back at the sight. _"Ryoma?!"_

After Kaito blurts out his name, a beat of silence passes. There's no response from the corpse, even though I'm wishing for a response out of him regardless of the ghastly truth.

"He's...he's really dead then...?" Himiko asks timidly, breaking the silence for a second. When the silence rushes in to greedily reclaim its territory around us, Himiko's arm tightens around mine as if she's noticed something. She's quiet though, keeping her mouth shut like Kaito and I are.

_Evidence. You need to search for evidence since you know what's going to happen this time around with a murder._

I begin to look around the room in mild confusion, following the simple commands of my brain. That's right...we're going to have to participate in a class trial to figure out how the murder occurred and who killed Ryoma in particular.

As I'm looking around, my eyes catch a dark patch under one of the power vacuum cleaners beside the low table in the cleaning room. That looks suspicious enough to investigate...

Finally regaining the sense to move around and search, I gently worm my arm out of Himiko's grip to walk over to the vacuums. Pushing the vacuum that's hiding the dark patch out of the way, I'm not too surprised to find a dried puddle of blood on the ground. It's enough to be disturbing, but still inconspicuous enough that simply rolling one of the vacuums over it would cover most of it- though not all, as it would appear.

The effort made to conceal it seems very...lacking. Why didn't they cover it with something else or even clean it up? Was there no time?

"...We need to find the bastard that did this, Prairie," I hear Kaito say as he joins me to look at the bloodstain, Himiko also peering at the additional mess with barely concealed discomfort. She hid her feelings much better with Kaede, but perhaps the fact this one caught her off guard chances things.

Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Player, and a guy that mostly kept to everyone else at arms length, is somehow dead...and taking a step back from the worst and obvious fact, that being his status as deceased, now we're all left to figure out the mystery of his death. A mystery surrounding the death of an individual who himself was a mysterious person altogether. I certainly didn't get to learn much about him. I was mostly around the others, a rather small selection at that.

_Maybe you should have tried to get to know him a little better. Or better yet, try to get to know everyone like you and Korekiyo talked about that time._

"What's going on? Who-" Kiibo is cut off as he enters the room, yelping nearly getting stampeded over by Tenko as she barrels in like a star quarterback.

"Himiko? Prairie?!" She shouts, only seeming somewhat placated when she sees the two of us and jogs over to snatch us up in a hug that I'm personally more than happy to receive. "That body discovery announcement scared the pee out of me when I heard where it was...!"

"That's a little bit insensitive, Tenko! Are you saying you're okay with killings so long as it's not one of your favorites biting the bullet?" Kokichi's voice comes from the doorway as he strolls on into the room with us. He looks about as laid back as ever, a wide grin that doesn't match the proper reaction for an announcement having been made about a dead body appearing. "Ah well, I guess I understand. What would I do if Kiiboy was the body? I'd have to resort to bugging and teasing Prairie Dog even more than usual!"

_"Menace," _Tenko hisses his way between clenched teeth, completely ignoring Himiko's eager attempts to escape the embrace forced on her, if going by the red haired girl's "nyeh"s of annoyance.

"Wait, is this really the time for meaningless banter? Kaito! Who is it? _Where _is it?" Kiibo has the guts to ask, prompting Kaito to sigh and gesture to the washing machine behind us.

"See for yourself...Prairie and Himiko were the ones to find him, I only came in because I heard screaming," Kaito answers him, taking a seat on the table.

All together, Tenko, Kokichi, and Kiibo approach the washing machine. Tenko quickly backpedals when she catches sight of Ryoma's jarring state, much like Himiko and I did earlier.

"WAH! Why are his eyes open?! What sort of an expression is that?!" Tenko wails, obviously as disturbed as Himiko and I were to see it. Kiibo appears equally perturbed, but Kokichi only hums in thought as he peers in.

"Good for him! He got exactly what he wanted!" Kokichi eventually leans away from the washing machine to pleasantly comment, prompting me to leer at him in confusion. Not only is that cruel, but...what does he mean by Ryoma getting 'exactly what he wanted'? "He did say he didn't plan to survive the killing game, didn't he?"

"Listen, you _brat,"_ Katio stands up to his full height and squares his shoulders, whirling around to look Kokichi's way with a bit of a snarl. "Rantaro and Ryoma already had a whole ass argument about that- he agreed on trying to _survive _that last time I checked! It's not funny to bring that up. Sometimes I wonder whether you're actually concerned about all this bullshit going on around us."

"Me? Not concerned?" Kokichi looks appalled, a worried expression soon crossing his fair features. "W-Why wouldn't I be? I want to be best friends with everyone as soon as possible, and we can only do that outside of this Killing Game...and I want to be best friends most _especially _with you, Momota!"

_My god, the smell of his lies are so potent, you'd think he'd just let rip a massive fart..._

It isn't until Kokichi sputters into a laugh that I realize everyone is staring at me, giving me the sense that something about this is off. Other than Kokichi, everyone else looks pretty disturbed as they turn my way. My slow brain eventually makes an assumption as to why.

"...I said that out loud, didn't I?" I ask in horror, looking down and feeling my face go several degrees hotter in mortification. It's warm enough that I quickly gather my hair in a bunch and hide my face in my curls. "I'm sorry...that's improper for the situation."

"I-It's alright! Kokichi's the one at fault to begin with anyways!" Kiibo says as he turns to Kokichi, just as more students fill the room. "Kokichi! Apologize to Prairie for your insensitivity!"

"Hmm...okay. But only if she tells me why she suddenly got so upset with me out of nowhere earlier," Kokichi answers with a smile of obvious amusement as he folds his arms behind his neck and looks my way.

"Huh? Monokuma said body found...?" Gonta inquires anxiously upon entering, although no one pays attention to him, Korekiyo, and Tsumugi as Kokichi keeps his gaze lasered into me for an answer. Gonta seems to sense the tension at that point, looking from me to Kokichi in obvious confusion. "W-What going on?"

I scowl, turning away from him as the embarrassment from my Freudian slip fades from my face and I'm able to drop my hair to cross my arms indignantly. "You're gross and every time you open your mouth, I want to commit Seppuku. There. Glad I could answer your stupid question with a stupid obvious answer."

"No, no, nooo...Prairie Dog, didn't I already tell you that you suck at lying? Why don't you want to tell me anyways? You're normally very mouthy about what's irritating about me!" Kokichi states, though I fall silent as a result of his pestering questions. Stupid Oma. "Aw, come on, don't go quiet on me all of a sudden~"

_This is stupid. We have more important things to be worried about and this IQ deprived leech is once again only focusing on the insignificant things. He never tells me anything either, but it's not like _ _ **I ** _ _keep pestering him after he makes it clear his mouth is staying shut!_

"Kokichi. Ryoma is dead. I'm not interested in entertaining you right now. Though if you want a broken nose to match your broken personality, I'd be happy to oblige on that note," I resort to saying, facing him again and taking a step towards him as I crack my knuckles in preparation.

Luckily for Kokichi, Kiibo grabs my arm along with Kaito to stop me when they realize I'm dead serious about my threat. Knowing that Kokichi probably believes himself to be impervious to my rage with everyone around us keeping my temper in check, I decide to push my threat a little more.

"You see these two dolts?" I ask Kokichi, pointing towards Kaito and Kiibo who appear curious as to where I'm going with my rhetorical question. "Don't think just because I'm small that they can stop me if I really decide I want to beat the ever-living crap out of you. You three will simply have matching faces to boot in the end."

Kaito and Kiibo look somewhat nervous by my admission, but they pull me back regardless. Kokichi on the other hand chuckles at my claims, violet irises still glued to me as he moves his arms to cross them over his chest thoughtfully.

"Damn, you're _really _pissed at me..." Kokichi observes, even though I've backed down from attacking him this time.

"Ah. Prairie Marble is much more savage today than she's been on subsequent days...this should be interesting in light of the murder that's occurred," Korekiyo points out, though I'm still so irritated with Kokichi that I just carelessly brush off his comment insinuating I could somehow be Ryoma's murderer.

Voices fill the room as other students come in and I settle by the washing machine to brood menacingly beside Tenko and Himiko. They look curious as the glance from me to Kokichi and back, before one of them eventually breaks the silence among the chatter.

"Nyeh...why _are _you mad at him? It feels different from other times..." Himiko speaks up as I readjust my gloves with a sharp glare on the fabric.

"Because he's a pig," I simply say, pushing away his words from before and only feeling angrier as they linger in my mind. It's not even that I'm just mad at only Kokichi now, but I'm also mad at myself.

I don't really understand why I'm _this _angry about what he said. Sure, he's a pervert. So is Shuichi and even our friendly neighborhood robot Kiibo is a bit of one. I've been simply irritated at those aspects of theirs, even when I realized Kokichi was a pervert, but as soon as the leech mentioned having a "favorite well-endowed female bombshell friend", my irritation skyrocketed with him in particular.

It can't be that I'm...

...

...!

_I refuse to entertain that possibility, there's just NO WAY I'm jealous._

I can still feel Kokichi staring at me from where he is and as a result I quickly pull my hair over my face to resist looking his way. It's not just that I don't want to make eye contact, but I can feel my cheeks warming up once again to a painfully warm degree that only horrifies me the more I think about the thought that has intruded in my mind.

_I don't get it?! It's Kokichi! It's freaking KOKICHI! Am I seriously jealous of him having a favorite female friend?! No, no, that doesn't make any sense no matter how I look at it! I wouldn't want to be his favorite anything! Then, then...! It must be the girl herself! He said she had a huge rack, right? Then _ _ **that's ** _ _what I'm jealous about! It makes sense! My breasts aren't microscopic like Himiko's, but they sure aren't the biggest either! Okay. Okay, I think I'm good now. Glad I could analyze my feelings properly without any denials._

My face isn't getting any less warm.

"Prairie, you're...swaying," I hear Tsu-moo-moo the lying cow comment from near me, causing me to grunt irritably. Of all people to point out my annoying ticks, the last person I want to hear it from is the Ultimate Traitor.

"She's fine! It's just that she's upset and that the annoying little purple menace makes her so sick that she can hardly see straight!" Tenko comes to my aid, pulling me to her side so she can wrap an arm around my waist. I'm so crippled that I don't even fight her on it, especially considering I might actually fall over from my embarrassing epiphany.

"Ah...I don't know about that. I mean, they're around each other all the ti-" I hear Kiibo start to say until I peek over my shield of fluffy curls and cut him off with, _"Debate about another topic, or else."_

This has the robot's mouth clamping shut real quick, much to my satisfaction as the heat across my face begins to finally settle.

_Fine. I'm jealous. Why? Dunno, don't care. I'm just going to have to tolerate that fact for now or else I'll be a hindrance to this upcoming trial during times I have to speak about Kokichi or directly respond to Kokichi himself. I can properly think about it when I'm alone later or something...there are more important things to be concerned about. Ryoma is dead._

With that in mind, I let out a sigh of relief and relax enough to drop my hair. Risking a peek, Kokichi is thankfully engrossed in looking at the washing machine. I can feel the tension in my chest ebb away even more as I rest my head on Tenko's shoulder. She makes a soft squee under her breath at that, prompting me to smile and simply rest my head there until I can finally lift my head and get into the proper headspace for what's happening.

Looking around, everyone seems to be here, save for Kirumi, Angie, Maki, and-

I feel a pair of arms snap around me hard enough to startle a short shriek of fear from my lips. Tenko's arm around my waist is already off of me and we both spin around instantly, our fists flying towards the target that is my assailant behind me even though my shriek has made them release me like I've burnt them.

As soon as we see who it is, both Tenko and I freeze. We stop ourselves mere inches from both our fists making direct contact against the face of a visibly stunned Rantaro Amami standing behind us with his arms and hands up in surrender. After a beat of silence in which the three of us process the reunion, the green haired guy has the decency to appear sheepish by his actions.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to sneak up on you guys like that," he admits with that familiar deep velvet voice of his, smiling a little in embarrassment.

Tenko and I pull our fists away seeing this, Tenko in particular growling a little in frustration. "Yeah, you should be sorry, _menace. _How'd you think we'd respond after Kirumi's assault on her and now with a body discovery announcement? Be more considerate!"

Although I appreciate her jumping in and laying it out clearly for him, I can tell Rantaro already realizes his misstep and is likely mentally chastising himself for it. Tenko doesn't continue to rip him apart though, instead sighing and turning to me with a pleasant smile.

"I'll give you two a moment then, but don't hesitate to scream if you need me, Prairie!" Tenko reassures me, just before taking Himiko's wrist and pulling the visibly perplexed Himiko aside so Rantaro and I are left together near the back where the vacuums are.

What do I even say to him? I haven't seen him in such a long time that I'm almost caught up in the charm of his good looks again, but it's quickly dispelled when I notice a few details about him that I'm pretty surprised to see.

Rantaro's hair in particular is far more unkempt than I've ever seen it before, to a degree that makes it look like he's run his hands through it about a hundred times. There are bags under his eyes, enough for me to know he hasn't slept properly recently- most likely due to his time in the casino trying to get the Love Hotel Key. And yet...

"Ah, do I look that bad...?" Rantaro asks, clearly embarrassed by my lingering gaze until I shake my head and press a hand against my face. He thinks he could _actually _look 'bad'? This guy is hopeless...talk about being a blockhead unaware of your own appearance.

"No, that's the thing, Amami. With how pathetic you look right now, somehow you _still _manage to be good looking..." I explain as I observe him from between my fingers, watching the surprise roll across his face. I slide my hand down over my jaw, only to cock my head to the side and drop my arms to my sides promptly at the expression he's making. "What? Are you really that surprised? You must not look in the mirror much..."

"I mean...no, I'm well aware of my appearance, Prairie. It's just that not many people are as frank to directly say it and it's even more surprising coming from you of all people considering how nervous you get around boys..." Rantaro explains, only trailing off when he seems to notice my face turning red- if all the heat I feel radiating off of it is any indication. "Never mind. Anyways, if these were better circumstances, I would have tried a bit. I'm just..."

Rantaro's eyes flick from me to the washing machine and back. He would never say the rest of that sentence out loud- and yes, I know what he's trying to say even if he doesn't want to admit it himself. Essentially, it's the same thing I was worried about when Kokichi and I found all those strange stuff in Hotel Kumasutra, even if the thought itself is _wrong_ and completely unsympathetic in light of poor Ryoma's fate. I sincerely doubt he can help his thoughts as much as I can help it.

_Thank god it's not you._

Guilt eats away at my gut. I'm sure I can only think what I'm thinking because I didn't know Ryoma and didn't try to push past his boundaries to get to know him. In fact, he hardly took up much of my thoughts to begin with, if at all. At least not past our meeting, his mentioning of me being Perfect Blitz, and that whole 'prison' backstory of his he never elaborated on- and all of that was only picked up from one single encounter. Our first encounter.

Plain and simple, a stranger died and I am rotten for being relieved.

What a disgusting thought.

With my disgusting thoughts of guilt, I evidently step forwards towards Rantaro and hug him so I can hide in his shirt. He may have seen better days, but I recognize the faint smell of his cologne clinging to his clothes.

"Relieved it wasn't him? That's an interesting reaction for someone having died," Maki's voice invades my conscious from somewhere around us, followed by Rantaro sighing irritably as he wraps his arms around me.

"Just ignore her," I hear him say to me as he rests his cheek atop my head, which I'm more than happy to oblige to. Now that Rantaro's here, I can relax a little...probably isn't the time for that, but I want to enjoy him before we have to start looking around for clues to what happened. Still, I turn my head so I can see the others.

"Are...are you sure he's dead? He looks just as plainly surprised as we are," Tsumugi states anxiously after taking a peek in the washing machine. She rubs her cheek with a hand, brows furrowed slightly. "W-Wouldn't the muscles in his face relax once he's died? Like he's sleeping or something...?"

Shuichi joins her, Kokichi hovering just behind the two with a grin. "Okay, Mr. Detective! Who did it? You probably already know at first glance, don't you?!" Kokichi eagerly exclaims, only for Shuichi to lift his head with a frown as he looks Kokichi's brightly grinning way.

"Ah...that's not how this works," Shuichi simply responds, prompting the leech beside him to sigh in disappointment.

"Some Ultimate Detective you are..." Kokichi grumbles with a pout, folding his arms behind his neck and turning away only to rest his eyes on me where I'm latched onto Rantaro like a koala. A snort of amusement escapes him at the sight. "Oh, look at that. Our residential neighborly lovebirds are back together, how sweet!" The leech remarks, his gaze specifically locked onto me despite that his words target both Rantaro and I. Knowing he's searching my expression of any sign of why the chip on my shoulder has increased regarding him specifically, I give him a nasty look and instead focus my gaze on everyone else but him.

_Well...at least I have Rantaro to treat me like I'm his favorite again- even for a short while before we inevitably have to converse about or issues between one another. No doubt we can avoid that conversation. Before that though..._

"Hm. Why did I expect something like this would inevitably occur, even in the wake of our last murder? I can't say I'm astonished. There is one among us that clearly lusts for bloodshed to a similar degree as our departed vulgar Iruma, it would seem," Korekiyo sighs, readjusting his hat as he approaches the washing machine upon Tsumugi getting out of the way. He has to lean down a bit to see, but only lets out a hum of interest at the disturbing sight. "His cause of death isn't quite as obvious as Akamatsu's was. Interesting...he appears almost as if..."

Korekiyo doesn't continue his statement, which has me feeling a tad bit irritated. "Appears almost as if" what? There's no need to be mysterious here unless he wants us suspecting him, he should just spit it out. I want to know what he's getting from looking at Ryoma's corpse if it'll help us in the inevitable trial.

"Nyeh...maybe someone turned on the washing machine and he couldn't get out? He could have drowned or gotten all beat up from the spin cycles, couldn't he have...?" Himiko suggests, prompting Shuichi to answer with, "We'll need to bring the body out from there so we can examine it in better lighting, but...from what I can already see, he doesn't seem to have bruises or anything of the sort to indicate being battered. Again, we'll need to look closely at it to confirm that either way, but before that...is everybody here already? Who are we missing?"

"We're still missing two people, it seems," Rantaro says looking around. "Angie and Kirumi."

_I wonder where Angie could be if she agreed to meet up with Himiko to help with laundry? Assuming she was only a bit late, she should have been one of the first people here, yet she's one of the last...was she busy doing something else? Like...?_

Maybe it's best not to go there yet. Just because she didn't show up immediately like the other students have isn't enough to throw out baseless accusations of her being the culprit. I should let the evidence do the talking first.

"G-Gonta...no understand why killing game happen again..._why?_ We friends, or enemies?" Gonta speaks up, visibly jarred by the sight and news.

"Normally I don't care much for degenerate males, but I don't believe Ryoma could have been so bad as to warrant being murdered! Being a menace doesn't warrant cruelty like this! So! Which one of you _degenerate males _did this!" Tenko barks, turning and looking around as she gets in an aggressive fighting stance.

"Ah...that was both a step forward regarding your feelings towards men, as well as a plain step backwards," Tsumugi comments, sounding a bit too close to Rantaro and I for comfort.

I hear Rantaro make a small hum of confusion when I tense up and growl on impulse, a rumbly low sound of aggression that only he seems to be able to hear. He scoots us away from Tsumugi discreetly once he realizes I'm glaring at her.

"Also, how sure are you that a guy did this...? It could have been a girl, for all you know," Tsumugi continues, completely oblivious of my little death glare narrowed on her. When I notice Rantaro trying to catch my eyes so he can silently question my mild hostility towards the cosplay girl, I turn and rest my back against him without a response. He seems to realize I'm not about to tell him anything though, giving up with a soft exhale of resignation.

It's not that I don't want to tell him, really. It's just...well, how do you go about that? "Yeah, Rantaro, so I figured out the mastermind is Tsumugi! I don't have any proof, but dude, trust me." I'm sure that would go _very _well.

_Tsumugi is the mastermind...there's no way she's queasy about this if she's the one that's in charge of directing the murders in specific ways. I may have been in a bad state down there, but I know what I saw._

"Because! Only a degenerate picks off victims smaller than they are!" Tenko states matter of factly.

"Technically, picking off victims smaller than you is a quality everyone is likely to have if they want the job to be easy...plus, everyone was bigger than Ryoma," Kiibo points out frankly, prompting all eyes to land on him. The robot shudders upon finding everyone's eyes resting on him, appearing suddenly nervous. "H-Hey, that's an inherent quality all living organisms have! Don't look at me like _I'd _do something of that sort! I would never!"

"Suuure, Kiiboy. Like we can't see you manipulating us fleshies so we'll kill each other off and bring you one step closer to world domination a la 'rise of the machines'," Kokichi accuses with a grin, causing Kiibo to scoff.

"Jokes on you, I don't _need _to dominate the world! I'm perfectly happy as I am right now."

"Even without a dick?"

_"Gh! _No matter how many times you bring that up, I will neither confirm nor deny your ridiculous questions about my private zone!" Kiibo barks back at the fairly amused leech.

Rantaro so in before Kokichi can continue to heckle the poor robot. "Okay, cut it out you two. I don't know where the other two are, but we need to be serious about this right now...if the other two ever decide to show u-"

"We're here," a voice, one that makes me stiffen up anxiously on impulse, cuts Rantaro off. I shrink back into him when the students in the lab all turn and back away from her. Even Angie, who's as late as her, doesn't stray too close to the olive haired Ultimate Maid. Himiko and Angie gravitate towards each other, Tenko glancing at them before evidently choosing to stand beside Rantaro and I.

Kirumi has everyone's attention. Everything about her is different- from her outfit to her hairstyle...and her face.

Firstly, gone is her dress and loose hair. She's turned the bottom portion of her white skirt from her dress into a pair of pants that cut off just at her knees with two ties. She still has a tie, which is more prominent now that her apron, shorter and with pockets, only ties around her hips. Her short hair has even been pulled into a ponytail, save for a few bangs that escape it. The bangs that surround her face aren't enough to conceal the new features to her face, and this time they aren't features she's altered willingly.

Back when Maki caught us in the courtyard, I could barely see anything with so much blood in my eyes. I didn't know how badly I fought back against her, or whether I made any actual damage.

Most prominent are the reddish pink streaks of scratch marks. I remember scratching her, but didn't know where since I was just mainly focused on survival and escape. The scratch marks go straight up from her chin, over the corner of her lips, and across her right eye. Alongside it is a bruise around that same eye, which has been tightly stitched from the bottom lid down to her cheek.

_When I used the wrench and was jamming it back into her face, I must have sliced her face open with a sharp edge..._

Seeing the damage I've done to her feels like a bucket of ice water has been poured over me. It's a lot more brutal than I thought- in fact, I didn't even know I was capable of something like that.

"Holy _shit!_ Damn, uh, you look really..." Kaito trails off, looking rather uncomfortable as he glances back towards where I'm trying to disappear and assimilate with Rantaro's shadow.

_Rantaro is gonna scold me, isn't he? He'll probably say something like "Prairie, you shouldn't be so violent". Or "you can't fight fire-with-fire", or-_

I hear Rantaro scoff and look up at him in confusion, finding he's got a surprising humorless grin across his face as he boldly remarks, "Serves you right."

..._Huh?_

"Yes. I can hardly fault Prairie for retaliation just as I'm incapable of faulting you for hating me. Make no mistake though...I would do it again. Please be aware that it is not my attention to make this personal," Kirumi surprisingly responds, causing Rantaro to tighten his grip around me protectively.

"Too bad. It _is _personal," Rantaro retorts, though Kirumi doesn't say anything else this time. I reach up and rub the side of Rantaro's head in an attempt to calm him down, but he's so focused on glaring at Kirumi that he doesn't pay my efforts any attention.

"Upupupu~! Aaand another one bites the dust!" Monokuma bounds into the room to disturb the scene, followed closely by the monokubs- of which only Monophanie, Monosuke, and Monodam actually preemptively announce their arrival with their usual motto.

_"Rise and Shine, Ursine!" _They cheer, all the while Monokid stands to the side with his arms crossed with a dry groan of annoyance. Seems like even he is sick and tired of the theatrics usually attached to the monokubs as a whole.

"Oh no! A dead body! Of all the people that could die, it wasn't _Ugly?_ She's all over the handsome green one again...!" Monophanie is the first to speak up as she looks my way. "You can't keep him forever, I hope you know that! Someone cuter is eventually going to come by and he'll leave you! And by someone cuter...I mean me, of course!"

I scowl, and to my surprise, Rantaro yet again tightens his hold on me. Looking up, I'm surprised once again to see him aiming this dark look Monophanie's way- enough that the pink bear actually starts kinda sweating and looking guilty over something.

_Uh...what happened between those two? Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, but Rantaro is pretty clingy right now. I guess I don't mind so much all things considered...if he starts being a helicopter mom again later once my sympathy runs dry, he's got another thing coming to him._

Well, either way...I'm glad he's got his irritation aimed at her.

"We're in the good stuff now! Finally, finally, FINALLY! I've hated how chummy you've all been getting with one another! This place is for KILLS!" Monokuma announces.

"This is bullshit!" Kaito snaps, eyes blazing. "You did this yourself, didn't you?! After you realized none of us were willing to repeat Miu's mistake-"

"No _sirrie!_ I've said it before and I'll say it again! I, Monokuma, will not ever directly cause harm or death to a student myself. That wouldn't be interesting, now, _would _it? Besides! It's much more fun watching you schmucks fight over stabbing each other in the back!" Monokuma responds much to the horror of the rest of us.

"S-So, there are no tricks here then? One of us went for it again...?" Tsumugi asks, looking rather distressed by something that is technically her own fault. She's the mastermind here, after all. She came up with those plans for directing murders, didn't she?

..._Is she that good an actor? She seems so genuine in her words and reactions, it's almost scary. I would have never pegged her to be the mastermind all on my own if it wasn't for seeing those papers. She's so...plain._

I feel a warm puff of air hit my right cheek and turn, only to flinch and lean back when I find Kokichi staring directly at me from inches away with this intense look that forces a startled grimace to my face. He's not smiling as he locks eyes with me and to be honest it's sorta creepy in a way. The heck does _he _want?

"Kokichi, don't bug her," I hear Rantaro huff under his breath to the leech, who hardly spares him a glance in response. "And please don't attack Kokichi, Tenko."

Tenko grunts, making a funny expression. "I don't need a _degenerate male_ that fits surprisingly snug in a garbage bin to tell me what I can or can't do."

Now it's Rantaro's turn to sigh with mild irritability, even though Tenko is technically listening to him and not attacking Kokichi for his weirdness.

_We...are the wackiest pack when the four of us are together, aren't we?_

I feel a small giggle escape me and slap my hand over my mouth, immediately feeling guilty since it probably sounds like I'm laughing at Tenko's jab to Rantaro.

Rantaro doesn't seem to take the slip of a giggle badly though, rubbing my shoulder warmly in response.

"All-righty then! Since this is your first time investigating a murder, I have a nice surprise for the lot of you! Here I have..." He reaches behind him, though I can't imagine what he's reaching into since he's facing all of us and has his back to a wall. When he pulls his paw out and outstretches his arm, a tablet appears for us to see from his grip. "A notebook that kills whoever's name is written in it!"

"Eh?! You mean...! That's the Death No-" Tsumugi half perks up, before she's completely cut off with Monokuma answering, "Just kidding, it's the _Monokuma File!"_

"We...have to do the investigation ourselves too...?" Himiko asks, visibly shuddering from where she is as her eyes drift towards the washing machine dubiously. Clearly she's not too keen to touch the dead body, but then again, who _would _be?

"Oh, you don't _have _to! Although I can't imagine you'll have much to argue about if you can't even scrape up enough evidence to point out the blackened...hey, which do you like more, birds or rabbits? I'm still plotting up a few more tidbits for the Ultimate Magician's execution if you're as eager to die as you appear to be!" Monokuma laughs, prompting my eyes to narrow at the sadistic bear picking on Himiko for once. As if feeling my glare, Monokuma turns to glance my way. "Oh, and don't worry, Miss Marble! Although you're still as much of an afterthought as ever..._I've prioritized creating your execution in case you feel a little murdery..._but who knows? This trial could result in an early execution for you too! Oh, the possibilities~! Puhuhu!_"_

That bear can burn in the depths of hell.

"Is that perhaps a confirmation on your part that Prairie is the blackened in this case?" Korekiyo snickers darkly, resulting in a barely perceptible low growl from Rantaro that I likely wouldn't have heard if he wasn't hugging me so tightly.

"Oh, think of it what you will, by all means! Just remember...if you choose the wrong blackened, you _all _will be executed! It will be a series of fun, bloody, _humiliating _deaths for the blackened to delightfully watch for their graduation ceremony!" Monokuma reminds us, before waving the tablet again. "Anyways, back to the _Monokuma File!"_

"Is it another motive?" Kiibo inquires nervously, ducked down slightly as if scared someone will crucify him for opening his mouth.

"Not at all! The investigation is what makes the killing game have spice! You're all to attempt uncovering the truth, but since you're no medical doctors, this here is a detailed report that summarizes the state of the...you-know-what!" Monophanie chirps brightly, eager to have the spotlight, so it would seem. Even if she still seems to have an aversion to saying "dead body".

"The only thing missing is any information that makes the blackened obvious! 'Cause that would make for a rather boring trial, ain't that right, Pops?!" Monosuke laughs, prompting Monokuma to turn towards the smaller colored bears and stare at them. For a second they look a little nervous- and then Monokuma scoops up the bears to start...licking them.

"Ew..." I mumble, before taking a peek beside me where I notice Kokichi hasn't moved from. As if sensing my gaze falling on him again, his own eyes flick my way. He's still being weird...well, I'm not dealing with him.

"All of you kubs are so cute! So CUTE! And absolutely right in every way~!" Monokuma states, Monokid managing to spring into action with a look of abject horror at Monokuma's behavior.

"GROSS! You couldn't PAY ME to stay still and deal with that shit! FUCK OFF WITH THAT!" Monokid snaps vehemently as he makes some advanced dodges, bounding towards Rantaro and I to hide behind our legs.

"Aw...my favorite son doesn't love me anymore. That's not good at all..." Monokuma laments, before substantially brightening up as he turns to his other kubs where Monophanie and Monodam are wiping his saliva (or whatever fluid that is...) off of their fur. He reaches for Monosuke next, surprising a small noise out of the spectacled yellow bear when he's hoisted up. "No matter! My next favorite son will do just fine and..."

Monokuma pauses before going to lick Monosuke, holding him up a little higher and moving the yellow bear up and down a bit as if...

_Oh no, _I think, trying not to let my expression pan into something obvious when I realize what Monokuma is doing.

"...Hey...did you lose some weight there, buddy boy ol' pal friend-o?" Monokuma asks in a slow foreboding tone, one that prompts me to mindlessly start playing with Rantaro's rings to keep myself distracted. I don't care if Rantaro, Kokichi, or Shuichi figures out it's my doing again, but...if Monokuma really couldn't see what was going on beneath the school, then _good._ I don't want him to spite me for corrupting another monokub by destroying them.

"I'm on weight watchers!" Monosuke easily answers without missing a beat, not at all nervous to state it plainly by the looks of it when I peek up- even if it _is _total crap.

"Oh! Okay then!" Monokuma agrees, not even continuing with going to lick the yellow bear and instead setting him down. "Hand these out, yeah, favorite kid? I'm off to get the trial grounds ready!"

"You got it, Dad!" Monosuke cackles without hesitation, taking what I see now are actually four Monokuma Files rather than one. Well, I guess it's a good thing that he's still obviously loyal to Monokuma rather than me...that means he's much less likely to be destroyed. On the other hand, Monokid...

_I can try and keep him at my side to make sure he stays safe, but that's only if he wants to stay with me and if Monokuma basically allows it._

"I'll let you handle it from here, students! But don't take too long investigating! Once I say it's time to gather at the trial grounds, I won't wait! If you so happen to dawdle getting there, I'll be sending an Exisal for you! I hope I make myself clear!" Monokuma exclaims, before grinning and waving a paw, specifically in my way for some reason. "Good luck! You're gonna _need _it!"

Monokuma bounds away with that farewell, leaving us to turn towards Monosuke to grab the monopads for investigating.

"There's only four Monokuma Files, so plan carefully!" Monosuke cackles, fanning them out for all of us to see.

Everyone begins looking around, eyes eventually beginning to gravitate towards Shuichi until Kaito stands and joins the nervous Ultimate Detective's side. Kaito pulls his hand back and then slaps it against Shuichi's back, making the teen stagger a bit before looking up.

"Okay, Shuichi! What do you propose in this case, considering it's our first time? I know this is gonna be tough, but...I trust you! And I know you've got the experience for this!" Kaito exclaims, prompting Shuichi to look towards him before steeling himself and taking a deep breath.

...

"Okay. So first and foremost, we need to look at the body, but...we should all get in groups, at _least _of two. There can only be one culprit, so if we have two people to watch each other, it ensures that the culprit can't tamper with any evidence or any parts of the crime scene," Shuichi states clearly, glancing Kirumi's way specifically with a calculative frown as he presses his thumb and index finger to his chin. "Considering we have one person that's already tried to commit murder, we need to prioritize getting a partner for Kirumi. Although we can't be sure one hundred percent that she's the blackened until we gather all the evidence, she's a prime suspect for this case regardless and we need her to be watched- whether she'll mess with the crime scene or whether she'll take the opportunity to kill Prairie."

I shiver at that note, even though I know it's true. It's necessary for him to say it so the others understand, but I just wish we weren't in a situation where he has to be so blunt about it. I don't like being reminded of what I had to go through just so I could survive Kirumi's murder attempt on my life.

"I'll partner with Kirumi."

My head whips around to look up at Rantaro, eyes narrowing as I turn and yank his arms off from around me. "What...? _Why?"_ I ask out loud, visibly upset by him electing himself to babysit a known threat. Rantaro wants to partner with _her? _She's obviously dangerous! He doesn't even like her because of what she tried to do to me!

"Because. I'll be able to make sure she won't come near you during the investigation. You _or_ anybody else," Rantaro answers with ease, only to let out a sigh when my scowl remains despite his short explanation. He reaches over and cups my cheek, giving it a gentle rub in an effort to ease my disapproval. "I'll be okay. Afterwards, we'll have our time together. I promise."

There's nothing I can say against that, even though I don't want him anywhere near Kirumi. He's got his mind set, and there's likely no changing it no matter how much I beg. As if sensing my discomfort with the matter though, Tenko clears her throat for both of our attention.

"If you're uncomfortable about it, Prairie...then I'll watch her with him! If she tries anything, there'll be two of us to watch each other's backs and watch the backs of the rest of you! That will put your mind at ease, right?" Tenko suggests, prompting my eyes to flick over to her. I relax just a bit, knowing Tenko isn't kidding when she means to fight someone. Still...

Considering this outcome, I turn to look at Kirumi and give her the most deadly look in my arsenal I can summon.

I mean it too. If anything happens to Rantaro _and/or _Tenko...I'll make her other eye match the one with stitches.

"Don't worry. Neither Tenko nor Rantaro are in any danger around me, so you can be rest assured I won't hurt them. As it stands...you are still my preferred target," Kirumi responds to my expression. I don't answer her, simply relocating beside Kokichi with an ever present scowl as Rantaro and Tenko walk over towards Kirumi with frowns of their own at her blunt admission. As soon as I'm in range, Kokichi takes the opportunity to link arms with me and lock his grip around mine so I'm unable to rip away from him when I try.

Casting the leech a dirty look, he simply sticks his tongue out my way and then grins brightly.

_Great. I hate everything about this accomodation._

"I'm not investigating," Maki clearly states, causing all eyes to fly her way with varying amounts of surprise. "I think the killer is obvious. Kirumi couldn't get to Prairie, so she killed Ryoma. End of story. I'm leaving."

She starts walking out of the lab, but pauses when Kiibo stops her with a garble of panic.

"Wait! I mean, sure it could be Kirumi, but don't you want to be completely sure?! This is all our _lives _on the line if we get it wrong!" Kiibo insists, prompting Maki to simply turn her head and stare at the robot. She doesn't look inclined to take his advice, even though I'm sensible enough to realize it can't be as clear cut as that.

And if it is...better safe than sorry.

"It's up to her, but I'll be happy to keep an eye on her in case she tries to tamper with any evidence," Korekiyo offers.

"Whatever," Maki responds, walking out of the room with Korekiyo following behind her with an elegant stride.

"Shuichi want Gonta to bring out Ryoma? Gonta can easily do," Gonta speaks up, prompting Shuichi to turn to the larger teen standing beside him with Kaito and Kiibo. "Will be very gentle, like gentleman."

"Oh, ah, yes please. Just be careful that you don't hit him against the side of the machine," Shuichi answers clearly getting to work and stepping back as Gonta moves to pull the body out from inside it.

Everyone else remaining gets into groups, leaving me with Kokichi since I'm literally attached to him against my will.

_He's way too clingy...! It was bad before, but it's like it got worse once he realized I was mad at him. How the heck do I get rid of him now?_

"Time to investigate! Let's go probe Ryoma's dead bo-" Kokichi begins, until I cut him off to say, "I'm going to develop the photos on my camera for Shuichi first. Go look with him or one of the others if you want to probe Ryoma then."

Kokichi pauses and turns to give me a blank look, right before shifting his expression into a grin and sliding his hand down my arm to link his fingers with mine before I can jerk my arm away in time.

"Okay~! If that's what you want, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi comments, ignoring my efforts to rip away from him. After a growl of disdain on my part as I give up, he follows as I hurry to the exit with him (unfortunately) in tow.

'What I want', huh? No, what I _want_ is for this leech to go pester someone else, but I'm doubtful about that happening.

"Hey, PRAIRIE!" Monokid calls out, making me pause and turn my head to look at the blue monokub hobbling after us. "If you're gonna develop photos, go to Classroom A! I'll set it up with the supplies and prep it up for ya in advance so you can get your work done!"

"Alright, thank you, Monokid" I say with a smile, pulling Kokichi along at a decent power walk as the blue bear bounds away to get to work ahead of us.

"You're so well mannered until you wanna beat someone up, hmm...?" Kokichi points out, hand still linked with mine even though I'm not holding his back. "Are you gonna tell me why you're mad, or are you forcing me to come up with the assumption myself?"

"I'm always mad at you, calm down, Kokichi," I state, prompting Kokichi to sigh in annoyance.

"That's a lie. You're always _annoyed _with me, not outright pissed. So then..." Kokichi pauses, grinning in my peripherals and pressing his finger to his chin in mock thoughtfulness. "I never thought you'd be jealous I was talking about another girl, but hey, it's a first for everything!"

I almost choke on my saliva at being found out so fast.

_"I'm not jealous of anything," _I snap with a little too much vehemence, enough that it's pretty obvious the opposite is true just from my defensiveness. My cheeks start to get warm and I try again after pulling my hair over my lower jaw, even though I know he's staring intently at my reaction with a wider grin. "I mean, I don't have anything to be jealous about anyways, so quit trying to embarrass me. I'm not interested in you no matter how much you try to force it."

"'Force' it? You think I'm trying to force something between us? I've said that I'm only messing with you before, but considering how worked up you are over me simply mentioning my girlfriend...I'm starting to think you're confusing my lies for reality!" Kokichi laughs, finally releasing my hand to rest his arms behind his head. "Well, _one _of my girlfriends."

_I don't believe him. Not only is he calling the bimbo a "girlfriend" now, but stating he has _ _ **multiple** _ _? More than one girl that's totally mental enough to want to be around him? I can barely resist the urge to break his nose even just being around him for a few minutes! ...No. No, I said I wouldn't let this be a problem while we're investigating a murder and preparing for a trial. He's gonna put me in a bad place if I don't solve this problem. Even if I am extremely pissed off over the fact he's accusing me of falling for him in some way...'cause that's technically what he's saying, isn't he? How else can his statement be perceived?_

"Can we please not do this _now? _We have a case to deal with, and you know? You're not the spotlight. So shut up," I remark sharply as we reach the classroom on the first floor. I turn the handle and open it up, a red light casted over the room with black curtains propped over all the visible windows to completely block out the light. Looks like Monokid got it all ready for us.

"Huh...? Didn't you say before you wouldn't be surprised if a lot of girls were in line wanting my attention? I know some boys too, don't worry. I won't discriminate against anyone pining after me...not even against Prairie Dogs~" Kokichi chuckles as he shuts the door behind us and I pull out my camera.

It's easy to crack open and pull the film out, which I mindlessly do as I prepare it for the process on a step-by-step list Monokid has left out for me to develop the photos properly. I don't exactly like being alone in a room with him again, especially one as hard to see in as this one is with the red light.

"You sure have a short memory, huh? I think I'm allowed to be pissed off at you and not tell you the reason- kind of like how you were pissed at me for some apparent reason when I woke up earlier..." I comment off-handedly, prompting a noise out of Kokichi.

"I was just grumpy cause you rudely woke me from my sweet dreams. I'm allowed to be angry if my sleep is disturbed!" Kokichi states, even though I can tell his excuse is a freaking lie as per usual.

"Right. Okay, if you wanna pretend like you were angry because I woke you up, fine. In that case, I'm angry because you stole my Bible. There, now we understand each other completely," I respond with a flat tone of voice, my hands moving on impulse to do what the list says as Kokichi breaks into a fit of laughter. My lip twitches a little hearing him laugh, but I suppress the flutter in my thorax to focus on the task at hand.

Things fall silent between us after that point as Kokichi helps to fill the three bins at the desks Monokid pushed together to make one long table, up until we have the photocopies all soaked and pinned to the line above.

"How long does this take to finish? It feels like it's been an eternity already...not that I mind when I'm with Prairie Dog," Kokichi teases, startling me when he runs a hand over the small of my back and to my side which makes me jump and jerk away from him with a squeak.

"I don't know?! Stop trying to flirt with me, you creep! If you're bored, go bother someone else!" I complain, causing Kokichi to sigh dramatically.

"I wooould, but I need to be around to make sure you don't try to destroy evidence! As innocent as you try to act, you technically could still be Ryoma's murderer...you could have murdered him right before you woke me up and I would have never known," Kokichi points out, to which I immediately refute with, "Oh? And how do I know you didn't freaking get up anytime before I 'rudely woke you up'? Stupid, neither of us actually have alibis and I'm almost sure the items missing in a few of the hotel rooms were used in this murder. Which means the two of us are..."

I purse my lips at the realization, falling silent as Kokichi starts to slowly chuckle in a rather...devious manner.

"That took a surprisingly long time for you to realize. Just because there was someone else in the hotel earlier doesn't mean either one of us are cleared of suspicion. I mean, of us three that were definitely in the hotel, only one of us is the murderer. Furthermore, we don't even know if that other person we ran into was totally conscious, considering the whole process of 'guests' and 'visitors' is still a totally unknown factor for us. If you're sure you're not the murderer, that puts suspicion on me...and if I'm sure I'm not the murderer, that puts suspicion on you-"

Now it's my turn to sputter with laughter for a moment, cutting Kokichi off and eventually giving him a look between my giggles.

"Kokichi...sometimes you're so dumb for being such a smart guy. _I'm_ one hundred and ten percent sure you're not the murderer. And with how long we've been in here I'm also sure you're the only one among us that wouldn't actually commit murder. There's literally nothing you can say to convince me otherwise or make me doubt you'd be braindead enough to murder Ryoma or anyone else," I manage to get out. I can't believe he's trying to insinuate something as dumb as that in the first place?

"...Are you really sure about that? Didn't you yourself once say everyone here is capable of murder with the proper accomodations?" Kokichi inquires curiously, an innocent look glued to his face like plastic.

"Yeah, sure, but...you're not like the rest of us. There's nothing here that could possibly accommodate youinto a situation where you'd want to murder someone- or even a situation where you'd be _forced _to. You don't actually care about anyone here enough, not even yourself, where you could be blackmailed or tricked into playing Monokuma's killing game," I respond, shrugging at his blank look in response to my words. "What? You know it's true, don't deny it now."

Kokichi is so silent that I almost think he's confirming it and has calmed down. All I can hear is the drip of fluid landing in the developer bins under the hanging photos we processed. Once again I've underestimated Kokichi though, and the longer the silence stretches, the more I realize I've gone and stepped on his toes. Even his blank expression looks almost manic now, just going by the red glint of the light shining off of his irises. The fact his face is only lit by the red hue of the room makes this feel all the more discomforting, but I just swallow the saliva in my mouth in preparation for whatever verbal whiplash I'm about to experience.

Well, I'm at least right that he's not normal. If he's angry, does that mean I hit the nail on the mark though? I can't really tell when it comes to Kokichi. He's about as closed off as I am an open book. The two of us are complete polar opposites in that regard.

"You don't know jack shit about me, so don't pretend you do," Kokichi finally speaks, smiling sweetly. "You will _never _know anything about me. Don't stick me on some pedestal just because I shower you with a little more attention than I do the others, 'cause you're not that special, Prairie. You shouldn't even be jealous over any stupid bimbo I decide I'm interested in, considering you specifically don't have a chance to begin with. In truth? I'd sooner off myself before I ever actually let a bitch like you anywhere near me in that sort of way."

I knew what was coming and yet even being mentally prepared isn't enough to stop his words from knocking all the air out of me in one fell swoop. My stomach twists uncomfortably and everything feels tight in my chest. He's always different when we're alone. He only ever snaps like this whenever nobody else is watching. If he hates me as much as _that, _why is he always following me around? He's right. I don't understand him.

And I don't understand why his otherwise obvious words cut so deep now that it's in my face.

_Don't tell me I'm actually this attached to him. This is stupid._

I turn away quietly and start unpinning the damp photographs from the line, slapping them over each other carelessly in my hand and walking to the door to leave. What can I even say to that? His words are so absolute in nature and I don't even know why it's so upsetting since he's such an annoying person to begin with. What the heck do I even like about him? I hardly know anything about Kokichi, apart from the fact he likes to lie, joke around at the expense of others, and that he has a nasty habit of only showing the worst aspects of his personality whenever the two of us are alone. Oh, and he's starting to enjoy calling me things like "dumbass" and "bitch". There's that too.

What's appealing about that? Absolutely nothing.

_Then why am I so upset?_

"Aaa, did I hit a nerve there...? So sorry, Prairie Dog! But I have to clear your head somehow so you aren't cooped up with all these weird thoughts~" Kokichi speaks up as he follows me out of the room. "Besides! It's better if you don't have such an obvious and blind crush on me, don't you think? I'm doing you a favor, you'll thank me later."

I pause and stop walking, taking a moment to think about that. He's doing a favor for me...

My chest relaxes and begins to bubble a little with amusement. It starts off as a rolling sensation specifically where my lungs rest, rising up to my throat into little giggles as tears begin to form at the corners of my eyes. That's...actually kind of funny. So he's saving me from having a blind crush on him? Heck, I guess it really is a blind crush- I can't even figure out why I myself like him.

_Hm...I guess that's me admitting I am attracted to Kokichi. For some weird reason..._

That thought is enough for my giggles to increase in intensity, me having to lean over and hold my stomach with the arm holding the photos to catch my breath and keep from letting myself fall over. After more tears of laughter escape my eyes, I set down the photos on the ground momentarily and straighten up to face Kokichi. He's got that plastic smile on again, although it looks a bit weird. He doesn't seem to understand what I've found so amusing, but doesn't say anything as I remove my left glove and put my right hand over his shoulder. My giggles have slowed enough for me to shake my head and smile at him with a genuine look of resignation.

"You know what, Kokichi? You're right. I do have a blind crush on you," I confess to him.

Kokichi blinks at me, seemingly loosening up his tense shoulders with an honest smile as I give his face a once over that doesn't seem to go unnoticed by him when he frowns in confusion.

I let out a small sigh.

And then my fist connects with his face like a jet missile.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.16 - Games With The Heart**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.12](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619137317592072192/string-theory-drv3-cover-v12-v12-316)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.11](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/613808931164258304/string-theory-drv3-cover-v11-v11-313)  

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[Repainted Prairie Splash Art](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619138941644423168/updated-repaint-of-the-splash-art-for-prairie)  

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	46. Intro to Investigations

❀ **_3.17 - Intro To Investigations_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

With the wet photographs at hand and spring to my step, I push open the door to the Ultimate Maid's lab and shove my left glove in my pocket along with my right glove. Kokichi follows me in, bursting into a flood of dramatic fake tears behind me as soon as we're among the others of our group. Truth be told, he took the punch a whole lot better than I thought he would. Sure, he wasn't exactly expecting it or anything, but he managed to stay upright once his head whipped back a bit from the initial impact.

The second punch though...that one really caught him off guard since it was much harder than the first curious punch. Still, my bloodlust could hardly be sated after those sharp and cruel words of his. The guy doesn't know how to let someone down easy, does he? Even if he _does _have every right to place his own boundaries, there was definitely a better way he could have said what he needed to say. It would have made it a lot less painful for him in the long run.

"P-Prairie Dog is a big_ bully!" _Kokichi sobs like a baby, even though moments before he'd been curled up in a ball on the floor with his hands over his face and a string of curse words flowing freely from his lips like a sailor. He's probably only doing this to make the others shun me now that he's in the safety of their presence.

..._"Safety"._ That's cute.

"You want another? 'Kay, here comes the freight train-" Unappreciative of his attempts to get me in trouble, I turn and barely allow a moment of hesitation as I launch my fist up against his lower jaw in an uppercut. My hard knuckles slam into his chin hard enough to snap his teeth together and halt his fake crocodile tears on the spot.

The leech must have actually thought I had a limit to how many punches I'd be willing to dish out...I'm sure he regrets opening his mouth again now. I'm still so enraged by our conversation, and seeing the teen half slumping against the door behind him until he's on the floor just isn't satisfying enough_._

One more wouldn't be so bad, right? For good luck.

I manage to punch him one more time right in the face so his head thumps back against the door with a force that makes him let out a boyish yelp. Unfortunately, a second later I'm lifted straight up off the ground by the back of my suit. I'm high enough that a guilty squeak is startled out of me in the process of looking back to see Kaito Momota with a dry expression. On the other hand, Rantaro ducks down from Kaito's other side to check on Kokichi in his dazed state, making a concerned frown as he tilts the shorter teen's head downwards to make sure I didn't do too much damage.

Considering the sound of his skull knocking against the door and echoing in the room...

...

Nah, he's fine. His skull is so thick he could survive a building landing on that melon, if going by how pig headed he can be with being such a know-it-all.

"Prairie, why the hell are you beating Kokichi up?" Kaito demands, up until Rantaro clicks his tongue and gently slaps Kokichi's cheek a few times to get his head out of the clouds. Once Kokichi seems to realize what's happening, he blinks a few times and lets the clearly annoyed Rantaro help him back up to his unsteady feet. A bit of a disoriented giggle escapes Kokichi despite the trauma to his face and head.

"We'll figure this out later, we don't have time right now. Have either of you two even done anything, or were you just horsing around?" Rantaro asks directly, looking from me to Kokichi and back.

"We developed crucial pictures...! As my cute rodent requested...my face hurts," Kokichi answers with a lazy but pleasant smile, trying to point my way and instead pointing in the complete opposite direction as I uncross my arms grumpily where Kaito is still dangling me by the back of my suit. Kokichi turns to where he's pointing when no one else looks that way, wobbling and then making a hum of confusion as he peers at the door and wall. "Hey...where'd Prairie Dog go...?"

_I think I like him better like this._

My slight giggling at Kokichi's perplexed query has Rantaro clearing his throat to shut me up, prompting me to look back at him. He's definitely annoyed with me...well, I don't mind so much right now. I have his attention and he's away from stupid Kirumi for a moment.

Plus, I got to punch Kokichi in the face four times and make him go stupid, so there's that I can contribute my good mood to as well.

"I need to talk to Shuichi," I state, hearing Kaito sigh and turn me a little so his magenta eyes can meet mine with a raised brow. He probably thinks I'm going to cause more trouble and make a scene again... "I promise I'm done with using Kokichi as a punching douche bag, I won't hit him again! I pinkie promise~!"

I hold up my pinkie with an endearing smile, which seems enough to get Kaito to set me down simply by being cute. He takes my pinkie, nodding in agreement with a big flashy smile of delight. "Okay, I'll hold you to that promise then, Prairie!"

Turning to peer towards Rantaro and Kokichi, I can see Kokichi is still swaying in place and looking in a completely different direction, using the green haired teen that is casting me a dubious gaze as a means to stay balanced. Clearly Rantaro isn't gullible enough to be convinced by a cute smile thrown his way, but he's obviously not going to say anything since we're on a time constraint by Monokuma.

"...pfft...punching douche bag..." Kaito mutters with a chuckle of amusement, prompting Rantaro to turn his way with a sharp look until Kaito peeters off into a cough and plasters a more chiding scowl on his face. "I mean, let's go take this to Shuichi then! No more foolin' around!"

I reach out and steal Kokichi's hand from Rantaro sheepishly, dragging the still dazed leech along and letting him stumble after Kaito and I. Rantaro on the other hand goes to rejoin Kirumi and Tenko from where he left them. Tenko looks pretty smug from where she is, flashing me two thumbs up of pride that she doesn't bother to hide from a less than approving Rantaro as he stops beside her. Poor Rantaro looks really tired...I'll make sure to behave at least for the duration of the investigation and trial so he's a little less stressed.

Upon joining him, Shuichi has laid out some random items to Ryoma's side, Gonta and Kiibo standing by him and the body watching intently.

_A pack of candy cigarettes, a monopad, what looks to be a piece of a ticket for a monomachine prize..._

"What's all this?" I ask, feeling Kokichi bump into my shoulder and cling to my hand as I pull him down to look at the items Shuichi is currently examining.

"Hm? Ah...some things I found in his pockets," Shuichi comments rather shortly, prompting my eyes to flick his way before I reach out and carefully pick up the damp ticket piece. It's still sorta floppy... "It got wet sometime and was ripped in his pocket, but it doesn't seem he has any other piece."

Leering at the ticket with Kokichi, I feel a spark of surprise when I see what the ticket is supposed to be exchanged for. It's cut off, but the barely legible ink spelling "tarine" makes it pretty obvious. In an instant, I can tell why Shuichi is suddenly hesitant with me around.

"Maybe he was planning on visiting me?" I suggest, shrugging at the way he seems caught off guard by me openly implicating myself. "Hey, I'd rather be implicated and proven innocent sooner than later."

"...Alright then," Shuichi responds helplessly, since...well, what can he say to that? Either way, he has more important things to focus on.

I feel Kokichi look my way, prompting me to turn my head. He looks a little grumpy now...but at least he's snapping out of it. He doesn't look like he's got anything to say in particular, observing my expression until I look back at the body curiously.

"Hey, uh...does his body look a little chubbier? Like in a saggy way? Or is it just me?" Kaito asks after a second, prompting me to cock my head to the side. Much to Kaito's and Kiibo's visible surprise, I reach out and poke one of Ryoma's cheeks curiously. Probably not the most respectful thing to do, but...evidence searching, right?

"Hmm...Ryoma maybe eat too much sweets? Not very gentlemanly. Too much sweets mean too much weights," Gonta suggests from beside Kiibo, clearly at a loss for how to investigate. The two are standing close to Ryoma's body, watching the rest of us examine the corpse. I can only imagine they've been placed here by Shuichi to make sure no one tampers with evidence on the body.

"Uhh...no. But Himiko might have had the right idea, if you ask me! Maybe someone chucked him in for a quick rinse cycle!" Kokichi says.

"I doubt it...there's no bruises or signs of him having gotten thrown about," Shuichi explains, visibly relaxing. "That's not really what we're looking for though. His death isn't ruled as a result of blunt force trauma, after all."

"Eh? Ruled?" I ask, looking up when Kiibo leans down to hand me one of the Monokuma File tablets and responds, "It's all right here, Prairie. The Monokuma File gives information on the victim as assistance since we ourselves aren't medical professionals."

"Ooo! Ooo! Lemme see too!" Kokichi orders, holding one side of the tablet and prompting me to make a sour face and reluctantly shift the file so we can both see it together.

The first part states the obvious, that being the victim's name, their height, weight, etc....I don't stay on that page long, quickly flicking to the next tab.

The second tab reads "situation", the page correlating to it starting off with text reading "cause of death". There's also a disturbing picture of Ryoma's corpse in the state Himiko and I found him, prompting me to recoil in disgust. To think Monokuma would go through the disrespectful trouble of photographing his dead body like this...that bear really is the most deplorable.

_Cause of Death:_

_The victim's body was discovered in the Ultimate Maid's Research Lab._

_The cause of death was blood loss._

"...That's it? Monokuma wasted his time making four entire tablets that only share one new piece of information? Couldn't he have just told us that?" I comment, scrolling down to see if there's maybe some more hidden info. Sadly, there isn't. "So blood loss then...if he died of blood loss, why isn't there blood _on _him? For that matter, where did he lose all the blood from?"

"Exactly. I've already looked at the body once and we went to examine other stuff to mull it over. Unfortunately, I'm still stumped, myself," Shuichi admits, visibly more relaxed in my presence even though I'm sure I'm still considered a prime suspect due to the ticket in his pocket. Hopefully my help will help to keep me from appearing too guilty of a crime I didn't commit...that's how this works, right? I'm not actually too sure...

Kokichi sighs beside me, releasing the tablet as I hand it back over to Kiibo. "Not even the Ultimate Detective can figure it out? Aah...what should we do now, snickerdoodlekins? Looks like we're in a bit of a bind~!" Kokichi bemoans, throwing an arm over my shoulder that instantly puts my mood into a dangerous state again.

Shuichi, Kiibo, and Gonta must sense the sudden chill in the air, the three looking like deer caught in headlights as I turn my head to smile sweetly at Kokichi. Kaito on the other hand seems to prepare himself for physical retaliation on my part.

"I don't know, but how do you feel about strictly liquid diets? 'Cause that's what the rest of your life's gonna look like once I send those pearly whites flying out of your filthy mouth," I chirp brightly with an innocent shrug and a sugary beam. "Remove your arm. **Or else**."

With a barely visible gulp on his part, one I'm sure only I notice since I'm close enough to hear it and see the subtle bob of his adams apple, Leech Face wisely removes his arm without a visible change to his current mask.

"Prairie..." Kaito is brave enough to speak first, prompting me to remind him, "I said I wouldn't punch him anymore, not that I wouldn't threaten him or do anything else."

He sighs and I return my focus to the body, examining Ryoma's clothing curiously to see if I can spot anything Shuichi may have missed. If I really need to, I can always use my intuition after scanning his whole body, but...I wanna reserve that for when it's truly necessary. Like during the trial if we hit a bind of sorts and need a boost to help us along.

_If blood _ _ **was** _ _ lost from the body, it was likely washed off or something and that's why the body's wet...but in that case, there has to be at least a few leftover splotches of blood stained, right? The problem is the fact Ryoma wears such dark clothes. If there's blood to prove the Monokuma File is trustworthy, we'll have less things to worry about. After all, what if the puddle by the vacuums is fake blood? I want to see a puncture wound somewhere, anywhere._

I pull up the back of Ryoma's leather jacket, hearing Kiibo make a noise of discomfort at how freely I examine the body with little restraint. Even Kokichi looks a bit disgruntled beside me, though he's hiding it pretty well that I might just be seeing things since I'm seeing it from my peripherals.

"A-Aren't you uncomfortable touching his dead body like that...?" The Ultimate Robot asks, his query startling all things considered. My expression must say as much, since Kiibo ducks back a little- that, or he's scared of me. I guess it could be both as well though.

"Of course I'm uncomfortable, but we don't exactly have a choice. If we aren't thorough, we could miss something and end up paying the price. I don't want to die. Do you?" I ask, earning a rapid head shake from the robot.

"Pfft. Prairie Dog, I don't think Kiiboy would know much about death. He could just be put back together like a build-a-bear if he's offed. I bet his maker even put one of those plush hearts inside him and everything! You know, the ones you have to do a whole dance with and kiss before it's closed up?" Kokichi comments, prompting Kiibo to snort and smirk.

"What? Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of my systems replaying the memory of Prairie punching you hard enough to leave a dent in the door," Kiibo answers, causing Kokichi to turn his head up towards Kiibo.

"Toaster oven reject."

"Anger management tool."

"...What build-a-bear? People making bears...like Monokuma? Is build-a-bear group that Small Prairie say kidnap us all?!" Gonta asks, suddenly fired up in rage.

I mean, even the name sounds pretty straightforward, though I guess the "bear" portion threw Gonta off. Still, it sounds really cute to make a whole teddy bear on your own and even put a little heart inside of it.

_You're getting distracted! Focus! You don't have time to listen to these two clowns!_

"Cut it out, we don't know when Monokuma's gonna pull the rug from under us with this trial shit," Kaito reminds the two, causing Kiibo and Kokichi to break eye contact with one another. He then turns his attention to fired up Gonta. "And no, build-a-bear didn't make Monokuma. And they likely aren't the people that locked us all here either. They're just a popular American plushie corporation."

"Oh, okay. That good then," Gonta agrees after Kaito explains.

"Well, pushing that aside and getting back to probing the body...it's a good thing we have two professional defilers here willing to dirty their hands!" Kokichi comments, once again making useless comments and wasting his breath as I open Ryoma's jacket to find some sort of fabric that isn't black. Like a tag on the clothes or something.

When I flip up the hem of Ryoma's jacket, I hum knowingly when I find subtle tints of blood on the white tags along with...a sort of faded pale cream colored smear?

_Okay, so blood and...? What's that other smear from?_

Kokichi tries to look, but I let go before he can see and ignore his grunt of annoyance as I instead flip the rest of his collar enough to reveal a similar pale cream tint that slightly covers the collar area of his jacket. At first glance, it almost looks like wear and tear of the jacket, but the rest of the jacket looks relatively new despite slight water damage. On top of that, the areas that the faux leather is detaching in patches doesn't look anything like the discolor at the collar.

"Shuichi, you see that, right?" I ask, prompting Shuichi to lean in closer. His movement as I point out the discoloration is followed closely by the other three in an almost comical manner, eager to see the discovery.

"..." Shuichi doesn't answer, instead, tilting Ryoma's head back so he can better see his neck. Without a moment's hesitation, I reach out and touch the neck area curiously until I realize it feels a little...different than the rest of his skin. Pulling my fingers back and looking at them, I realize the pale color has lightly transferred to my skin as well. "I think it's make-up."

"What? Why is there makeup on his neck? Is he hiding hickies or something?" Kaito ponders, watching as I remove my left sleeve and wrap it around my still ungloved left hand.

"Sorry, Ryoma," I apologize before reaching over and rubbing at his neck thoroughly enough that Kiibo grunts again. Eventually, I pull back...and we all stare at the peeled segment of makeup. It's a sort of body paint that seems like it can be layered over itself several times, since underneath the flaking dry flap is a cut about two inches wide, choppy and messy despite the stitches keeping it closed tightly.

"Huh...Gonta see same thing at Ryoma's feet," Gonta comments, crouching down to gesture. I hand him my now dirty sleeve and he starts rubbing at both Ryoma's ankles, up until we can see similar stitches behind both of them. They're actually still a bit...for lack of a better word, "juicy", with small globules of blood forming from Gonta's dry scrubbing.

"Okay, so we confirmed the Monokuma File isn't total bullshit. Now what?" Kokichi asks, looking from me to Shuichi and back like he's lost. Honestly, the idiot is probably making a million connections in his head right now. He's certainly not as dumb as he looks.

"According to the murder mystery novels I've studied in the past, I believe the next step is to find the murder weapon-" Kiibo explains, just as we hear Tenko's voice call out, "Hey, look! We found a knife!"

"You did?" I call back intrigued, jumping to my feet and ditching Kokichi as he scrambles to get up when my movement pushes him backwards so he loses his balance. "Lemme see."

"Wait, _Prairie-!"_ I hear Rantaro shout from somewhere, making me stop dead in my tracks and turn to find him.

Instead I turn to see a knife flying towards me in a swing, prompting me to drop down in a duck as it whisks past me overhead and ultimately misses me. As soon as it does, my temper sparks and I plant my hands on the ground to steady myself. With little thought, I don't hesitate to lift my dominant leg and kick Kirumi right in her ribs, the move making her stumble back into the arms of a visibly infuriated Tenko. Her arms snap Kirumi into an arm lock, prompting the Ultimate Maid to grunt at the position she's forced in.

_Shoot, that was close! I really need to be more aware of my surroundings, what if she actually managed to get me? That would have hit my face directly._

Rantaro is already at my side before I push up on my feet, helping up with a sigh of relief and giving me a once over to make sure I'm not hurt anywhere.

"Thank god you have fast reflexes," I hear him comment, lifting my arms and examining me a little more closely than I would like. Those mother hen instincts are starting to get a bit intrusive again...

"Sorry..." I apologize despite my discomfort, slightly pulling away from him so he instead looks over my back. While he's busy, I turn my gaze to focus on Kirumi and Tenko, the Ultimate Aikido Master currently trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Drop the knife, _now!"_ Tenko snarls, adding more pressure as she squeezes Kirumi's detained arms harder. Kirumi is trembling a little from trying to break free of Tenko's grip, but after a moment of prolonged tension in the air as we wait to see what happens next, Kirumi finally drops the knife and Tenko mercifully loosens her grip. She doesn't release her entirely though, allowing Rantaro to snatch up the knife where she no longer has access to it.

"That could have ended really badly, thanks, Tenko," Kaito says with a breath of relief, just as I feel Rantaro take hold of my ankle to lift it back.

"What happened here?" Rantaro urges my attention back on him, prompting me to look back and open my mouth to respond honestly.

"Nishishi! Clumsy Prairie Dog was rough-housing with me and she ended up hurting herself. I cleaned it and sewed it up, but it might need some extra attention once we finish the trial. She didn't really take care of it," Kokichi speaks before I can, appearing beside me with a bright smile.

...

_Okay. Not sure what that's about, but as far as I'm concerned, I meant what I said. I know Kokichi isn't a killer and I know he's not stupid enough to murder anyone. He can't be the culprit, plain and simple. Since I'm curious, I'll bite on this little lie and see where he leads us based on it._

_On that note...I might keep the photographs from Shuichi a bit until we get to the trial and stuff. Hopefully Kaito and Rantaro don't bring it up early, considering Kokichi mentioned we were developing pictures like a total idiot when we came back in. We should let everyone else chase the fact that the murder might have happened __**outside**_ _of the hotel first and see if someone trips up._

"Kokichi's a jerk," I state in confirmation to his lie, the wet photographs I've got tucked in the lower gap of my suit feeling all the more prominent with my dismissal of it. Hopefully this choice doesn't come back to bite me in the butt, but...it likely will.

I guess I'm fine with that though.

Rantaro frowns, looking from me to Kokichi and back until I have to turn away because I feel my cheeks starting to tint red with my lie. Am I getting better at lying? I don't know. I feel awful lying to Rantaro, especially since he seems to have this ability to see straight through me. We're supposed to be recovering our relationship, not cracking it more and more. Even if my lie _is _simply for figuring out who the culprit is...I can tell it's not helping our case.

"We'll deal with Prairie Dog later, we have an investigation to focus on, Runturdo!" Kokichi huffs, suddenly snapping his arm out and snatching the survival knife from Rantaro's hand swiftly. When Rantaro realizes what's happened, Kokichi starts to walk around me, giving it a look and dodging Rantaro's attempts to get it back. "So this is the knife you guys found in team murder-sitter, huh? Nice, nice...very sharp. This would have _definitely _killed poor Prairie Dog!"

"Kokichi, what do you think you're doing?" Rantaro demands, before Kokichi takes my ungloved hand and slaps the handle in my palm with a grin. Hmm...this knife looks kind of like my-

"This looks like _your _knife, Prairie Dog!" Kokichi announces out loud, not bothering to lower his voice.

My heart actually clenches when I realize what he's gone and done, prompting almost all eyes around the room to turn our way collectively. They all heard him, that's for sure.

_What is he trying to achieve by pitting everyone's suspicion on me? Is this retaliation for beating him up, or does he have a legitimate plan?_

..._Should I follow his directive?_

"So it does," I answer despite the feeling of alarm growing in my gut. It's not a new feeling, most of the people here have always thought I was suspicious anyways. Back in the beginning when I hinted I knew things they didn't, and then again when Maki brought up reasons why I could be the mastermind.

It doesn't make the feeling any less painful though. I don't like being constantly reminded that the killing game stops relationships from fully flourishing. There's always that hint of suspicion behind everyone's friendly gaze...

"...Um...but I don't think Prairie's related to any of this. I mean, she locked herself in Hotel Kumasutra because she was afraid of Kirumi attacking her again," Kiibo explains beside the body with Gonta, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"How do you know she didn't leave once or twice? She could have snuck out to get business done..." Kokichi points out, fanning the flames and looking back at me with a casual smile. "Right, Prairie Dog?"

This time I don't say anything, closing my hand around the handle of the knife and pulling my wrist out of his hold. I don't want to deal with his crap now. He can say whatever he wants- I'll let the evidence and logic do the talking during the class trial.

Diverting my focus from Kokichi, I examine the knife a little and turn it a few times while the eyes around the room study me and create suspicions of each their own. The blade itself has dried blood coating along both the smoothed end near the handle and the serrated tip. Going by the cuts we saw, I'm guessing the culprit must have used the serrated area at the neck since the sewn gash is a bit messy and choppy. The ankles though...likely used by the flat end of the blade considering how cleanly cut they were.

_On that note...wouldn't the cleanliness of the cuts at his ankles also mean those were cut postmortem? I might have to ask Shuichi during the trial. It could point to the cut at his neck being the killing blow._

I'm just finished peering at the blood on the knife when Shuichi comes up to my side to look as well. I hand it over to him at the notice of his presence, earning a thankful nod for my consideration.

_I'm obviously being framed and maybe Kirumi is too, but I won't strike her from the suspect list too early._

"If we find the killer, you can even throw the knife at them like you threw it at me! Remember? Like how you did after Ka-yay-day died?" Kokichi pushes much to my irritation. How do I turn the leech off? Is there a mute button somewhere?

"You threw _what _at Kokichi?" Rantaro turns his attention to me now, snapping me out of my thoughts so I face him defensively. He looks horrified by Kokichi's statement, but I quickly hold up my hands to try and calm him.

"H-Hey, you're just gonna believe himlike _that? _The well-known pathological liar?" I ask, trying to look as small and innocent as possible. Going by Rantaro's growing scowl, I don't think it's working yet, so I pout in defiance and turn away from him. There's no way I'm getting chewed out for something that happened a while ago.

Rantaro sighs irritably, promptly followed by Shuichi and Kiibo sharing a concerned look beside us. Those two seem the most keen to have me and Rantaro make nice, but...jeez, how am I supposed to do that when he's still obviously being overbearing? I want to get along too, but he's making it really difficult! I can't be the only one that puts in the effort!

"Nyahaha~! You think this is useful, Shuichi? Atua told me it's strange that it's here," Angie cheerfully comments, skipping up to us with the She-Bovine, Moo-gi the Booger. Angie has a small white glass bottle in her hands, presenting it to Shuichi who opens it up to examine the contents. He looks much less anxious and shy now, completely in the zone of the investigation. Shuichi really is the Ultimate Detective, isn't he?

Behind the two girls is Himiko who drags her feet a few steps behind them, only just then catching up to them as she eventually comes to a stop and seems to root herself into the ground much like a tree.

"You both have too much energy for what's going on..." Himiko comments, averting her gaze from where Ryoma's body lays so she doesn't have to look at him. Eventually, her eyes land on the washing machine next to the one Gonta extracted Ryoma from and she begins to fiddle absentmindedly with her clothes. "Nyeh...Prairie, should we consider _everything _evidence? Like that bucket in the other machine?"

"What bucket?" Shuichi inquires seriously, tucking the knife Tenko found in a small bag handed to him by Kaito and then pocketing it as evidence for later along with the glass bottle Angie handed him. I jump on over to the washing machine in question and open it up, the metal mop bucket Himiko and I had seen from before still sitting there, overflowing with that large white fabric. As soon as I have that door open, the overpowering smell of bleach hits me enough to hold my breath as I carry the heavy thing out.

I set it down beside the group, Shuichi joining me and pulling on a pair of latex gloves from out of nowhere. Before I can ask where he got them, I feel a tap at my leg and look down to see Monokid waving a set with a flashy grin.

Smiling back even though I'm in the presence of the other students, I politely thank Monokid as I take them from him and slip them on my hands. Let them think what they want, I'm not going to just dismiss Monokid like he doesn't matter to me.

"Okay, lets see if any of this is useful..." Shuichi breathes, waving a hand in front of his face with a small cough. "That's...definitely bleach though."

"Hey, um...what if someone's unmentionables are in there? Is it really necessary to go through it? We could be invading someone's privacy..." The cow goes moo hesitantly, prompting my mouth to open before Shuichi or the others can say something.

"It's fine, we need to be thorough. This is the crime scene. If someone's undies are in there and they're worried about them being seen, they need to get their priorities straight," I answer curtly, not even sparing her a glance as I reach in. Although he's confused by the edge of hostility in my tone of voice, Shuichi hurries to grab the fabric in the bucket as well when he sees me get into action.

"Aaa...that smell is offensive to Atua," Angie comments, plugging her nose despite her cheery smile. Himiko does the same, shrinking back a little as Shuichi and I move to set it on the ground.

"...You may let go of me now, Tenko," I hear Kirumi comment after quite a while of Tenko continuously restraining her behind the rest of the group, followed closely by Tenko snorting in amusement. Considering I can't see them behind everyone's forms, I'm guessing that's a "no" from Tenko.

"Looks like it's just a faded white blanket," Kaito comments, peering closely at it with the others. There's actually a vague diamond shape print on it, but it's hard to see unless you squint. I know exactly what this is.

_Alright, I think we've gotten more or less what we've been looking for...but we're still missing something, aren't we?_

It hadn't occurred to me until then, but...it kind of looks like our formation has dissolved quite a bit. I look to Kiibo and Gonta curiously, blinking a little until the robot notices.

"I'm sorry, is there something you need, Prairie?" Kiibo asks, prompting me to smile awkwardly.

"Yeah...aren't you and Gonta supposed to be watching a body?" I ask, prompting his eyes to widen and Gonta to gasp a little.

"Gonta sorry!" Gonta yelps, hurrying back to the station with Kiibo. Kokichi snickers, skipping over to my side and bumping his hip into mine lightly.

"Hi, there, boss lady!" He chirps with a smile, earning a silent half-snarl from me as a result. Is he trying to win back points or something for being a total jerk to me? It's not working. I still despise him.

"I hate you," I respond, turning back to the bucket where I see Shuichi pulling something else out from the shallow liquid bleach. It's a red rope, and I know exactly where it came from. Likely, Shuichi also knows where it came from...which doesn't really bode well for me considering it's looking more and more like I'm being framed more than Kirumi is.

"Nice," Kokichi states, just as we hear the school bell go off. It echoes in the halls and the research lab like a foreboding dull echo, reminding us we may very well be headed to our demise.

Our heads turn to look at the announcement monitor inside the lab, all of us watching the screen flicker on.

_"Ahem. This investigation has gone on long enough, it's rather boring at this point! Oh boy, this is exciting! I'm so very glad we get to do this for the first time together...aaa, it makes my non-existent blood hot!"_

This is our last chance to find evidence and everyone's focused on the monitor...I don't have to watch that stupid thing to know only garbage comes out of that bear's mouth. Is there anything else we missed?

I turn away as Monokuma runs his mouth, eyes quickly scanning the areas of the lab we haven't yet looked at. Even Shuichi has decided to ignore the monitor when he sees me glancing around, removing his gloves and joining my side. Kokichi looks towards us, but just offers us a plastic smile and refocuses on the monitor. I guess that means we won't have to worry about him.

"Let's keep looking," Shuichi says to me, making me nod and walk back over towards the washing machines to start going through them to make sure we've found all the evidence we could. "Prairie, about this case...I-"

"I know everything looks bad for me. It doesn't matter, don't hold back with your deductions or we aren't friends. Even if you have to suspect me, that's fine. I'll do my best to defend myself so we can all get out of this safely," I reassure him, removing my gloves and opening one of the lower machines as we keep our voices hushed from the others.

Shuichi looks relieved by my words. I guess he's more concerned about suspecting the others and myself more than I thought...

"You can do this, don't worry," I remind him, watching as he pauses to swallow thickly. He seems a little intimidated by the thought, but eventually straightens himself up and blows out a breath. He'll be fine...it's the rest of us we need to worry about.

_"I guess there's no making investigations entertaining either way, it's simply what's necessary to get to the juicy portion of the killing game. Sorta like how the internet is just the necessary stage for watching nothing but erotic videos!"_

"What a disgusting bear..." Tsumugi interjects, sounding rather bitter. She's really a good actress, that's for sure...it's hard to believe someone would be compelled enough to walk around in their own killing game though. Isn't she worried she could be killed herself?

_Later when this trial is over, I'm going to have to figure out a way to expose her...there's no way I'm content letting her waltz around without everyone being fully aware of her status._

I'm opening one of the top rows of washers when I notice something out of place above the machine. It looks like something metallic. Chances are it's the other evidence missing from the hotel rooms...

_"That being said...it's time for the school trial you've _ _ **all ** _ _been waiting for! Everyone please gather around the 'Altar of Judgement' in the courtyard garden! Puhuhu~! See you schmucks there!"_

I stand on the bottom washing machine rim and climb up a little, reaching for the metallic object and just barely grazing the top edge of the washer with my fingertips. It's kind of high for me...I'm gonna need to stand on the second level washing machine if I want to reach it.

Just as I'm about to climb higher, I feel arms wrap around me and lift me up, glancing down to see Shuichi. With that, I look back up and quickly stretch my arms to pull out what I see are the familiar chains I'd noticed missing from my old hotel room. The culprit clearly shoved them up there since hardly any of us are bound to look up for evidence.

As I'm grabbing them, one slides off the side and falls straight on Shuichi's head, prompting him to yelp and lose his balance enough that we both fall back in a pile with the chains landing on the two of us. I squeak upon the feeling of gravity pulling me down, but relax and sit up once I realize Shuichi has broken my fall rather nicely. Sitting on his stomach and pushing away the chains that have decided to land on his head and face, I almost start laughing at his expression until I see he's got a bit of blood on his forehead, just between his eyebrows.

"Uh-oh," I comment as he sits up, scooting back to sit next to him and the chains.

"Hey, are you two okay?" Rantaro is quick to get to us, but much to my quiet annoyance he first examines me before looking towards Shuichi and seeing the obvious blood on his face.

"What?" Shuichi asks, only to seemingly lose interest in whatever answer he'll get from us since he looks down at the chains between the three of us. Following his gaze, I can see the chains have bloody smears on a few places...which means the blood on Shuichi's face might not actually be his own. I'm proven right when Rantaro reaches over to wipe the blood from his forehead, making it flake off pretty easily. It's dried blood.

"We're out of time, let's go," Rantaro reminds us, taking my hand and pulling me up with him as Kaito comes by and helps yank Shuichi to his feet. I only yank my hands back once I'm able to stand on my own, turning away from Rantaro in disdain. I can hear him grunt in aggravation behind me, but still refuse to turn and face him.

"Alright! Don't worry, guys, we'll get through this together!" Kaito says, turning to the rest of the group.

"Will we...?" Himiko ponders, eyes downcast to her shoes until Kokichi elbows her ribs lightly. When she looks up at him, she almost appears hopeful.

"Probably not! This is a pretty hard case to piece together, so might as well pray to whatever god you worship that our executions will be swift and merciful!" Kokichi chirps, much to Himiko's visible disdain.

"...Prairie was right to punch you in the face..." She grumbles, stepping further away from him...only for Kokichi to reclaim the space much like he does to me.

And for some reason I feel a boiling sensation erupting in my stomach again at the sight. Am I jealous that he's doing to Himiko what he's only ever done to me? Yeah. Why's that? I _still_ don't freaking know. It's not like I enjoy him getting on my nerves...do I?

"Prairie, are you okay?" Rantaro asks after a moment, snapping me out of my thoughts long enough to see that the group is starting to leave the lab, leaving only Kaito, Shuichi, and Rantaro looking back at me. Rantaro looks a bit concerned at first, but once our eyes meet his shoulders seem to drop slightly and his eyes slit into leers at the foul look I shoot his way in particular.

"I'm fine," I lie and scurry past them so I don't have to answer any questions. Once I reach Kiibo and Gonta's side, I slow to a walk and relax beside them. We have other things to worry about, but I'm over here still frustrated at Rantaro for being overbearing and frustrated with Kokichi for being stuck in my head. Ignoring it is easier said than done, considering I missed Rantaro so much that separating from him hurts and for the fact that I've somehow developed a stupid crush on Kokichi not at all based on his qualities as an awful person.

_Boys suck. I'm hanging out with Tenko and Himiko for the rest of the killing game._

"Prairie, are you okay?" Kiibo inquires beside me, prompting my gaze to fall on him. That's the second time someone's asking me that...

"Why? Do I not look okay?" I ask him in response with a raised eyebrow. The Ultimate Robot shrugs a little, cyan eyes sympathetic.

"You look a little upset is all. Though I figure considering the situation, we're all likely feeling a bit upset right now..." Kiibo observes, resting his chin on his hand thoughtfully. "I do think we did the best we could as far as the investigation goes. Hopefully we'll be able to pull through during the trial. After all, we do have the Ultimate Detective on our side, even if he is rather modest about his skills."

I'm not sure when I started feeling so nervous about the trial, but Kiibo's words are enough to relax me a little and he seems to realize this when he glances back at me. On impulse, I link my arm with his and smile up at him to his visible surprise.

"I feel better," I respond, happy to see his expression turn to slight awe.

"Ah! That's good! If you ever need help, I'm always happy to offer an ear," he claims, letting me cling to him like I usually cling to Rantaro.

_Don't be scared. Think logically. There's no way Monokuma would let us all die during the first trial if we have a crowd to please. That would be disappointing and much too fast for something that seems as expensive as this. We're going to get through this one way or another- whether Shuichi leads us to the truth or Monokuma is forced to help...heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Tsumugi jumps in herself._

Before I know it, we've all reached the caged garden's Shrine of Judgement, and the mood of the group becomes stuffy with anxiety. I'm glad Kiibo could reassure me and drag me out of my own thoughts though, or I'd have forgotten to use my head.

I might be one of the few here now entirely confident that we'll get through this.

"Where the heck did that statue come from?" Tenko is first to ask, hand gripped tightly around Kirumi's to keep her at the opposite end of the group from where I am. Glancing Kirumi's way curiously, it's no surprise she's staring straight at me. Clearly she still wants to murder me. As for the statue Tenko is talking about...

"Neeheehee! It's a burly Monokuma! Hey, hey, Prairie Dog, does that do it for you? You gonna faint?" Kokichi laughs, suddenly appearing beside me so I have to scurry around Kiibo's side to hide from him. Kokichi has the gall to make a fake expression of despair by my actions. "Y-You're replacing me with the refrigerator magnet...?"

"Who are you calling a refrigerator magnet?! You really need to deal with your robophobia, it's getting ridiculous! It's no wonder Prairie doesn't want anything to do with you!" Kiibo retorts.

"Atua tells me...Kokichi might be jealous!" Angie suddenly pipes up, causing Kokichi to suddenly burst into crocodile tears.

"I am! I'm SO upset! WAAAHHH! How could she choose the broken egg timer over someone as cute as me?! She told me I was handsome, clever, and charismatic! Was it all just a LIE?!" Kokichi sobs out loud, ignoring everyone's dry stare leveled on him.

"You're pathetic, Kokichi," I huff from behind Kiibo.

He stops crying immediately, pressing a finger to his cheek to play dumb and stare at me. "Then why do you have a crush on me?"

So that's how he wants to play? Embarrassing me in front of everyone here? Nah. I'm not listening to him anymore.

I simply roll my eyes and turn away from him so I don't vomit in my mouth. If he's trying to make me stop having a crush on him, it's working.

...I think.

"P-Prairie, you have a crush on _him...?" _Himiko is the first to speak up in horror at Kokichi's words, followed closely by Tenko's abject vocalization of disgust. "N-No! No way she does! I can understand a crush on Rantaro because he's at least one of the nicer menaces, but a crush on _this degenerate male??!"_

"He's probably plainly lying..." Tsu-moo-gi interjects, placing a hand on Tenko's shoulder that makes my temper spike a little when I see it. That traitor cow is more of a degenerate than any guy in our ranks... "By the way, where are Maki and Korekiyo anyways?"

At that point, Maki and Korekiyo push open the door and walk into the garden, prompting all of us to turn our heads. The two observe the group, Maki immediately crossing her arms and pushing one of her twin tails behind her back with a dry look.

"Let me guess- you guys still haven't found the culprit? Figures," Maki comments, prompting Angie to hum in delight.

"Are you sure you should be speaking like that? You did not bother to help us with the investigation...maybe perhaps..." Angie perks up, grinning brightly and winking Maki's way. "Because you are in fact the culprit! After all, why would the culprit want to solve their own murder mystery? You even managed to drag another of us away since each of us were required to be in pairs! My divine link to Atua tells me you possess more guilt than the rest of us!"

"Neeheehee! Oh really, Angie? Because _my_ intuition is telling me Prairie Dog is guilty~!" Kokichi comments in a sing-song voice. It doesn't look like he's at all prepared to drop the fact I'm suspicious in this case at all- even if he'll end up holding the same amount of suspicion as me once we mention our discoveries in the hotel.

"...Considering the topic, are we expected to discuss and argue out here in that case? It seems odd we would be expected to hold a trial out here in the open," Korekiyo speaks up, chuckling a little. "This seems rather cheap considering the scale of everything else. After all, feast your eyes on that ridiculous statue over there..."

"Ah, no, there's an elevator here. Kirumi and I can confirm that...but I don't exactly remember where it is. I guess that's what we're waiting for..." I speak up, prompting all eyes to suddenly turn towards both myself and Kirumi. It isn't until I notice the edge of nervous accusation in their gazes that I realize why they're staring at me like that.

_Did Shuichi forget to tell them where I went during the three days I was missing from the Killing Game?_

"...I told Shuichi when he visited me," I add, feeling their gazes ease up enough for me to relax as well when Shuichi helpfully gives a thumbs up to confirm. Even Tenko seems to let out a breath of relief from where she still has her hand wrapped around Kirumi's wrist.

"That elevator she speaks of would be right at the back behind the waterfall," Kirumi also states, causing Tenko's head to snap in her direction.

"Wait, why are you helping clear her from further suspicion if you want to kill her?" Tenko questions in obvious confusion. Kirumi quietly turns her head to look at her, the sewed up skin under her eye all the more prominent in the fake daylight.

"I am not the culprit. The only person I desire to kill is Prairie in order to take advantage of the golden target and keep the majority alive. It would be irresponsible of me to kill anybody else...as such, it would also be irresponsible of me to let Prairie die by any other way than by my own hand," Kirumi explains in such a matter-of-fact way that I almost question whether she harbors any of the same empathetic kindness she had shown me prior to her second attempt to murder me. Was she lying during those times? Does she really have that foul of a moral compass?

"You're sick, you know that," Rantaro says to her more than asks, though this time he doesn't bother to walk over towards me. I guess I pissed him off enough that he doesn't want to deal with me again...

_Whatever...I don't care anymore. Nothing I do will ever satisfy this jerk, unless I let him lock me up in a castle tower or something. I'm too tired for this mess. Maybe I really am the one in the wrong? I don't even know what I actually want from Rantaro anymore. Can I not have respect and trust from him without him wanting to radically shelter me? Is that not realistic to expect out of him?_

"Aw, Rantaro...did you somehow break Prairie Dog again? You're such a closet asshole," Kokichi snickers as I step away from Kiibo and stare at the ground to try and get a hold on my spiraling emotions. Feeling like this and then jumping into a class trial...will I even be useful in any conversation other than showing the pictures I took in the hotel to Shuichi? What the heck is Kokichi bothering to use me for...?

Before anyone can add anything else to the conversation, The ground starts to shake a little, prompting me to hold on to Kiibo to keep my balance as water in the fountain sprays every which way from the movement. I nearly fall back into the fountain when my grip slides from Kiibo's arm, prompting Rantaro to finally decide he's gonna help me at that point. He races over to me and catches me by my arm to pull me back, steadying me on my feet as the shaking eventually comes to a slow rolling stop.

_Did Kokichi's words make him move out of embarrassment? Or is he helping me because he actually feels bad for being overbearing?_

It's reasons like those that are making me confused, on top of the fact that I still can't control my anger and that I can hardly tell when I'm the one in the wrong until I've calmed down.

Turning my head, the waterfall at the back wall fountain has split open, along with the disappearance of the Monokuma statue holding a water vase I didn't notice disappearing since I was trying not to fall over. I guess I could thank Rantaro for saving me from being soaked during a class trial, but...

The shaking stops and we're all left staring at the elevator, a majority of us debating whether to enter it or not. This is our first trial- but not our first murder incident. Is it going to be difficult? What if there are actual repercussions to the trial that are unstated? Like...if we aren't entertaining or interesting enough?

"That looks scary...you really rode that before, Prairie?" Himiko shivers looking at the elevator, even taking a step back from it's direction as a path forms above the water to create a bridge. The technology is really advanced in this place, isn't it? "I don't wanna go in there..."

Nobody moves first, so Maki just sighs and steps in ahead of everyone. Following her suit, Rantaro tightens his grip around my hand and pulls me along. It's not tight enough that it would hurt me or even stop me from yanking my hand from his hold if I wanted to. That being said, I simply follow along behind him wordlessly and bite my tongue from saying anything.

"Let's go, Prairie," Rantaro just comments, allowing us to pass everyone and eventually cross over the little bridge into the elevator. It's much cooler inside there than it is outside in the fake outdoors, enough to relax me a little with the walking radiator that is Rantaro Amami beside me.

"We got this!" Kaito shouts, following us in with Shuichi, Tenko, and Kirumi next. Eventually the rest of us follow, and we all settle in the elevator. There's space for all of us, but even then it's a bit cramped despite the space. After all, it's fourteen people shoved in one elevator together...in fact, it's not even chilly anymore once we're all packed in with each other.

Rantaro has maneuvered me to the back and eventually settles against the caged wall of the elevator with me in tow. At first, I'm only annoyed by the continued pattern of his protective behavior when he wraps his arms around me, struggling to will myself not to explode at him even though I kind of want to. Moments after, I stiffen up a little when I hear his voice murmur by my ear.

"Can we talk a little?" He asks lowly, enough that I'm sure no one else can hear.

I consider his query carefully. I can shut him down now and keep blocking any attempts at communication with him, but...I still miss him. And even as close as he is right now, we aren't any closer than we are when we first met as strangers looking out for one another. If we don't try to patch our friendship now, we'll continue to be incompatible as friends altogether.

I don't want that.

"Okay," I respond, feeling his arms relax around me substantially. I guess he thought I'd refuse and leave it at that. Besides just accepting though, I continue to speak. "I'm sorry I'm always being a brat."

"You're not a brat. When I said that, it was wrong and immature of me. You have every right to be upset with me, even now. I'm sorry I've been so overbearing and I'm sorry I almost fell back into the habit of scolding you again right now," Rantaro apologizes, hugging me tighter. "I'm sorry I'm like this. We don't have much time to talk, but I'll do better. I promise. I know you're capable of taking care of yourself and I don't need to breathe over your shoulder or anything. It's...a bad habit."

I turn in his arms, pushing them off of me so I can face him and get on my tiptoes to also speak quietly in his ear. He has to lean down a little due to my height, of course.

"I still think I've been a brat regardless of whether you confirm it or not. I know I can't control my temper and I do want to fix it. There's times to get mad, sure, but I get mad for the smallest of reasons. I don't like being mad, it feels horrible. And I always feel guilty when I get mad at others during times when I'm definitely the one in the wrong," I explain honestly, pausing when I hear the others in the elevator make small comments. They pass straight through my ear, as if blocked out of a little invisible bubble around Rantaro and I. It's comforting being around him and not wanting to be passive aggressive or outright aggressive with him. I missed this. "It's also a bad habit of mine."

Rantaro nods in quiet understanding and I turn away again, pulling his arms around me once more to get comfortable before we hit a full stop. The elevator has been plummeting downwards for much longer than I expected, though I can't make a comparison to how it felt when I had passed out with Monosuke coming back up from the depths of the underground. Are we going to the same place? Or a different floor altogether? How many floors _are_ there exactly?

"Let's make a compromise. When we get out of this trial, we'll spend time together to figure out how we can both work on our faults. Does that sound okay?" He asks, moving his hand to brush some of my hair behind my ear and stopping immediately when he seems to realize what he's doing. Before he can move his hand back, I reach up and direct his fingers to tuck the lock of hair behind my ear properly. Turning my head back to look up at him, I offer a small smile.

"I'm okay with that."

The elevator comes to a stop and a bell dings, signaling our arrival.

Whatever happens...at least I have one less thing to worry about and one more thing to look forward to. We're going to survive this for sure...

And hopefully, our relationships with the others will survive too.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.17 - Intro to Investigations**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Le Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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[Repainted Prairie Splash Art](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619138941644423168/updated-repaint-of-the-splash-art-for-prairie)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.12](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619137317592072192/string-theory-drv3-cover-v12-v12-316)  

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> [Prairie’s Straightened Hair](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619755999251791872/straight-hair)  

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	47. Into the Trial Grounds

❀ **_3.18 - Into the Trial Grounds_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_We're going to be okay. Everything's fine. We just need to solve this murder mystery in a way that's interesting enough for the people watching us._

Rantaro moves his arms from around me in seeming reluctance at the sound of our arrival. The lights in the elevator gradually dim, enough to make me nervous at the fact the doors haven't opened up. My hand is still linked with Rantaro's, the only thing keeping me grounded so I don't feel so creeped out by the atmosphere.

"Ready, Prairie?" Rantaro asks, turning towards me with a grim expression of anxiety he's doing well to hide, Maybe I wouldn't notice it if I were anyone else, but I've been around him long enough to notice. He's not as much of a mystery to me as he is to the others, after all.

"Yeah. We'll be fine, I think. Don't worry," I stay positive despite my own wriggling nerves. Now, I may be confident that all of us aren't about to be simultaneously executed during this trial since it's the beginning of the killing game and only the first trial. That being said, chances are that our likelihood of surviving each future trials will be less and less each time...if I'm to go by the same train of thought believing that viewers are simply watching for a good time.

But what if more than one gets executed? Like two or three people simply for the heck of it? The files underground mentioned this was the fifty-third season of the killing game. Why _wouldn't _they attempt to switch it up?

And as far as the events that have passed can be compared to the outline of murders and executions I found, obviously we aren't following the planned events anymore...right?

_Kaede and Ryoma still were both eliminated in their respective slots, even if Kaede became the victim rather than the killer. Their lives met their ends within the walls of the killing game. Kaede was _ ** _almost_ ** _ a murderer like in the outline and the same happened with Kirumi, even if their targets changed to me specifically...so maybe I could be wrong about Kirumi being framed. Maybe Kirumi could still technically be the culprit if the victims seem to be the only ones changing._

The doors swiftly snap open, so quickly that quite a few of us, including myself, flinch at the sound. Since we're at the far back though, I'm forced to evidently pull on Rantaro's hand to drag him with me past all the others too hesitant to take the first steps into the trial grounds.

As soon as we're past most of the others, with Maki following behind us, we eventually stop to gape a little.

The trial room is actually somewhat beautiful in a haunting and foreboding sort of way. There's a blue and violet glow that surrounds us in this large room, mostly due to the light that spills in through decorative stained glass windows all around the walls and through the top of the room. Considering we're underground, it's likely that the light spilling through the windows are from artificial lighting similar to that of the fake sky above the academy.

We might even be deeper than I went while traversing those underground offices, but that's just speculation on my part based on the tension I feel in my ears. It feels like my ears are plugged, and holding my nostrils and mouth shut as I attempt to exhale carefully doesn't do anything to get rid of the pressure in my ears.

There's a notable throne at the back and a long red carpet behind a short wooden railing a bit lower in front of it overlooking a series of white podiums in a circle. Along the long red carpet, the remaining four monokubs promptly appear and stand, although Monodam appears indifferent and Monokid looks irritated as opposed to Monophanie's and Monosuke's visible excitement.

_I haven't even gotten the chance to remove the bombs from the other three bears…_

"Welcome to the Class Trial! Monophanie, Monosuke, and Monodam chorus in unison, Monophanie waving at us brightly as the other students start to come forward one hesitant step at a time.

"Enter quickly now! Once those doors shut, you're as good as a corpse if you're not out soon enough!" Monophanie adds, her words motivating stragglers like Himiko and Tsumugi to step out of the lift just a tad bit faster. The doors shap shut inches behind Himiko, startling a yelp out of her that has Tenko turning to the Magician's direction.

"H-Hey, are you okay, Himiko?! That didn't catch any of your clothes, did it? I'd be happy to lend you mine if necessary, don't you worry!" Tenko eagerly pipes up, even with her iron grip still glued around Kirumi's wrist. Himiko looks up from examining the back of her skirt with a dry look.

"Why do you sound so excited…? Also, your clothes wouldn't fit me in the first place...your posterior is wider than mine…" Himiko responds slowly, drifting over in...my direction, surprisingly. We haven't really talked much before, did we somehow activate a bond by the trauma of discovering Ryoma's corpse together? If so, I think it's a bit of a one sided comfort, considering she's holding my arm and I'm presently holding Rantaro's hand for support.

I must have a certain sour expression on my face, because Rantaro seems to chuckle under his breath just low enough for me to turn my head and look up at him anxiously. I know I was able to sort of comfort Shuichi after Kaede passed away, but I don't think I could do that again.

Rantaro just rubs the top of my head with his free hand, relaxing my nerves enough to get comfortable with Himiko's presence.

_Well, I guess I don't really mind. This gives me a chance to expand my social tree away from the usual people._

"Alright, enough with the niceties. Listen up! From this point on, things are gonna get so violent you'll wish you could turn back…" Monosuke explains from between Monodam and Monophanie. "You're gonna need one hell of an iron stomach to progress forward now!"

Monophanie squeaks and visibly sweats, hands over her face that way she'd copied from me. Somehow, it's starting to look like a better impersonation of my mannerisms every time she mimicks me.

"N-No way! That's not true...there won't be any violent or gory scenes...I'm positive…" Monophanie trails off in distress, followed closely by Monokid scoffing loudly.

"Oh, save the dramatics for a soap opera! There's already _been _tons of violence and gore! FURTHERMORE! You wouldn't shut your big fat mouth about trying to get Prairie killed during this trial! You're so fake, you may as well be a celebrity's left tit implant!" The blue and white bear calls her out from her left.

"Hey! As a woman, sometimes fake can be just as good as the real ones! You _men _wouldn't understand," Monophanie defends, pushing up the cups of her coconut bra proudly.

"This appears to be an authentic replica of a courtroom," Kiibo speaks up first, looking around at the decorum much like Rantaro and I are. There's equal levels of discomfort, wonder, fear, and awe in his expression as he moves about, walking over to the circle of podiums. Curious to see, I feel Rantaro release my hand to follow the robot, examining the white bars and the touchpads before each podium. I can see some of the names on the ones facing the rest of us- namely Kirumi's, Kaito's, and Shuichi's podiums.

It's the first time Rantaro seems comfortable enough to walk away from me without intentionally leaving me in someone else's care, though I can see he isn't straying too far. For now, I'm content enough with that, I guess. We'll have time to talk a lot longer later...hopefully.

"Hmm...yes, this is more what I expected as a setting for our forced debate regarding this murder case. _Khehehe!"_ Korekiyo cackles to himself, appearing much more impressed than scared or nervous.

_Is this really fun for all of the viewers watching us? Watching people desperate enough to kill each other until nobody's left?_

"Interesting accommodations, I see...but there are only sixteen podiums. And none of them are displaying Prairie's name," Rantaro turns to speak to the monokubs. At this, even Monokid crosses his arms and turns to look at Monophanie and Monosuke expectantly.

"Well? You all have banned me from viewing plans for this kind of shit, so what gives? Answer him," Monokid demands, followed by Kokichi clearing his throat.

"Now, that certainly sounds nice, but how do _we _know you aren't just lying and taking advantage of Prairie Dog by yanking her sympathy chain around? You're still a _monokub…_you're probably still in on everything and are just playing nice so you can build Prairie Dog up and then crush her," Kokichi accuses with a smile, arms behind his head and neck as he takes a moment to observe Monokid's reaction to his words. Monokid doesn't actually look all that pressed to hear that.

"I know you all think that. That's fine. I only care about you guys by proxy because Prairie cares about you. I don't need to win your trust. I don't even need to win Prairie's trust. I just need to stop the killing game!...Somehow," Monokid adds, visibly frustrated.

"Hmm...sure," Kokichi just answers, before adding in an obvious lie, "I guess I believe you!"

"He most definitely doesn't believe him…" Kiibo comments, though this falls on mostly deaf ears since most of the others are still mainly focused on the room itself. There's a portion of us examining the podiums while the rest of us are still in the spot in front of the elevator doors.

Rantaro continues to narrow his piercing and expectant gaze on the monokubs. Monophanie however, seeming to want to be helpful to Rantaro, speaks up first to answer him.

"That's because we created these podiums prior to Ugly being added to the Killing Game!" Monophanie supplies, though she cowers a little when Rantaro shoots her a direct look of disdain. I don't think I could survive a look as deadly as that...at least not from Rantaro.

_I wonder why he's so mad at her anyways?_

"Alright, well...where is Prairie supposed to stand then?" Shuichi breaks the tension to ask, watching as the monokubs share looks of quiet contemplation.

"Actually, I never thought of that. Where _is _Ugly supposed to go? Did Father say anything to you guys?" Monosuke inquires, scratching his face enough to make his glasses askew as the other two bears shake their heads in confusion.

Monokid on the other hand is practically vibrating with how red he is in the face, visibly outraged by the looks of his expression.

"Bull_shit!_ You guys probably did that _intentionally! _There's even been plenty of time to make her a podium and none of you have! TRY AGAIN!" Monokid explodes, though thankfully this is figuratively and not literally.

"No, no! Father really _didn't _tell us! What the heck are we supposed to do with the ugly dwarfette?!" Monosuke responds, looking a bit flustered. I'm starting to think he's actually telling the truth...where did they think they'd stick me? In the corner of the room?

"Fear not, my beautiful kubby-wubbies! I come _bearing _answers to your many questions!" We hear Monokuma's voice from somewhere in the room, though even as I turn in all directions, I see him nowhere.

Eventually though, my eyes catch movement beside the throne at the far upper left, which is where all our eyes land as we watch Monokuma place a standee next to his seat with a picture of…

"Miu?!" I question in unison with a Shuichi, eyeing the large framed photograph of a shocked and visibly shaken, wide eyed Miu Iruma. The photo displays her in a cap and gown in Monokuma's signature colors, though it appears as if it's been thrown haphazardly on her to take the rushed photo considering her hat is crookedly placed. Above the picture is text on a board around decorative flowers framing the image reading: _Outstanding Murderous Achievement, Graduate with Full Honors- Miss Miu Iruma, The Ultimate Inventor._

The photo must have been taken directly after the murder of Kaede, as the spray of blood from her assault still coats her cheek, half visible goggles, and hair like it had when Kokichi and I found her at the scene of the crime.

"Since Miu Iruma has graduated with full honors, she gets to join in spirit beside _me!_ You may use her podium from this point on, Miss Marble. It will now reflect this change and bear your name from this point forward," Monokuma explains with a grin.

"What he said! Woo, let's get this started!" Monosuke cheers, paws up in the air with eager excitement.

"Students! Please stand behind the podium with your name on it," Monophanie chirps as she gestures to the podiums. The lot of us still by the elevator door share looks before we all step forward, Himiko and I splitting up to get to our respective spots.

To my relief, I'm not placed next to Kokichi...but I'm also not placed next to Rantaro. I can't say I hate my placement though, considering I find myself settling between Kiibo and Shuichi, with the detective to my left and the robot to my right.

It's quiet for a moment, allowing me to look around the circle at where everyone is. Shuichi and I are opposite to Tsumugi and Rantaro- a sour revelation for me when my eyes settle on the dairy queen and I find her so close to the person I'm most attached to.

I try not to look irritated, up until I see Rantaro sort of tilt himself Tsumugi's way with a questioning expression of concern aimed straight at me. I can't really say anything to him without the others hearing as well, so there's not much I can do other than just pout a little from where I am. Rantaro offers me a sympathetic smile, of course unable to do much about the seating arrangement himself.

Well…

At least I can admire him from here, I guess.

Looking down curiously, I examine the touch screen pad and the two black buttons beside it on the bottom of either side. There's also a gold yellow button to the top left of the pad, one which reflects light and almost glitters in the light from it's round diamond-like cut. One thing about this button stands out, however…

None of the other podiums have a gold button like the one mine displays. I guess Monokuma quickly decided I'd stand at this podium as soon as Miu left the building...but that begs the question: what is the gold button for anyways?

I'm just about to reach out and touch that glimmering button when the screen of my podium suddenly flashes with a stylized vertical text reading: _"Class Trial - In Session!"_

"Ahem! Now then, let us begin with a basic explanation of the class trial!" Monokuma announces, clearly excited by our first trial...unlike the rest of us. And Monokid. "During the trial, you'll present your arguments for who the culprit is, and vote for _'whodunnit'. _Vote correctly, and only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the _wrong _person...I'll punish everyone _besides _the blackened, and that person will graduate from this academy alongside Miss Miu Iruma!"

Monokuma cocks his head to the side cutely, turning to look at me directly. I try not to glare too much, as I don't want to be targeted any more than I already usually am.

"Also...refusing to vote will result in your death, so you better vote for someone! I won't take any tantrums from you teenagers- especially from _you, _Miss Marble!" The bear continues, turning away from my now scathing glare and seemingly unaffected as per usual. "Now, let's get this crazy, awesome, crazy-awesome trial underway!"

"Can I swap places with Kiiboy so I can be next to Prairie Dog?" Kokichi immediately asks on the heels of Monokuma's announcement, looking back at the bear and catching Kiibo's visibly aghast attention.

"Absolutely not! You'll just be harassing and distracting her as usua-!"

"OKAY~!" Monokuma cuts Kiibo off, the stunned Ultimate Robot barely given a chance to finish speaking as his podium lights up, lifts off the ground, and hovers to swap spots with Kokichi's podium. I can feel my stomach churning violently, and I can't tell if it's because I'm hungry, upset, or just plain angry. "Puhuhu! Good luck with the flea, Miss Marble."

Kiibo blinks in stunned silence as he is placed between Tenko and Himiko, while Kokichi rests an elbow on the edge of his podium to cast me a wink.

"Hi, cutie~" he says playfully enough that I have to mentally talk myself down from seeing how hard I can kick him in the face.

"Put him back," I turn to Monokuma to order, only to be ignored as he waves a dismissive paw my way. Seems like he's only willing to do things for students if it means it's a detriment…so he really expects Kokichi will be able to distract me from debating properly? It's not like me having a crush on the annoyance saved him from getting clobbered before, so I'm not too sure what he expects to happen.

"You filthy _menace…! _Always invading poor Prairie's personal space!" Tenko growls from Kokichi's other side.

_She should consider herself lucky he's otherwise disinterested in engaging with her._

Tenko turns her attention promptly towards Monokuma, eyes still burning with irritation. "Why are you helping that prick anyways, you sack of fluff?!" Tenko inquires with an authoritative tone of voice.

_"I _make the rules here! I can do whatever I please _whenever _I please! Now get to debating! We aren't staying here forever!" Monokuma huffs, shaking a fist at us.

"Yeah, yeah! You either leave a survivor of the trial or leave as a spirit that's been executed! _Hehehe~!"_ Monosuke adds on to Monokuma's words with a trill, followed by Monophanies snickers of malignant joy as she looks my way. She's definitely getting ready to say something unnecessary and cruel to me.

"I hope Ugly's spirit stays down here forever after her execution…" Monophanie purrs cheerfully just as expected.

"Um...so how trial supposed to work? We guess who culprit is each?" Gonta asks hesitantly as he looks around at the rest of us. "Gonta not sure what to do…"

"That's easy, you don't need to do anything! We can just ask Prairie Dog how she lured, murdered, and hid Ryoma's body!" Kokichi brightly chirps, followed by a sigh of annoyance on Maki's part.

"W-Wait, Small Prairie really murder Ryoma then?!" Gonta asks in pure horror, looking my way just as my hand smacks the back of Kokichi's head with enough strength to half whip him forward over his podium. Kokichi's eyes tear up almost immediately upon impact as he looks back at me with these hurt doe eyes, but I ignore it since it's clearly another mask of his.

"No, Gonta...you can't just believe everything Kokichi says, he's a liar…!" Himiko grumbles irritably.

"Oh...oh, thank goodness! Gonta scared for moment there! Kokichi...you really liar?" Gonta asks, just as Kokichi wipes away his tears with his sleeve and immediately grins a charming smile the Ultimate Entomologist's way.

"No, of course not!" Kokichi answers innocently.

"No? Okay, Gonta see!" Gonta quickly agrees, much to the disappointment of the rest of us.

I swat Kokichi again, this time the leech catching himself on the podium and turning my way with a clearly fed up expression of annoyance.

"Small Prairie, wait! No hit Kokichi so mu-" Gonta starts, prompting my glare to become deadly as it turns his way. The man three times my size has the sense to not finish that sentence, looking suddenly cautious and a little nervous. "Gonta...sense predator aura from Small Prairie...Gonta be quiet."

"...from _this_ little thing?" Kokichi grins as he dodges my swat, prompting Rantaro to clear his throat so I have the sense to snap out of my little fit of rage to try and calm down.

At this point, more than enough of the others are irritated by the derailment of the trial before it's even properly started.

"Shut up. How are we tackling this thing then?" Maki asks, eyes shifting towards Kirumi. "Although I still think it was _her."_

"If you pick me without any proof, we will surely perish. Also, aren't you the last person that should be making a remark like that? From what I recall...you're the one with a gun," Kirumi huffs seriously, prompting the girl three spots to her left to gasp as if enlightened.

Angie presses her hands together, grinning brightly. She looks rather excited for us having to fight for our lives…

"Ah, that's _right!_ Didn't Maki claim to have gotten a gun off of Prairie? Now we can confirm and settle the debate once and for all!" Angie is nearly across from me, so she's able to pin this incredibly intimidating smile to her face. "So? Did Maki _lie, _Prairie?"

I don't even hesitate to clearly answer "no", a nervous chill barely suppressed as Kokichi states at me intently from my right. I can see him observing my reaction at the corner of my eye, observing my reaction to my attempt at a lie. Something tells me he knows I just threw out total crap, but…

Kokichi says nothing about it. He doesn't even joke about it being true, he simply refrains from drawing attention to it.

_Thank god…!_

"I didn't see this exchange. From what I witnessed, Maki brought the gun out from underneath her skirt. She didn't just happened to acquire a gun holster around her thigh out of nowhere," Kirumi argues, green eyes narrowed on both Maki and I. "As far as I'm aware, the gun belongs to Maki."

"What does it even matter? We're here to discuss Ryoma's death, and while I get wanting to know more about that gun thing, we can save drilling the two for answers later," Kaito interjects, resulting in a sudden cackling from Korekiyo that makes the magenta haired teen turn his head. "What? What's so funny? Do you have something to say?"

"We have a _murder _in our hands. Surely we'd want answers from the individual who'd allegedly locked themselves inside the love hotel to protect themself. That excuse is rather a convenient one to keep an alibi...however, I refuse to take it wholeheartedly unless a separate individual also witnessed Prairie there for the set time frame of Ryoma's murder. Of course, we do not have that. But we do have a possible culprit and a possible murder weapon- the gun," Korekiyo eloquently explains, before adding sourly. "And perhaps the knife...but of course I never got to examine the body myself for the type of wounds."

Shuichi clears his throat, gathering everyone's attention.

"The gun we can cross off immediately. It was most definitely a knife that was the murder weapon. The three visible wounds on the body don't show a sort of trauma consistent with those of bullet wounds…" Shuichi explains. "Furthermore, going with that narrative, it would be impossible for Prairie to have killed Ryoma with a gun she no longer had, considering Maki confiscated it from her."

"Ah, I see...however...I have yet to see that gun Maki and Prairie mentioned. Have you?"

…

"Can we please get back on topic? I still have the gun. Not on me, but I threw it somewhere no one can use it anymore. Ryoma died of knife wounds, so we should talk about that," Maki breaks the silence pointedly. And she's right to.

_The more we focus on the gun Maki has, the sooner they'll realize I'm lying to cover Maki. No doubt the others will eventually find out themselves, but I'd like to avoid blowing her cover. I sort of owe her one for rescuing me from Kirumi, after all. Maybe we don't get along, but she can't be all that bad if she refused to kill me back then- even with all the accusations she was throwing at me._

"So Ryoma had some strange cuts on him, right? One at his neck and two behind both his ankles," Kaito clarifies so we're all aware.

"Nyeh...I'm confused why the culprit bothered to hide them with stitches and makeup…?" Himiko questions, scratching the back of her head.

"I'd say perhaps it was to conceal the means of Ryoma's cause of death, but even that seems a tad bit elaborate for the culprit to go that stretch," Kiibo expresses with a clueless shrug. "After all, they left the weapon in the same room either way. That's pretty odd too."

"Maybe...culprit want knife found?" Gonta suggests.

"Ah! That might be it. If the culprit's aiming to frame Prairie by using a look-alike knife to hers, then it helps their case to leave the knife. We've only ever seen _Prairie _handling a survival knife with these specific features," Shuichi explains, making a little wave of relief to wash over me.

"R-Really? Gonta glad to help!" Gonta responds in delight, perking up slightly for his contribution.

"Okay, since a knife like Prairie's was used, we can just as easily figure out if it was her knife by having her show us the one on her. It may not clear her of all suspicion, but it will knock out at least one thing against her culpability," Shuichi continues, looking in my direction.

"Alright! Now we're getting somewhere! As expected of my sidekick!" Kaito brightly exclaims from Shuichi's other side, giving Shuichi a thumbs up.

_Huh? Sidekick…? Wouldn't it make more sense if Kaito were the sidekick, considering Shuichi's the detective? Or are they roleplaying or something...?_

"Isn't that divine? What an excellent question to prove Prairie's accountability!" Angie clasps her hands together, turning my way with an eager smile. "So! Bring it out, then!"

"Um, okay," I say, reaching down to the sheath I've always carried it in...and finding nothing when I unbutton the leather case. I lean over a bit more to see into it, even removing it from my belt to stick my fingers in it.

"What's the hold up? Atua will be judging you, you know? He's a very impatient god, you do not want to make him wait very long! Especially with your current track record…!" Angie is so carefree- like a fairy without conflict in her life…

A fairy with a black eye I'm beginning to feel less guilty about considering the current wave of stress she's amplifying by rushing me.

_How did I manage to go and lose my knife? When did I lose it? _ ** _Where_ ** _ did I lose it? I haven't touched the thing other than to tie the case around my leg or on my belt...so how long have I had it empty?_

"I don't have it…" I say honestly, feeling just a tad bit horrified with a mixture of embarrassment. If I lost my knife so easily, they likely will confiscate this one now that there's proof I can't be responsible with it…

And that means the chances of the murder weapon _actually _being my lost knife, whether I dropped it or it was plucked off of me, is pretty likely.

"Y-You don't have it?! Are you sure? You didn't strap it to your thigh and pull your suit over it, did you? We can find a corner where none of the degenerate males will see you and check together!" Tenko offers quickly, visibly distressed by my contrary revelation.

"There are no corners here and there's absolutely _no way _we are undressing her even if there were," Rantaro immediately shoots Tenko's idea down with a sharp look aimed her way.

"Eh? It's only _me _that would see, and it's nothing I haven't seen before...don't tell me…! Are you secretly jealous of just how close Prairie and I can be as two women?! That must be it! Ha! We'll always share a bond closer than anything she could have with a _degenerate male," _Tenko claims with a proud grin, one that surprisingly has Rantaro sharpening his glare on her.

So she's a little dramatic and _definitely_ stretching that concept, but looking at Rantaro makes me think he might be taking the fact I can be closer to Tenko a little personal…he's not that worked up over it, is he? I still really like him a lot, he doesn't need to feel threatened or anything...but I can't help but pull some hair over my jaw to hide a small smile at the thought.

"Speaking of, it's nothing I haven't seen before either! Nee-hee-hee~! I even got to see her cute strawberry birthmark again! You wouldn't believe the places those freckles of hers reach," Kokichi boldly remarks to my dismay, prompting looks of horror to cross the faces of quite a few of the others. Tenko appears to have lost her footing with the comment, visibly angry to the point I wouldn't be shocked if she stepped off her podium and came around to beat up the leech beside me. Rantaro though…

Let's just say I've never seen him quite as livid.

_We don't have time for this and I don't want this conversation to continue anymore! If anyone has to reel these three clowns in, it's gotta be me._

"Guys, cut it out! You're embarrassing me and getting the conversation derailed. We have more important things to focus on!" I snap heatedly, watching as Rantaro and Tenko have the sense to appear somewhat guilty and embarrassed for their behavior. Kokichi, on the other hand, turns his head away with an annoyed huff. Well, I can reel two clowns in at least. The last one, not so much… "Okay, regarding the knife, chances are that it really _is _my knife. I didn't realize I'd lost mine, but there's nothing I can say to prove I haven't had it on me since I don't know when it disappeared. That's fine. I accept that it makes my situation lean towards being guilty for now. Next topic."

This elicits murmurs of apology from Tenko and Rantaro. Since I don't expect Kokichi to do anything about it though, I reach over and swat the back of his head with a foul expression. He grunts but doesn't respond other than to rub his head and turn towards me with visible distaste. Well, if he doesn't want to get smacked, he should learn not to open his leechy mouth.

"Alright, let's move on to the place of the murder. I think it's obvious why it's hard to believe Prairie couldn't have murdered Ryoma if we consider _where_ he died," Shuichi thankfully restarts the topic.

"Nyeh...definitely in Kirumi's lab, since there was a puddle of blood left in there…" Himiko states, lazily confident despite her slow response. "Which was far from the hotel in the first place."

"As much as I don't trust her, I don't think it could be Prairie. She murdered Ryoma yesterday without anyone noticing? After her fight with Kirumi, she wasn't in any state to even climb up a flight of stairs, let alone take down someone like Ryoma," Maki comments, pulling thoughtfully on one of her twin-tails.

"Even if she _wasn't _beat up, she would have had to cross the entire academy grounds to get from the hotel to the school to kill Ryoma! _Twice _including the run to get back to the hotel!" Tenko jumps in.

"Hm…could she have returned to her dorm room instead?" Tsu-Moo Over the Moon ponders out loud.

"I find it highly unlikely Prairie would take refuge in her dormitory room when Kirumi made it very clear she fully intended to kill her…she specifically picked the hotel due to its security and inaccessibility to the rest of us. Furthermore, Kirumi neither had business there nor was she aware of Prairie having run into the hotel altogether," Korekiyo tosses in his two cents.

"Aww, Kiyo, I thought you'd stay on the blame Prairie Dog train with me!" Kokichi complains, a petulant expression of disappointment and exasperation etched across his features as he pulls on a lock of his hair.

"I follow logic. Not trends."

"So Small Prairie really go back to hotel then…" Gonta states thoughtfully, before Kiibo quickly corrects him with, _"If _she left to begin with! Which we have absolutely no proof supporting that she ever left the hotel!"

"We're focusing far too much on the 'what-ifs' of this situation. None of this is relevant unless we know the time frame in which Ryoma possibly died," Kirumi interjects swiftly.

"Ryoma was still alive during breakfast hours yesterday. I last saw him around eleven thirty am, but...I fell asleep as soon as I started going at the slots. Either way, from eleven-thirty in the morning onwards is the current approximate time of death," Rantaro elaborates for us, running a hand through his already rumpled hair. Poor Rantaro...if anything, when we leave this trial we won't be working on our faults- we'll be napping first and foremost.

"Okay, so then Prairie was running around last night and that's how she murdered Ryoma! When everyone was asleep!" Kokichi claims confidently. I have to resist throwing up my hands with an expression of disbelief.

He was _with me _for the majority of the night! He didn't even leave the hotel, considering I woke up next to him! If he really left, he wouldn't have been able to get back into the hote-

_…_

_Well, I did wake up nearly an hour past eight am this morning, that's how that third guest was able to catch us off guard...so technically, I don't know if Kokichi stayed the whole night in the hotel, nor do I know whether he left me by myself…_

_I can't imagine he would have stayed overnight in that case considering his last words before he left me following the hairstyling thing, but he was very much just waking up when I woke up. Maybe he checked in again at eight am and took a nap in my room until I woke up? God, I wish he could be straight-forward with me, but I don't think he could even if he wanted to._

"That can't be true…! You're lying again! You told me you were with her during the night in the hotel- and Prairie _corroborated_ that fact!" Kiibo calls Kokichi out. "Isn't that right, Prairie?"

There's no way to even confirm that anymore either. It was a stupid assumption on my part and only _now_ I've noticed I could be totally wrong. If I confirm it with this new realization, I'd be lying.

I glance at Kokichi, giving him a dry look for his stupid attempts at confusing the others. As if noticing I've caught up on the little morning issue, he seems to grin a bit wider as if sharing a funny inside joke with me.

Only somehow, _I'm _the joke in question.

"Kokichi was in the hotel at night," I state simply, watching as expressions of surprise cross the faces of the others. I know I'm omitting the important tidbit that technically I wasn't with him the _whole _night, but…

I know it wasn't Kokichi that killed Ryoma. I _know _it.

If I'm wrong, They're welcome to condemn me for trusting an incorrect gut instinct.

"So then...you have an alibi for night time then," Maki counters, prompting me to nod my head and agree with, "Yes, but I actually don't need Kokichi to already have a solid alibi. If I had left the hotel during night hours, I wouldn't be permitted entry back into the hotel until morning because of the hotel rules."

"Hotel rules? Oh, I see...that would explain why Shuichi was ejected from the hotel when he tried returning into the hotel after ten at night," Yak-a-doodle Dairy Farm states. I pretend I don't hear her incessant mooing straight across from me. She's starting to get really annoying...but I have no reason to lash out at her in the eyes of the others, so I'll hold my tongue.

No promises I can hold back _forever _though...

"The gist of it is that students can enter the hotel as a 'guest' during daytime hours of eight am to nine fifty-nine pm. Once they're in, they're welcome to leave at any time, but you're barred from checking back in until eight am if you leave the hotel during night hours," I elaborate, watching understanding flash over the eyes of the others.

Kokichi grins, arms folding behind his neck casually.

"Hahaha! I see! If Prairie Dog actually killed Ryoma at night, I guess she wouldn't have been able to attack me with cuddles this morning thinking I was Rantaro-"

"THATSNOTTRUE," I quickly interject in an abrupt and loud voice, making the total opposite rather apparent considering the coupled heat flooding to my face. "I-I don't know what he's talking about! I didn't have any weird dreams last night! In fact, I don't dream at all!"

…

All of a sudden, I'm hating the fact that Rantaro is nearly directly across from me, able to see just how much I'm lying right now. He's raised a hand over his jaw- clearly in an attempt to hide a smile from yet another incident in which I'm being a total spaz over something embarrassing. I'm so ashamed. He's gonna think less of me now…

_Stupid Kokichi!_

"Stop making fun of her…" Himiko grumbles from her podium, pulling at her hat and casting Kokichi a glare. "I already told you she's allowed to have a crush on whoever she wants…"

"Me included?" Kokichi inquires innocently, a finger at his chin.

"No."

"Awww, why _nnnoot?!"_

I still can't bring myself to make eye contact with Rantaro, so I redirect my attention to the logistics of Kokichi's defense on my part. It doesn't seem like he's going to mention that we woke up a little after morning hours had already started, so I guess he's confident I didn't leave in the morning…after all, I don't think one hour is logistically enough time for me to murder anybody.

"Gonta...confused. So Prairie had dream of Rantaro? Cause dream sound very sweet," Gonta suddenly states, prompting my face to nearly catch fire as I hide in my fluffy curls with horrendous embarrassment.

I want to evaporate into the podium where no one can see me anymore.

"Prairie-" I hear Rantaro start to speak, only for him to be quickly cut off.

"Okay, she's lovesick," Maki curtly snaps much to my horror. I squeak and my face increases in temperature at her blunt words. "It's stupid. That has nothing to do with the case. We got our answer: Prairie and Kokichi were in the hotel together at night."

"Absolutely! In fact, after I made myself known to her at midnight like in all the fairy tales, I saw Prairie leave the hotel like five times to run around and murder Ryoma," Kokichi comments with a pleasant smile, prompting me to drop my hair and turn his way in embarrassed exasperation. He's not even trying to lie well anymore!

"Can you _please _be serious about this?!" Kaito demands.

"I mean, Rantaro can probably back up the fact Kokichi was in the hotel too. He made a whole food and clothing package that Kokichi brought to the hotel, so there's no way it would have gotten to me without either Shuichi or Kokichi having brought it," I point out, looking towards Rantaro who suddenly looks concerned.

"What? Prairie, Kokichi brought you food and clothes? I didn't prepare a care package since Shuichi said he couldn't find his key yesterday morning. I was safekeeping the food I made you in the fridge until he found the key," Rantaro states, arms crossed as he turns his attention to Kokichi. Huh, when Shuichi said Rantaro didn't want me eating anything made by anyone else, I guess he was being serious.

...Wait a minute. What is Rantaro talking about? He didn't prepare a care package with the same pink bunny chopsticks he sent last time? No one else in their right mind would pack those chopsticks for me unless they wanted to get beat up.

"You didn't send me food last night…?" I ask again, feeling my heart speed up just a little.

"I didn't," Rantaro confirms, although his gaze is still locked on Kokichi. If Rantaro is saying that, I believe him since he has no reason to lie. So then...did Kokichi bring me food made by someone else? What if he inadvertently brought me food that was poisoned again…?!

_Idiot, if it was poisoned, you would already be feeling it by now._

Still, it's a concerning thought.

"Nee-hee-hee~! Every great hotel has room service. And as I told you before, Prairie Dog, everyone that's eaten my cooking lovesmy food…" Kokichi trails off, shooting me a sneaky smirk as I turn to look his way. _"Including_ _you."_

…

"WHAT?!" I shriek, suddenly embarrassed even more now. I was fawning over the cooking so openly in front of him because he told me _Rantaro _cooked it for me, but _Leech Face _actually cooked it?!

_No...oh god, the cute smiley face made on the chicken...it was so cheesy and yummy...but it was all a lie…!_

Something else occurs to me when I look down at my clothing, a red hue seeping into my face. No.

No, no, no, _no_,_ no, no, _**_no-_**

"Yes, that's _also _right!" Kokichi preens with a mirthful grin, his violet eyes twinkling with mad amusement as he watches my reactions to the truth bombs he's dropping. "I gathered your clothing myself too! I painted one of your ultimate outfits, I folded them all up with your jammies, and then I topped it off with a fresh clean pair of your cute little baby pink cotton pa-"

"SHUT UP!" I snap, leaping over my podium and grabbing his neck with both my hands to silence him. He still manages to let out wheezes of laughter as I shake him around, his hands grabbing mine to try and loosen my grip. "Don't you dare finish that sentence, or the next body discovery announcement is going to be for YOU!"

"Hey, that shouldn't be even joked about! Rantaro, d-do something...!" Moo-Moo Milk stammers with uncertainty, turning only to see Rantaro leaned against his podium casually as he watches me begin to yank on Kokichi's hair like his locks are bell-ringer ropes.

"...No, I don't think two against one would be fair for him," he answers seriously, prompting Tsumugi to gawk at him and respond, "I meant help _stopping _her!"

Monophanie huffs in distaste behind Rantaro and Tsumugi.

"What does he even see in a wild animal like Ugly?" She comments, likely in response to Rantaro's obvious support in fighting Kokichi. Rantaro grunts distastefully at Monophanie's words, not even turning his head around to look at the pink and white dual-toned bear. "I'm way cuter…!"

"Face it, Monophanie, he's just not that into you. Does it even matter?! He's a stupid human anyways! Go get better taste in men!" Monosuke barks. "In fact, you should follow _my_ lead!"

"For your uneducated information, I _do _have great taste in men! Better than you do, at least! Go take a flying leap! The only one for me is Rantaro...! Even if he has denied me now, I know someday he will recognize me as his one and only!" Monophanie complains with a sudden onslaught of grief filled tears.

"You two are both pathetic. Don't you get tired of pretending to be dramatic and doin' those dumb mindless skits?" Monokid questions, sitting at his place on the monokub stands and fiddling around with something in his paws that almost seems to have his full attention.

"My affections are _not _a dramatic skit!" Monophanie immediately defends herself.

"Eh? What are you fiddling with anyways, Monokid?" Monosuke asks, leaning over to try and see the object.

"JAW HARP," Monodam suddenly supplies, startling both Monophanie and Monosuke into backing a step away from their green robotic sibling.

"Hell yeah!" Monokid confirms, pulling the metal contraption he was fiddling with out and placing it between his teeth on the left side of his face. He begins to hit the metal twang on the contraption, making a catchy musical tune to the otherwise drab environment.

"Stop pulling my hair, Prairie Dog! I'm not into that!" Kokichi whines, tears springing to his eyes as fake as the traumatized look he's trying to pass off as honest.

"I _hate_ you!" I snap, pulling even harder. "I hate you more than I hate cauliflower!"

"There isn't any cauliflower in this place, how do you actually know you hate it?" Kokichi points out, considering there really isn't cauliflower supplied in the kitchen of the killing game…but regardless of that-

"I hate it because I _said so!"_

**"Hey, you two."**

Both Kokichi and I stop fighting at the sound of Maki's deadly tone of voice, my hands detaching from Kokichi's neck and hair immediately. When we look her way, she's giving us a look that could outright freeze hell over. A chill rattles up my spine, followed closely by a shivering tingle that prickles at my skin and makes the hairs on my body stand on end.

The others, besides maybe Kirumi, are still with the belief that Maki Harukawa is the Ultimate Child Caregiver. Maybe her deadly glares might have less of an effect on them, but knowing that she's an Ultimate with a clearly rather deadly talent really amps up the death vibe in her tone of voice.

No one wants to be glared at or threatened by the Ultimate Murderous Fiend.

"If you keep disrupting the class trial and wasting our time, I promise that the next body discovery announcement will be for _two,"_ Maki carefully explains, red eyes blazing despite the cold aura lashing out from around her.

"She started it-" I swiftly smack my hand over Kokichi's mouth to shut him up, cutting Kokichi off to continue with, "I'm sorry, you're right. We understand."

"I have a question!" Angie suddenly chimes in, the chipper tone to her voice a stark contrast to Maki's. Maki sighs, but doesn't try to stop her. "We have confirmed Kokichi was in the hotel and he is Prairie's alibi, but...however did he get his hands on a hotel key? Remember Rantaro tried rushing in when he heard about Prairie and he was immediately removed by the hotel security system? Why was Kokichi not kicked out?"

Kiibo makes a sharp inhale of remembrance, one that catches everyone's attention upon his gasp.

"I know! That would be because Kokichi _stole_ Shuichi's key. He said as much to me and Prairie earlier when we were all in the warehouse!" Kiibo jumps in with a sharp scowl aimed Kokichi's way. "Because of _him, _we were out all day looking for a key that wasn't actually lost in the first place! Explain yourself now!"

Shuichi frowns at the new information, a hand touching his chin as he thinks over Kiibo's statement as well as Kokichi's confession. He doesn't seem very surprised by the revelation, if anything he looks almost...puzzled. What did he just notice?

Kokichi stole the key…a key Rantaro stated Shuichi said he lost in the morning. Shuichi and some of the others were searching for the key during the day yesterday_._

_Hm…maybe I'm not seeing what Shuichi sees because I have no knowledge of when Kokichi entered the hotel yesterday. I can't imagine he was in the hotel during the day, but would I have even noticed if he was? I only left my hotel room once- that being when I attached the sign to my old room door with a message for Shuichi in case he came by and couldn't find me._

_I know now that Shuichi couldn't possibly have had access to the hotel because of his stolen key, but if Kokichi was in there at the time, then at least _**_he_**_ would have seen the sign I left on the door. I left it a little past two in the afternoon, Kokichi could have entered the hotel as well as my room anytime he wanted during that time. So...why didn't he? Why did he wait till night to make his presence known? And why two hours later than the initial closing hours for 'guest' entry?_ _I know he pranked me with the hotel rules regarding the issue with 'visitors', but I can't imagine that would be a reason he would wait. Knowing him, he would have no qualms fitting a daytime harassment alongside a night time prank._

"So then you were only pretending to search for the key when we got in groups to try and find it yesterday…?! Dude! You made Prairie freaking starve till it was damn near dinnertime!" Kaito acuses heatedly.

"Poor Small Prairie not eat till night...very bad. Run out of fighting spirit faster when small like Small Prairie! Kokichi why you no feed her in day with hotel key?" Gonta demands, catching on surprisingly well to the issue at hand for being someone that insists he isn't smart.

"That's right, you could have at least taken her the food I already prepared. All it needed was a reheat in the microwave. Do you really not care about Prairie even a little bit? Or are you incapable of acting on even the smallest of empathetic gestures?" Rantaro asks Kokichi, looking all the more irritated by what Kaito pointed out. I can't tell if it's just from lack of sleep because of his worry for me while excessively gambling, or if he's honestly that angry with Kokichi…

I guess it could be a mix of both. I know hearing that I didn't get to eat till night yesterday probably really pisses him off, considering what the others more knowledgeable of Perfect Blitz's past told him regarding my bad eating habits.

"Hey," I chirp, pulling everyone's attention away from Kokichi and onto myself. "It's impossible trying to drill Leech Face for answers, so can anyone tell me if he was around outside during the daytime? And when was he last seen outside the hotel?"

"What? Prairie Dog, I'd be happy to answer that for you! I was running around with Shuichi and Kiiboy trying to find the hotel key aaalll day!" Kokichi answers, much to my irritation.

"No one asked you, you fascist smelly bottom feeder," I quickly snark, only for Shuichi to clear his throat.

Our attention all jumps to the detective now- the collective motion much faster than when I called everyone's attention. Of course everyone, including myself, is much eager to hear the professional's thoughts when it comes to murder mystery solving. Although considering some people's meager achievements here despite their assigned ultimate talents...has Shuichi ever _actually_ solved a murder as a detective?

"Actually, Kokichi _was _looking for the key with us all day. Which means, ah...well, Kokichi probably didn't have the key during the day like he's saying," Shuichi states, prompting almost all of us to shoot the grinning leech looks of disgust.

"Is this a game to you? Are you enjoying this?" Kirumi asks with warning, her patience with Kokichi clearly faltering. "You're a most unpleasant and vile individual…"

"Nishishi~! I have to be if I'm a terribly good evil-doing leader of a secret and malicious organization!" Kokichi snickers, visibly entertained by the developments in the class trial. He hardly seems to recognize that our lives are all actually on the line right now… "Although, I don't think you should be talking. You tried to kill Prairie Dog. That's pretty vile too, don't you think?"

"...My interest in Prairie is to get myself out and to preserve the life of everyone else here. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. That's reality. Gritty, vile, and unforgiving- which I'll gladly bear the burden of if it means protecting my people," Kirumi answers, much to everyone's surprise.

_"Her" people? Is there more to her motive to kill me than I originally thought?_

"Every time you open your mouth, I'm filled with an unfathomable amount of rage. What are you even talking about? 'Your' people? That you trying to murder Prairie is somehow ethnically driven?" Rantaro demands, though Kirumi says nothing else. I guess she's not too keen on filling in her full motive for the rest of us. _"Kirumi."_

"Huh. Well, who'd have guessed. Well, Prairie Dog does speak Japanese, doesn't she? The rest of us do at least," Kokichi states, before turning to me with a big smile and...speaking.

Speaking what? Heck if I know other than that it's Japanese...

I don't understand a single word he's saying.

He falls silent, staring at me as if he's waiting for a response. His lips twitch a little at the corner, resisting a wider smile at the visible confusion on his face.

"Prairie, did you understand anything he said to you?" Korekiyo asks, making me look his way and shake my head no. "Hm...from what I recall, Perfect Blitz spoke Japanese well for a foreigner, but perhaps the amnesia affected the area of language in her brain as well as the area for memory..."

"Er, didn't she speak other languages too?" Kaito inquires, prompting Rantaro to hum in thought and then lean a little over his podium.

Rantaro speaks. It's not Japanese like Kokichi apparently spoke, but once again I have no idea what he's saying. I shake my head cluelessly. He speaks another language- this time I can tell it's Chinese, but I don't understand it either. When I shake my head again, he moves on to two more languages I don't get.

And then…

"J’adore ton sourire," Rantaro's voice smoothly states, a statement that immediately clicks in my brain. I stiffen up, watching Rantaro slowly smile a little when a red hue starts to creep up my startled face.

_"R-Rantaro!" _I don't even hesitate to scold him, embarrassed beyond belief. "You can't say something like that to just anybody!"

"Sorry, I just figured a genuine reaction would be a better sign you understood. Besides, it's not like I don't mean it," Rantaro continues to make things worse, making me grab my hair and let out a muffled squeal of embarrassment into my hair.

"W-Wait, what did you say to her?! You better not have said something inappropriate, or else I'll suplex you into oblivion, degenerate male!" Tenko threatens, prompting Rantaro to laugh sheepishly when I peek through my hair to give him a warning glare so he knows not to translate.

I would die…!

"I don't think Prairie wants me to say it..." Rantaro states. I nod clearly for everyone to see. "Alright, how about…"

Rantaro pauses to think, and then smiles when something pops in his head.

"Me acuerdo de ti siempre porque eres muy dulce," Rantaro speaks.

Now I'm sliding down my podium, crippled beyond belief as a weightless feeling of vertigo tries to send me on my backside. My arms are totally wrapped around my head to keep my curls against my face. I don't think I've ever had so many fluttery feelings in my belly…!

"Hm, so I guess so far we can confirm she speaks French and Spanish," Rantaro comments, more or less sounding rather satisfied with his discoveries. "And I'm not sorry."

_I'm going to barf butterflies because of this avocado-for-brains!_

Monophanie harrumphs in disgust behind Rantaro, clearly jealous.

"Does this change in topic mean you brats are ready to vote for the blackened?" Monokuma suddenly speaks up, his voice echoing in the trail room with such a volume that nearly all of us immediately straighten up in surprise. I scramble to get up, my balance so utterly off-kilter that Shuichi and Kokichi have to help fish me up onto my feet.

Somehow, I feel like it's either always directly or indirectly my fault everytime we get derailed from the trial at hand…

"Puhuhu~! That's what I thought. If you kids can't figure out the murderer, remember! Your restless spirits will remain in the trial grounds forever!" Monokuma laughs. "And trust me, I will _not _correct any of you or point out flaws in your judgments!"

Angie giggles, clapping her hands to gather everyone's attention.

"A precarious warning! Atua tells me we should move the focus from Prairie, or the topic will keep drifting off. We can tease and poke fun at Prairie _after _the trial!" Angie exclaims brightly, much to my horror.

"Hey, _no!"_ I complain, though Angie pays no mind to my objections.

"...So I was thinking with the key...how could Kokichi not have the key during the day if he stole it off of Shuichi himself in the morning…?" Himiko asks, prompting most of us to fall silent at the realization.

It's an obvious realization, one that Kaito is the first to groan out loud about.

"This..._liar! _He didn't steal the key off of Shuichi then, he probably found it later! That would explain why we saw him a few times in the day while looking around. Kokichi didn't have the damn key _either_ during that time!!" Kaito answers for us with a growl, prompting a hurricane of rage to begin growing in my gut.

_He was telling the freaking truth to Kiibo and I earlier. He said he didn't actually steal it off of Shuichi. Kokichi made it clear it was just the act of _ ** _giving _ ** _the key to another student that would make Monokuma confiscate it. That means stealing it is fair game…_

_And so is finding a lost key._

"EH?! That means Kokichi told Prairie and I the truth in the warehouse!" Kiibo exclaims, completely flabbergasted by the news. "B-But…!!"

"I _told_ you two I wasn't lying. Didn't I? Didn't I?!" Kokichi laughs, leaning back from me to the side of his podium where I can't reach over and hit him like I'm trying to again. "It's not my fault you didn't believe me at first! You kept insisting I stole it, so I just went with the lie!"

"You know, we've proven Prairie couldn't have done it at night, but it also means she couldn't have done it during the day either," Kirumi states, ignoring Kokichi's laughter.

"That's right. Since we were all outside looking for the key, Prairie wouldn't have been able to exit the hotel without at least one person witnessing her outside," Shuichi continues, sighing almost in mild relief.

_...All this time, no one has said anything that could give them away as the true culprit. Should I just go ahead and give Shuichi those photos I still haven't given him?_

"So if we're agreeing Prairie didn't do it, we can redirect our focus on Kokichi now. Perhaps the reason he's dragging us along and attempting to make us focus on Prairie is because he's rather the culprit? Khehehe…I believe it would certainly make sense," Korekiyo states with a chortle of amusement.

"I guess I _could _have done it during the day, buut…" Kokichi grins, looking to Kiibo who looks absolutely fed up with the leech already. I don't blame him. A lot of us are clearly tired of his clowning about. "I can let Kiiboy explain for me!"

"...He was following me around the whole day making robophobic comments. I tried to get away from him, but I think he likes the chase," Kiibo somberly explains, as if even just telling us what happened exhausts him. Poor Kiibo...I know exactly how he feels. "He was probably bugging me because he didn't have Prairie around to annoy, so I'm relieved she's finally come back. Finally he can go back to following her instead."

I take back my sympathy immediately and completely.

"I'll take you apart and turn you into my bedroom refrigerator if you ever insult me like that ever again," I state clearly, looking straight at Kiibo until he squirms and holds up his hands pathetically with a nervous squeak.

"S-Sorry…!" Kiibo apologizes.

"Anyways, that knocks Kokichi off the list of suspects...now, does everyone else have an alibi for daytime and night?" Shuichi queries.

"Ah, I was with Angie and Himiko in the gym! We were setting up for Himiko's magic show the whole day!" Tenko claims, making Angie and Himiko nod and thumbs up in agreement.

"I was...sleeping in the casino. Considering I was alone, I don't really have a-" Rantaro starts to say, only to be cut off with Monophanie suddenly noting, "He even looks handsome when he sleeps…! I was watching him the whooole time until he woke up to grab a snack and continue gambling.."

"Right. Until you came by and screwed it all up for me, isn't that right? Hey, was it fun unplugging the casino machine and making me lose all my progress right as I was about to hit the amount to receive a hotel key?" Rantaro demands, prompting my jaw to drop a little. He was so close to getting the key yesterday and Monophanie ruined it for him?

Is _that _why he's so upset with her?! Because she ruined his chances at getting a hotel key to see me right as he was about to win one?!

"Y-You would have been able to see Prairie and then...then you'd make up with her! And what if things progressed from there! What if you two fell in love?! Or made out! Or something _else_ dastardly and awful?! L-Like...got _schwifty!"_ Monophanie gasps in horror.

"That's some imagination you have. Either way, regardless of what happens between Prairie and I is _our _business. Not yours," Rantaro responds, finally turning around to look at the pink bear. She flinches suddenly, squeaking as she holds Rantaro's gaze. I can only imagine the look he's giving her to make her react like that, considering he's facing away from me. "So _stay out of it_ if you know what's good for you."

When Rantaro turns back to us, his green eyes meet my curiously questioning blue hues. As soon as he realizes my attention is on him, he gives me a warm smile. My heart proceeds to melt and I grab my hair to hide my face so he doesn't see it turn pink.

"Alright. I was with Kaito searching the school and generally just hanging out and trying to find my key...and I believe Gonta and Tsumugi went searching around the casino area together, correct?"

"Right!" Tsumooooove out of the way states, followed by Gonta's affirmative hum.

"I was with Kokichi mostly during the day, but I eventually requested Korekiyo to assist me when Kokichi upped and left. Presumably when he found the key, I guess…" Kiibo states, prompting Kokichi to chuckle.

"So no one's interested in learning _where _I found the key, right?" Kokichi asks, prompting us to turn towards him again. Every time I think he can't possibly have anything more to contribute to the class trial, he surprises all of us…

"Um...is that important then?" Tsumugi asks, causing Kokichi to grin.

"Of course it is. You know, I thought it was weird that not one, but two people were late to meet with us in Kirumi's lab after the body discovery announcement. Kirumi I could see a reason why, since she tried to kill Prairie Dog and that'd be _super _awkward to walk in and see the person you tried to totally kill. Himiko said Angie was supposed to meet her at the laundry room to help her wash her clothes, and yet when Prairie Dog arrived to walk Himiko to breakfast with Tenko, Angie apparently still hadn't shown up," Kokichi states, even though Angie looks unaffected by his statements entirely.

I wonder what she's thinking about having to hear Kokichi's accusations grow. It's a clear attempt at painting Angie to be a possible culprit, but she doesn't look concerned. She must be very confident about her innocence.

And then Kokichi surprises us with more information.

"So that makes the fact I found Shuichi's hotel key in Angie's coat pocket all the more interesting, don't you think?"

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 3.18 - Into the Trial Grounds_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Art Spot~
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> [Prairie Marble Sprites 1 + 2](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188876865905/two-sprites-i-made-of-prairie-marble-with-more-to)  

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[Repainted Prairie Splash Art](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619138941644423168/updated-repaint-of-the-splash-art-for-prairie)  

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> [Prairie Marble Intro Card](https://ribbonstarreset.tumblr.com/post/188899299260/the-ultimate-rock-climber-prairie)  

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> [String Theory Cover V.12](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619137317592072192/string-theory-drv3-cover-v12-v12-316)  

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> [Prairie’s Straightened Hair](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/619755999251791872/straight-hair)  

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	48. Weed Out The Lies

❀ _**3.19 - Weed Out The Lies**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_ **A/N:**  
_ _Before we get on with the chapter, I'd like to first address a change I made throughout this fic. _ _If you've read to this point, you'll know Kokichi was referred to as a "rat" oftentimes in the fic for comedic reasons, but it's recently come to my attention that this is a racial slur that was used around WW2 to describe Japanese people in a really disgusting manner._

_To make things worse, Prairie is highlighted to be raised in America and Kokichi is Japanese. Double-hell-no._

_For that reason, I've mass edited the story on all platforms I update it on and the new personalized insult Prairie uses for Kokichi is now "leech" and "Leech Face". I don't want my story to make light of something nasty, especially now that I'm aware of it. I really don't care if it was "a while ago", because that sort of stuff still carries on and I want no part in the participation of upholding racial stereotypes._

_Anyways, that's all. Carry on with the fic :3_

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"Hah? Suggesting me out of the blue, Kokichi? Atua is my witness- he may vouch for my innocence," Angie gracefully claims, hands coming together before herself in a prayer as she casts Kokichi a pleasant grin.

Meanwhile, I'm still seated between Shuichi and said mouthy leech with a stunned expression on my face, feeling just a tad bit annoyed. I knew he was sitting quietly over a couple of his own little discoveries, but that's a tad bit more important than saying something like "I found it outside Ryoma's Ultimate Lab," or "I found it in the girls bathroom". It's irritating he wouldn't even tell me that, considering I've always been open with him at least on my end of the-

_Well, there's where you went wrong. You shouldn't be so open with him if you know he's not going to do the same to you._

Obviously my brain to mouth connection doesn't quite click properly together, likely a result of Kokichi's doing as well. My brain rewards me when I tell him things and in return he gives me, of which he confirmed before the trial, more attention than he does with the other ultimates here. That could be a lie to make me feel more important to him despite him clearly stating he wants nothing to do with me on any legitimate level though…

_This is all confusing. I hate it. I hate feeling this way. And even more, I hate even that my thoughts keep crawling back to him when this trial has nothing to __**do**_ _with him. What the heck's so special about him?_

_I shouldn't be around him anymore...from this point on, I'm avoiding him at all costs and using a chair to keep the door shut!_

Casing Kokichi a side glance he doesn't notice since he's occupied with trying to argue with Angie over the fact only _she _conveniently can hear the voice of her god, I let out a small sigh. Avoiding Kokichi...easier said than done. He really is like a leech at times like these. He attaches himself to me and usually refuses to move unless it's of his own will.

Still, he can't play with my feelings like this. I'm not going to let him.

"You already heard it from Tenko! I was in the gym all day helping prepare a magic show for everyone with Himiko! Now, that doesn't sound like something a murderer would do, no? I was with them the entire day," Angie clarifies, completely at ease by the looks of it. She's actually quite similar to Kokichi, save for the devotion to her god, Atua. Both of them put on plastic smiles regardless of whether the situation calls for it or not, and they're both oddly lacking in the empathy category.

_Although, I guess lack of empathy may stretch to a few more people here- namely those that followed me around after my demotive video caused me to have a breakdown..._

"Realistically, you should have left the gym at least a few times. Either to eat, to relieve yourself in the bathroom, gather supplies, or even simply to take a break from the hard work. Did you partake in any of those activities, or are you suggesting you actually spent the whole day in the gym?" Korekiyo inquires, a hand under his chin as he tinkers with his mask thoughtfully. He makes a good point, but...I don't personally think it was Angie. Even if it is unexpected that she was carrying Shuichi's key in her pocket. The question is whether Kokichi is lying about finding the key in her pocket or not.

"Oh, I most certainly did! Buuut…" Angie begins before gesturing brightly to Himiko with a sweep of her arms, prompting the magician girl to answer, "Nyeh...we all went together for all those things…"

"I'm sure it's _possible _she could have found it on our trips out of the gym, but don't you think we would have noticed her bend down to pick something up? Besides, look at her pockets, they're in plain sight!" Tenko argues. I know she doesn't like Angie, but I'm glad she's not the type of person to try and pit blame on someone just because of disliking them. "You probably murdered Ryoma and hid the key the whole time! In fact, I'll bet you're just playing this little distraction game to confuse us all and save your own skin! It's something only a _degenerate male _would think to do!"

...I guess men don't get that same benefit as Angie.

"I presume you were all together since none of you wanted to run into Kirumi by yourselves, right?" Shuichi asks, prompting Himiko to shiver noticeably and Angie to clap her hands with a little jump.

"That's absolutely right!" She chirps, turning to look at Kokichi. "And there you have it! Not only is Atua on my side, but I have Himiko and Tenko as my alibi~! Also, I'd like to remind everyone that the victim of this case is _Ryoma, _not Prairie. Even if I _did _have the key, withholding it would make absolutely no sense! See, why would I want to have the Ultimate Detective prowling around if I wanted to kill Ryoma? A smart culprit would return Shuichi his key so he can waste time babying Prairie and keep out of their way."

"Angie. Be careful," I warn her with a charming smile of my own, followed closely by Angie's happy response, "I am simply speaking that which Atua tells me to speak."

"Don't bully my Prairie Dog. Either way, that doesn't change the fact I found the key in your pocket, oh devoted one~" Kokichi reminds her, probably well aware of the nasty look I shoot him from his side. I'm not his _anything._

"It also doesn't change the fact I _can't _be the culprit because of my alibi, mister supreme leader~" Angie easily counters, a little wink to Kokichi that spurs a familiar annoying stab at my head. I struggle to shake off the feeling, even though I'm well aware the wink isn't a flirty gesture whatsoever on Angie's part.

"Maybe...the key was placed in her pocket and she didn't notice. Did you three see anyone else yesterday? In fact, did you even see _Kokichi?_ Also, no hard feelings to Angie, but I'd prefer to hear an answer from either Tenko or Himiko_,"_ Rantaro states with narrowed green eyes, prompting Angie to smile sweetly but say nothing to Rantaro's obvious mistrust. I guess I can see why she'd keep her mouth shut this time, it would look kinda suspicious if she argued against his request.

"Nnn, we passed Kaito and Shuichi at one point…also Kiibo and Kokichi," Himiko admits, prompting Kokichi to chuckle when Tenko makes a distraught growl from her podium.

"Kokichi was _totally _harassing us yesterday...I would have grabbed him if I wasn't already watching Himiko and Angie's backs!" Tenko claims as she turns to shoot Kokichi daggers with her eyes.

_I wonder what compelled him to put himself between two very violent girls...he clearly didn't think this through. Even if I wasn't hitting him, he still has Tenko to deal with...although she's done a pretty good job at keeping her hands to herself. Clearly I'm the only one with self-control issues, I guess..._

"Well, I guess Shuichi can be crossed off since it's his key that was missing in the first place...but Kaito also serves as his alibi that he didn't slip his own key anywhere or lie about his lost key, right?" Kiibo points out, prompting Kaito to nod in agreement.

"Yeah, we were searching for the key together yesterday, there was nothing suspicious on our end!" Kaito proudly claims, only to be followed quickly by Kokichi commenting, "Save for that suspiciously creepy goatee of yours, right?"

"H-Hey! My goatee is perfectly fine! I'm sure the girls think so too! Right, Prairie?!" Kaito asks, looking at me and making me quickly turn away so I don't have to respond. What a rigged question…! If I say 'yes', everyone else might get the wrong idea and think I'm crushing on _him _too! But if I say 'no', I look like a jerk! Nope, I think I'll just stay out of this one. "Prairie…? No…?! Aw, come on! Goatees aren't creepy!"

Korekiyo taps his fingers on his podium. "Alright, likewise we can assume based on Kaito's testimony that Shuichi will also stand as Kaito's alibi as well. Since Kokichi is alleging he pocketed the key from Angie himself, it wouldn't make sense for him to have placed it there to begin with, therefore he is not the culprit...in this presumptuous scenario which we have no way of solidly confirming as of yet."

"With Kiiboy, I would have _definitely _noticed if he slipped anything in Angie's pocket too, so it wasn't him. Isn't that great, Kiiboy? You're totally off the suspect list! Now we won't have to dismantle you and take out your hard drive to sift through all those files for the video evidence of you murdering Ryoma in cold blood!" Kokichi laughs, watching as Kiibo grits his teeth and makes a valiant effort to not throw something back at him. Still, _'robophobe'_ manages to hiss from between his teeth indignantly.

"In that case, that means everyone that encountered the girls all have an alibi for the scenario in which a key was placed in Angie's pocket. So...either Kokichi is lying or Angie is lying," Rantaro claims, much to the frustration of the rest of us.

_Why can't Kokichi just comply? Why does he have to lie about stupid things like this?_

I look towards him even though I'd rather not look at him at all given the circumstances of my feelings, throwing him a look of frustration that could pass for simple annoyance and suspicion in the eyes of the others. Noticing my gaze on him, Kokichi smiles at me and folds his arms behind his neck casually.

_I know I dislike you to some degree. I just need to find what I hate the most about you and focus on that so I can get over these weird feelings. You don't deserve one bit of my attention._

"Perhaps our religious acquaintance is concealing the truth and truly withheld Shuichi's key. I wouldn't put it past her wanting vengeance after Prairie did to her face. Prior to that, I believe we're all well aware of the fact the two girls do not get along whatsoever. She probably wanted the key all to herself so she could take advantage of the golden target motive…" Korekiyo cackles in morbid amusement.

"But...Angie right that trial is for Ryoma. Why we focus on motive for Small Prairie?" Gonta asks, visibly confused to the point he plays with his hair as he contemplates the happenings of the trial.

"Because any suspicious activities should be addressed. We could miss crucial details if we simply brush it off. If Angie is innocent, I can't imagine why she wouldn't want to admit something...on the condition Kokichi isn't in fact throwing us all for a loop," Kirumi answers, eyes flicking my way momentarily. My stomach swells with mild anxiety. "Furthermore, I have the sense that Kokichi is not lying when he claims he found the key in Angie's pocket."

This catches my attention, considering her gaze remains locked on me. Is she putting her trust in Kokichi's word because _I _believe in his innocence? As much as I find the idea of someone trusting me an intriguing thought, the fact remains that Kirumi still wants to kill me herself...her view of me as an equal sort of falls short since I feel like she's been looking at me much like a predator looks at their prey.

"I think Angie's lying."

Everyone turns their attention to Maki at the same time, most of us visibly stunned by the different tune she's now playing. Does that mean she suspects Angie is the murderer? Or does she simply believe she's lying in this instance but retains innocence?

"But Himiko and I-" Tenko starts, only for her to immediately be cut off by Maki continuing with, "Don't tell me you and Himiko would have noticed. Himiko has the attention span of a goldfish, I find it hard to believe she'd notice her own head missing if it could detach from her shoulders."

Both Tenko and Himiko make respective noises of horror, with Himiko herself grabbing at her neck as the blood drains from her face. She looks like she's vibrating from the intensity of her shivers- in fact I wouldn't be surprised if she vibrated straight off the podium.

"Also, on _your _end…" Maki stresses, affixing her attention on Tenko now. "If Himiko was around, your attention would likely have been glued only to her. You can't expect us to put our faith in the two of you with that in mind."

Silence. I'm sure I'm not the only one quietly agreeing with Maki right now though…

"N-Nyeh...she's right...I wasn't really paying attention, I guess...but it's not because I have a bad attention span," Himiko manages to quell some of her tremors to huff, pulling at her hat in annoyance. Obviously Maki's words don't sit well with her. "It's spontaneous astral projection of my overflowing mana capacity…"

"Oh?! Did you manage to see Prairie Dog doing her murderous misdeeds during your out of body experience?" Kokichi asks, eyes sparkling with mocking eagerness. Oh, so I guess he's gonna jump back to accusing me as a joke, huh? I'm so close to smacking the back of his head again, I'm getting tired of his interruptions.

"...no. I don't retain solid memories while I astral project, since I abandon half of my mind to keep up a facade with my flesh body…it's more like liquid memories that slip between the gaps of my fingers before I can remember…"

"Awe, bummer...how'd someone with weak magic like you manage to get the Ultimate Initiative's attention? I bet you couldn't even put a true hex on me. I guess you really _are _the Ultimate Magician then! Your mage powers pull a rather convincing disappearing act whenever we hit a huge roadblock! I mean, that _totally _counts, right?" Kokichi laughs, causing Himiko's frown to deepen and her hands to fist at her sides. Looking at her from where I am, I can tell she's actually hurt by Kokichi calling her out like that…

Likewise, Tenko looks to be on the brink of leaping off her podium to reach for Kokichi. Although Rantaro is not the most aggressive, I can't help but be momentarily reminded of the fact Tenko and Himiko's relationship is quite similar to mine with Rantaro. Tenko hovers over Himiko's back a little more closely than Himiko seems to like, but it comes from a good place. Still...I don't want Tenko to overreact and make Himiko hate her or something- like what happened with Rantaro and I.

So I do what I do best.

I reach over and smack the back of Kokichi's head just a bit harder than I'd done before. At the feeling, his laugh abruptly cuts off and he turns to face me. He's still wearing his favorite plastic smile, but for once his violet eyes flash with nearly imperceivable rage. I can tell he's finally gotten fed up with my physical abuse to his cranium, something I'm not sure anyone else would notice since I'm only able to pick this up from how much time I've spent around him. Either way, he's pissed off. He looks ready to say something that I'm not going to like…

_Heck no _ _ **he ** _ _gets to tell me off when he's the one in the wrong right now._

"Kokichi, _shut up_," I speak up sharply before he can say anything, seemingly startling him into silence. "If you make one more rude and useless remark to anybody else, trust me, I can and WILL break your nose!"

"..." Kokichi actually looks a little speechless. The expression on his face is actually in full view for everyone to see for once, staring at me in stunned disbelief that garners a feeling of pride in myself for being able to tell him off enough to silence him- up until he opens his mouth to say, "Dominatrix."

My eyebrows knit together in confusion at his comment. "Domin...atrix"?

"Prairie Dog's a little dominatrix, I see! Now it all makes sense!" Kokichi announces, like he's made a grand discovery of which I don't quite understand. "She's so small and stuff- I guess it's only expected she would have this hunger for power! Though with what I learned at the hotel this morning, It's a bit unexpected..."

"Huh? What do you mean? What's a dominatrix?" I ask, hearing sputtering from a few of the other students around us in horror, especially Rantaro. Of course he's quick to compose himself to give Kokichi a death glare that Kokichi only snorts in amusement at.

"Kokichi, shut up," Himiko is now stating clearly, the slow tone to her voice completely lacking at this point.

"What? It's true though! Prairie Dog's a total freak!" Kokichi claims, of which I completely understand to be an insult to me.

"Hey, I'm not a freak, I'm perfectly normal! If anyone's a freak, it's you!" I argue, hands on my hips as I turn to face him completely.

"Oh, really? You don't even understand what I'm telling them, Prairie Dog. Just sit tight there and let the adults do all the talking, m'kay?" Kokichi coos, reaching over and pinching my cheek until I slap his arm away from my face in disgust.

"What's _wrong _with you?" I growl, rubbing my cheek where he pinched it and opening my mouth to throw him some more colorful insults until he cuts me off.

"Prairie Dog has a _tickle fetish!"_

…

…

"What? What the heck's that supposed to mean?" I demand, hearing more horrified gasps and sputters when I state I don't understand.

_This is getting ridiculous. What are they making those noises for? What don't I know? What is Kokichi telling them?!_

"Can you guys stop that? Someone just tell me what a dominatrix and a fetish is!" I ask, trying to meet the gazes of the students not affected. Korekiyo seems to smile under his mask, but doesn't answer me when I look his way. Turning to Kirumi, she's not even focused on me, staring at Angie thoughtfully from where the platinum blonde haired artist stands with a pleasant smile to her face. She seems to be enjoying the derailment of the topic...

"Gonta...Gonta also no understand neither…" Gonta speaks up as well, looking a little nervous by everyone's reactions. As if it couldn't get any worse, the same people: namely Shuichi, Rantaro, Tenko, Himiko, Kaito, and Tsu-moo-moo is a total-boo-boo, make even more sputters of disbelief at Gonta's admission.

"Uh...according to my diction database for the English language-" Kiibo begins to speak up hesitantly with an anxious expression etched across his synthetic features, only for Rantaro to immediately stop him with, "Kiibo, _not another word."_

"I can tell you!" Kokichi proudly chirps, jumping up and down with his hands pressed to the side of the podium facing me. "A dominatrix is a girl that's super domi-"

Hands are suddenly over my ears and from his other side, making me squirm a little before I realize through Kokichi flapping his gums silently is Shuichi blocking my hearing. I can't hear Kokichi, even as I struggle to remove Shuichi's hands. By the time I get them off and whirl around to smack the timid detective for his interference, of which he doesn't appear at all affected by (moreso seemingly affected out of shame as he apologizes to me profusely), Kokichi is sighing and looking rather dejected beside us.

"Aw, bummer. Shuichi censored everything...and I find myself too lazy to repeat it," Kokichi laments, much to my absolute anger. Are you _kidding me? _Everyone was in on making sure I don't know! What is it?! What the heck is a dominatrix?! What's a _fetish_?! Why are they so convinced I shouldn't know those words when THEY know what those words mean! We're all the SAME AGE.

"I hate _all of you," _I huff moodily, crossing my arms at my podium and resorting to an angry pout of quiet rage. Whatever. Going by Gonta's horribly embarrassed expression, I can only imagine what they said for him to have a look like _that _on his face...I'm nearly embarrassed even before knowing what the words mean- to the point I almost don't want to look up what they mean after all.

Key word: _almost._

"You're all annoying. No wonder you get along with each other," Maki snaps, once again subject to having to redirect us back on track. "Angie could have found the key and kept it to try and see Prairie since she realized Monokuma wasn't going to take the key from her. Whether to kill Prairie or not is up for debate, but she definitely had the key at some point."

Tenko clears her throat, readjusting her bangs before she speaks. "Okay, you know, at some point I _do_ remember Angie was looking for something she thought she dropped before we left the gym last night to head for the dormitories together. This wasn't while we were out though, it was while we were still in the gym. She never actually told us exactly what she was looking for…"

"And this was before or after running into Kokichi and Kiibo?" Shuichi asks, causing Himiko to perk up and suddenly respond in her usual slow drawling voice, "Oh, I remember that. It happened after we saw Kokichi...also, we didn't run into the two like you're imagining though...they came into the gym and approached us themselves."

"Then that would have been the perfect moment for Kokichi to snatch the key...what time was it when you met with them?" Kaito asks, the rest of the students more or less calmed after whatever storm Kokichi surged up prior.

Me on the other hand?

I'm still grouchy.

_I wanna go back to my room and brood like it's Friday the thirteenth._

"It was just about to hit nine twenty-eight in the night, from what I recall. My internal clock is never wrong!" Kiibo comments, tapping his chest with a fist lightly.

"Hmm, that sounds sorta familiar...where have I heard that before?" Monokuma interjects thoughtfully to the surprise of most of us. I almost forgot he was here with the way we've been conversing and arguing with one another. "It escapes me like a good shit, but I'll bet I'll remember someday!"

"E-Eh? Daddy can poop? Is he like one of those take-care-of-me dolls they sell to children?" Monophanie inquires, paws on her cheeks as she gazes back at Monokuma.

"Who knows, but that's creepy. You think his eyes would shut if we tipped him sideways too?" Monosuke contemplates, following her gaze.

"Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you two try tippin' him over and find out?" Monokid suggests with a wild grin, almost looking as crazy as he used to be prior to when I accidentally "corrupted" him. Both Monophanie and Monosuke turn to look at him at his comment, prompting Monokid to drop the crazy look and huff, "Well, it was worth a shot."

"Killing-Is-Not-The-Answer-Monokid," Monodam robotically speaks up for once, looking somewhat on edge at his attempts to get his siblings in trouble. At that, Monokid turns to face him, paw on his sides.

"I'm not trying to _kill _them, they weren't gonna listen to me anyways," Monokid defends himself, sighing when Monodam's look doesn't relax. He just turns away from the green dual-toned bear to focus on the trial room.

"Daddy, we should beat the crap out of Monokid again after this trial!" Monophanie chirps brightly, words barely phasing the punk monokub who seems unaffected by her threatening pleas for Monokuma's divine justice. I'm not sure how much Monokuma dislikes Monokid right now, so it does make me reasonably nervous to hear her asking Monokuma to do that. Also…"again". So then after Kaede and Monotaro were eliminated, was Mokokid also beaten senseless by them?

My heart throbs in pain at the thought, enough to sober up my distraught emotions towards the other ultimates. I know he's a robot and he doesn't actually feel physical pain like the rest of us- save for Kiibo- but still...that must have caused emotional distress still. And I don't like the thought of that for one of the bears that has been looking out for me.

Kokichi can think what he wants about Monokid possibly betraying me. At this point, I honestly don't think he will.

"Huh, I didn't know that bear could talk…" Bessie Bovine thoughtfully comments, turning back towards us with Rantaro and brushing some of her navy blue hair over her shoulder. She's not the most talkative now that she's in the trial, is she? No references, no thoughts to contribute...I bet since she has access to the same cameras Monokuma uses, wherever they may be, she already knows exactly how the murder played out. I presume she's just staying as unassuming as possible so she doesn't accidentally blurt out anything important...

"I think we can look at this from another angle...if Angie murdered Ryoma, that could have been her motive to try and visit Prairie. Yes, the trial is for Ryoma's death and not for Prairie. However, we're all well aware that the evidence of the survival knife left behind mainly frames _Prairie_ as the murderer. Angie could have tried to visit Prairie to further implicate her as the murderer," Shuichi points out a theory, making us all turn to look at him.

He brings up a very good point...way to pop a hole in Angie's logic, wow.

…

"Do you have anything to say, Angie? If we continue and follow evidence that leads us to the wrong conclusion, all of us hit the chopping block!" Kaito reminds her, only for us to all turn to Angie to find her humming lowly to herself as if meditating. "...Angie? Is this really the time to be meditating?"

"I think she's...praying. Which in this case, might actually be the perfect time to do if she really is the culprit," Kiibo says as we all study Angie patiently for a response on her part.

"Ah, I have heard his words…Nyahaha~! Atua has granted me his blessings to come clean and explain!" Angie says with a delighted giggle, much to the shock of the rest of us. To "come clean"?!

_Wait, did Angie _ _ **actually ** _ _kill Ryoma?! She's just dropping the ball and resorting to confessing the murder?!_

"Wait, you really did it?! B-But we had a sleepover last night with Himiko! I trusted you!" Tenko accuses, horror written all over her face as she stares at Angie.

"No. I did not kill Ryoma," Angie states first and foremost, prompting a collective sigh among all of us who'd been watching her with bated breath. "I did find Shuichi's key though! It was just on the floor near the girls side of the dormitories, so Atua told me to snatch it up. This may have been about...hmm, eight at night!"

"See? I was telling the truth and you all _doubted _me! I hate jokes and lies!" Kokichi claims haughtily, making me roll my eyes where I am beside him. I never noticed, but his voice is really annoying. Someone should slap a muzzle on him.

"So you kept it to see Prairie...why? What did you need to see her for?" Rantaro asks calmly, but Angie just shakes her head to Rantaro in a clear answer of refusal. She doesn't want to say?

"That's private between me, Prairie, and Atua. There are some things that must remain undisclosed, regardless of the circumstances," Angie plainly responds, before adding, "As for withholding the key, I meant to return the key to Shuichi as soon as I finished speaking to Prairie at the hotel. Atua does not take pride in thievery, but as it would seem...I ended up being robbed by a godless wretch anyways! Nyahaha, who would have thought!"

"If you were completely aware of your innocence, why didn't you simply admit it? Why such an elaborate effort to conceal the truth?" Kirumi inquires, still seemingly graceful despite the stitches under her eye which...actually looks very neat compared to Kokichi's work on my calf, as good of a job as he did. She made hers look like the ribbon design of a corset, whereas the stitches at my calf looks more like...well, a fishbone style.

"Well, we'll hold you to that unless new evidence comes up. Although I want to ask, do you think you know who could have dropped the key? Perhaps if it was near anyone's door in particular?" Shuichi inquires clearly. He sounds a bit more confident now that the trial is rolling on again. I guess he's noticed he should probably speak more so we don't derail so often...we're bound to pay more attention with the Ultimate Detective guiding the trial, but I have to wonder if he can actually control us that well with such a reserved attitude like he has.

_No, don't think like that. He definitely can! He didn't get that title from out of nowhere, he must be a great detective! Reserved or not, Shuichi will get us out of this mess, and if he needs help, the rest of us are here. Extra help and I'll use my intuition to weed out the lies for him._

"It wasn't near any specific room, but I saw it's pretty glitter underneath the steps by the girls' rooms in plain sight! I'm surprised no one had found it by then, truly it was a miracle of a find," Angie chirps, watching Shuichi look away to contemplate.

"Hey. Detective."

Besides just Shuichi, everyone looks towards Maki when she speaks up. It's quite unlike the sharp tone she's used every time we get off topic and needs to herd us into an organized conversation. We haven't derailed again so far or anything, and I can't imagine she would mention anything worthwhile considering she didn't stay to investigate with the rest of us...so what's she getting Shuichi's attention for.

_He has a name...she doesn't need to be so rude about it._

"How sure are we that this murder took place specifically in the Ultimate Maid's Lab?" Maki asks, prompting looks of confusion to cross a few faces around us. Kokichi actually has the nerve to try casting me a knowing glance, which I turn away from immediately. Stupid Kokichi acting like we're a team or something...like the filthy swamp leech he is…

"I'll tell you the meaning of the words when we finish the trial, Prairie Dog~ Please play nice with me for now," I hear him whisper by my ear discreetly, turning to look at him where he stands with two hands together in a plea to match his innocent begging pout. He's...totally playing up his cuteness on purpose.

I don't wanna "play nice" with him though! I want him to leave me alone forever- he probably said something awful about me to everyone anyways! Why would I play nice with someone who doesn't respect me?

I turn away from him again, grunting in response.

_I refuse to acknowledge his existence. I don't care how nice he's trying to be with me._

I feel something light slip over my right ear, making me reach up to feel Kokichi's hand as he's pulling it back. I almost grab it and turn to ask him what he's doing, but I feel something smooth in my hair. My hand follows the smooth thing instead, up until I realize what it is and resist making a noise of abject disgust.

He put another stupid flower in my hair. Where did he even get one when we've been down here for a while anyways?

_Wait, did he get this from the garden outside the elevator? Why? Did he pocket it so…?_

The fact he specifically got it to put in my hair is an almost touching sentiment, if I didn't know he just planned in advance since I'm still pretty angry for what he said when we were alone. I want to rip the flower out of my hair and throw it at his face to let him know my forgiveness can't be bought with pretty things, but I resort to just ignoring it and crossing my arms in front of me again. It would be a waste of the flower to throw it at him, that's all. I don't wanna ruin something so pretty...keeping it has nothing to do with Kokichi. It's just a dumb flower.

The trial- _focus _on it.

I return my attention to what Maki is saying, only to see that she and everyone else is staring at Kokichi and I quietly. The shock is enough to make me freeze like a deer caught in headlights. Did they all see him put the flower in my hair? No one's saying anything…!

_I'm embarrassed, I wanna hide!_

I tug as many of my curly locks over my face as I possibly can, feeling the rush of heat as it burns my face under my portable shame sanctuary.

"What? I can flirt whenever I want to, don't stare at me like that. You don't need us geniuses to hold your hands through this trial," Kokichi huffs, looking a tad bit annoyed when I peek through my curls up at him. Huh, and I thought he liked getting everyone's attention. He always struck me as the attention hog type, so I can only imagine why he suddenly dislikes finding everyone staring at us.

_Besides that though, he thinks I'm a "genius"? Where is he getting that idea...?_

"Monokuma. Unless you want this trial to go on forever, I suggest putting Kokichi back where he was originally assigned," Rantaro comments to my relief, offering me a sympathetic look when I peek from over my curls at him. I hope I'm conveying the message "please save me" well enough from across the room. To think I'd be over here _praying _Monokuma listens and decides to put Kokichi away from me.

"Nope! I like this seating arrangement, actually. Plus, it's entertaining enough for me! It's not _my _problem if you brats can't control yourselves!" Monokuma laughs, followed closely by Kokichi's snicker.

"Nee-hee-hee! That's right, I'm not going aaanywhere~!" Kokichi chirps, leaning just a bit closer to my podium so I'm sure to hear it. So much for him trying to get me to play nice with me- any efforts towards winning my compliance.

_I think I'll just go against him entirely for the rest of this trial. I'm not keeping any more of his secrets and I'm not gonna pretend I don't know something when I do. I don't need this clown's help._

"Since you two were distracted, allow me to fill you in. We were discussing the puddle of blood in the Ultimate Maid's Lab and how it appears strange. Apparently it's strange for it being Ryoma's final moments preceeding his death," Kiibo reiterates for us before shifting his gaze elsewhere in deep thought. "I can't see what's wrong with it myself, save for the fact it was hidden rather carelessly under a vacuum like an afterthought."

"That's not what I mean by it being strange," Maki sighs, as if she expected no one would be able to pinpoint what she noticed.

"Er, was it maybe the fact there was no blood on the body…?" She from Ol' McDonald's farm asks, causing Maki to shake her head. Maki's sort of hesitating in saying what it is she's noticed, but I can't really tell why. She wants one of us to point it out ourselves? Well, let's see if I can be that someone.

_What's strange about the puddle of blood...well, it was sloppily hidden under a vacuum like Kiibo pointed out, if you could really call _ _ **that ** _ _"hiding" it. A single puddle of blood and that's it. No other globules, no exaggerated messy splatters. That might be what she's talking about, actually!_

"Maki, you mean that the puddle was just a single pool of blood, right?" I point out, noting a flash of something unexpectedly aggressive in Maki's eyes for a sliver of a moment. Something about it makes me regret speaking up on my thoughts, but it's much too late to take back what I've said. Besides, it's important anyways- she should have elaborated on it herself if she _actually _didn't want anyone answering! What's with her mixed signals?

_Unless she was trying to see who would jump up with speaking up about the crime scene's oddity? Like a sort of "gotcha" trap for the culprit? I mean, anyone who's got a brain and was paying attention would have noticed too though...right?_

"Yeah, I noticed the same thing," Shuichi, a walking blessing in the disguise of a pervert, speaks up to follow on my words. He's oblivious of Maki's trained glare on me, so he doesn't pause as he continues to say, "The puddle is just a single pool of blood left out. Ryoma's neck wound was caused by a stabbing motion. Although his neck was stitched up, you can still see that the neck wound is messy and bruised at some parts- like he'd been fighting to get away after he was initially struck. Since the location of the killing blow clearly shows signs of a struggle, it's strange that the place we believe Ryoma spent his last moments don't match the evidence left on his body."

Maki is still staring at me, so I choose to just look down at my podium where I can't see her mad-dogging me. She definitely changed her mind over the culprit since I answered her- why did I think I would be helpful at all in this trial? Everything I do ruins everything. Maybe that's why Kokichi wants me to follow his lead- because I always screw everything up royally.

_Don't think like that! You're capable of handling this on your own. If Maki suspects you, let her. She'll be proven wrong eventually, whether by myself, Shuichi, or any of the other students!_

"The puddle is perfectly shaped like Ryoma just _let _it happen...and even if he had been okay with dying, there would definitely still be a struggle regardless of his willingness. The instinct to try and survive is hardwired into every living creature, even if it triggers a second too late," Shuichi explains, closing his eyes for a second. "That being said, this is proof he didn't die in the Ultimate Maid's lab."

_Shuichi definitely already knew that, but I guess he needed to give closure on the other possibility first. The truth beyond a reasonable doubt._

"That means the body was moved then! How could they have done that without getting blood anywhere else? There's no blood anywhere in here save for that puddle- and nobody else saw blood outside of this room- right?" Kiibo asks, a chorus of varying agreements from the rest of us. Even I have to attest to that, there wasn't any blood in the hotel either- save for my own blood when I got attacked checking my old hotel room.

"The stitches," Kirumi chimes in, a hand on her hip as she gently fingers her own work under her eye. "They were placed to keep the blood in while they brought the body here. It seems arbitrary that the stitches would be painted over simply to hide the method of Ryoma's death when the culprit would end up leaving the survival knife behind to implicate Prairie. Why hide something so obvious? However, if the goal was rather to hide the fact the body was moved...it makes a little more sense they would go that extra mile to cover it. Although I have to wonder why they didn't think we wouldn't try to examine the body that closely. Perhaps they had the idea we would be too queasy at the idea of touching the body? Had Prairie and Shuichi not been so bold, I would have done it myself too."

Rantaro snorts at that. "After or before killing Prairie in front of all of us?"

"After."

Peering at the Ultimate Adventurer, I can't help but feel a tad bit uneasy at the absolutely haunting look of calm rage and disgust that's rolled across his refined features. If I didn't know him better, I'd have thought he were planning Kirumi's murder right here, right now. He must really be tired to lose his cool so easily...unless he's just really _that _protective over me?

_See? You don't need to crush on Kokichi when there's a totally nice, caring, and bottomline _ _ **availab-** _

I'm not even going to entertain that thought. I'll just end up being crippled around Rantaro even more if I do.

"Gonta...confused," Gonta speaks up, scratching the back of his head. "Gonta not understand."

"Ah, what's confusing you? I'll help you out with details, don't worry!" Kaito reassures the much larger man, watching as Gonta frowns and continues with his quiet contemplation for a second longer. Eventually he speaks up again though.

"If Ryoma not attacked in lab...where puddle of blood come from? Can't pick up and move blood, right? Not even with vacuum?" Gonta asks, prompting Kaito's grin to go stiff.

Clearly he doesn't have the answers or details on that...

"Nyeh...maybe some managed to seep through the stitches?" Himiko suggests.

"I think those are from the ankles," I gather the courage to speak up again, ignoring Kokichi who clears his throat under his breath for my attention. "I was gonna ask Shuichi, but the cuts at his ankles look much cleaner than the cut at his neck. I figured it must have been made post-mortem or something…"

"I agree with that!" Shuichi jumps back in. "The cuts were much smoother- in fact fresher in general than the cut at Ryoma's neck. When we were rubbing the makeup off of them, blood was just barely forming at the location of Ryoma's ankles. The viscosity was a little thick compared to the usual consistency of blood, so he'd already been dead for a little while. Around his neck though, the blood clot well enough that despite Prairie rubbing the makeup off, blood didn't rush to the surface."

"E-Eh? The _"usual" _consistency of blood…? Just how many dead bodies have you seen before?" The cow from beside the adventuring greek statue questions in horror, the blood draining from her face just a little. "D-Do all the cases you take involve _murders?"_

"Oh, no! No, I'm not accustomed to dead bodies either, I just...know from my studies as an apprentice. I'm not a professional by any stretch of the sense," Shuichi modestly claims in an almost sullen way, prompting Kaito to clicks his tongue. It seems he's gotten a bit used to hearing Shuichi talk down about himself often...well, if anyone can teach Shuichi to have a little more confidence in himself, it's definitely Kaito!

"Good enough for us! None of us are well adapted to this, so we're following your deductions. We trust you, Shuichi. Besides, if it gets too tough, we've always got your back!" Kaito reiterates for the docile detective, making me nod at Shuichi's other side eagerly.

"We've gotten this far, so it's good we have you around. Your guidance is the best thing that we could have asked for being stuck in this miserable situation," I agree, noticing how Shuichi looks from Kaito and I quietly and manages a small smile. "We're counting on you."

Shuichi's expression of relief flitters away as he faces the rest of us, a wave of conviction across his features.

"With us agreeing Ryoma wasn't killed in Kirumi's lab, that means he was killed somewhere else."

I feel someone pull at my sleeve, specifically the right one since my left was discarded back with Ryoma's body after we used it to clean off the makeup on the stitches. Considering there's only _one _person on my other side, I have to debate with myself before reluctantly turning to face him. What does the stupid leech want now?

"It's almost our time to shine, Prairie Dog," Kokichi whispers to me eagerly, much to my irritation. I'm not taking orders from him, I'm doing what I want now. Even if I do mess things up all the time, I'd rather make mistakes than be dumb Kokichi's tool! What makes him think he has some sort of authority over me? His ridiculous pathetic Ultimate Supreme Leader title? I bet if he even _has _underlings like he loves to claim, they probably talk smack about him behind his back!

_"Screw you,"_ I hiss towards Kokichi, but he just grins and waves me off.

"That being said, he was _definitely_ killed somewhere else! In fact, Prairie Dog and I have known where he was killed this entire time!" Kokichi announces cheerfully, completely impervious to the fact I'm trying to set him on fire with my cursed gaze. Something a little like Medusa, but preferably I wouldn't want him turned to stone...or if he did, I'd vandalize every inch of it and make him look super ugly.

"Oh? I guess it's no surprise...you've been looking rather smug from over there since we began speaking of the logistics regarding Ryoma's murder. Since you seem eager enough to share now, then do pray tell where the murder occurred. It would be most appreciated, considering the amount of time you utterly wasted to finally bring it to our attention," Korekiyo remarks, ever so elaborate with expressing himself in that strange way of his.

"Ugh! Degenerate..._leech!_ You're just lumping in Prairie with you because you want her to suffer! She wouldn't keep something like that from us without a good reason!" Tenko accuses Kokichi, activating quite a wave of guilt to rush over me.

_I was only keeping quiet because Kokichi told me to. I don't even know what he's up to. If I told Tenko that though, would she be angry with me and think I'm as much of a degenerate as Kokichi?_

The thought is a concerning one. Tenko is the only girl in the school I truly get along with, and as much as I adore Rantaro, I need some feminine companionship too! I don't think I could survive with only Rantaro, no matter _how _in touch he happens to be with the feminine side of the spectrum! Plus...I don't think Rantaro would want to engage in therapeutic Neo-Aikido and wrestling if I asked him to. That's a Tenko-specific ritual that I'd like to keep between me and her as _our _thing.

"Of course she wouldn't! I blackmailed her to shut up!" Kokichi lies, much to my immediate surprise which I have to desperately conceal. He's lying? Why is he covering for me? He doesn't want me to suffer like he's about to for pulling a fast one over them? "But I'm lifting the stress off of her now, she can talk to her heart's content now! Anyways, for the location of Ryoma's murder-"

"Wait! You can't just brush over-" Himiko speaks up with just a bit more speed in her verbal delivery, visibly miffed by Kokichi trying to brush the "blackmail" bit under the rug quickly.

"Ryoma was killed in the _Love Hotel."_

There's a wave of silence as all eyes jump to Kokichi and I, slowly absorbing this new piece of information. Once the silence has stretched long enough, Kokichi turns to face me.

"Tell them, Prairie," he orders with a grin, nearly causing a vein to burst at my temple. He's ordering me around again! I'm gonna send his teeth flying!

"That line...what a familiar throwback!" Monokuma suddenly interjects in awe, looking more than surprised as he stares Kokichi's way. "Is he secretly an heir to an amassed wealthy fortune too…?!"

"Oh, absolutely! You know, just a day in the life of an Ultimate Supreme Leader with over ten-thousand lackeys at my beck and call. I have to fund my secret organization _somehow! _How would we get our schemes done without big money?" Kokichi points out, relaxing with his arms behind his neck. Where in the world does all this nonsense of his come from? Self-taught improv? It's so annoying!

"Prairie, can you elaborate on what Kokichi was saying?" Rantaro asks, making me look up and immediately relax before I can go trying to punch the swamp leech next to me. The blood once quickly pumping across my arms and to my head slows at the sight of him offering me a soft smile from across the room, enough that I can get a hold on my aggression.

"W-Well...there are objects that were hidden at Kirumi's lab which were specifically taken out of the Hotel Kumasutra. Kokichi can back me up on this since we investigated the hotel together and took pi..." I explain, reaching into the lower gap of my suit to fish out the photos I'd developed...and finding nothing but my skin and the inside fabric of my suit itself.

"Pictures! Right here!" Kokichi chirps, looking mighty proud as he holds them up. I snatch them out of his hands upon the realization I've been pick-pocketed, feeling my face begin to heat up as I promptly swat his head using the pictures and turn to hand them to Shuichi midst Kokichi's impish giggling.

"Yeah, I took pictures of all the weird stuff with Kokichi. This is everything," I say, watching Shuichi shuffle through them before placing them on his podium.

"Okay, I see...the white duvet we found had a faded print I thought I'd seen on the duvet in your hotel room, so I knew the hotel had been important somehow. I guess it was placed in that bucket of bleach to completely destroy the print on it, but some areas weren't removed completely," Shuichi states, prompting me to add, "Yeah, and by the way, it was taken from that same room. The one I was staying in."

Shuichi looks up at me sharply, gold eyes studying me to make sure I'm completely sure with what I've said.

"Something unrelated to the case happened and I switched rooms, but the duvet in question was ripped from my old room. I had already swapped before all of this went down," I explain, prompting a hum from Kaito as he rubs the back of his neck. Wait, does he maybe remember what he did? The whole kabe don and nutcracker thing that went down?

"This is all really confusing, I don't know how anyone can wrap their head around it...detectives really are impressive," Kaito praises, making me bite down on my tongue. This guy really has no idea I kicked him in the family jewels at all. I'm still extremely confused as to how he doesn't remember the encounter at all. I mean, a rival fantasy with jet planes? It's so unorthodox!

"Besides just the duvet, a rope and chain was taken from her old room too! When we were exploring the hotel, we noticed three more chains were gathered from random rooms- but we still don't know why other than that the culprit had some freaky interests. At least you two found those things in the Ultimate Maid Lab during the investigation, right?" Kokichi contributes, for once keeping on track without derailing the conversation.

"...There's only one thing that makes me find it hard to believe that Ryoma would have entered the hotel. Where did he get a key...?" Himiko questions. "The only people gambling excessively was Rantaro, Tenko, and Angie during the time. I never saw Ryoma at any of the machines…"

"Perhaps he found Shuichi's key as well and took advantage of it? Angie testified discovering it much later in the day and had it in her possession up until Kokichi stole it from her at around nine thirty, so that would be an entire day that Ryoma could have recovered the key and utilized it," Korekiyo suggests, propting Shuichi to hum in thought at the suggestion.

"That could be it, but…" Himiko trails off, pursing her lips a bit more. Actually, for having uh, a "donkey lip" as Kokichi called it, it doesn't actually look half bad or anything. In fact, one could even say her lips look rather kissable with that eternal pout of hers. "What would Ryoma be visiting Prairie for anyways…? He wasn't close to anyone here, much less with Prairie."

"Well, we don't actually know he was visiting Prairie at the hotel. For all we know, he was only visiting for the sake of examining the hotel itself," Kiibo points out.

"Maybe he _was _visiting her though! Maybe he had a crush on her because she's so cute!" Kaito so openly admits that I nearly choke on my saliva as I'm inhaling a large gulp of air. "What? It's true."

"D-Don't say that…!" I whine, heat forming across my face as I try to relax my haywire emotions. Kaito of all people isn't allowed to say that- not after what happened with that Love Suite Event that was forced on me!

Tenko makes a grunt at Kaito, giving him a glare that doesn't go unnoticed by the Ultimate Astronaut when he turns his attention to her. "You think so too, right, Tenko?"

She only growls in response, the glare hardening despite the fact Kaito looks to be affected very little.

"Maybe he wanted to kill her," Maki breaks the lighthearted moment with a straight face. It's not something I considered at all, but now that she's pointing it out, I can't help but feel a chill of horror run up my spine. Because seriously, why else _would _Ryoma go up to visit me? He even had a monomachine ticket for a nectarine in his pocket! Was he going to use that to lure me to my downfall?

"Guys, wait! We still don't have evidence he went in for _Prairie _specifically!" Kiibo reminds us all. "This is just speculation, we shouldn't just throw out whatever random idea pops up in our heads. Besides, Prairie has gone through enough, we shouldn't scare her with the idea that _everyone_ wants her dead."

"Actually, there is some evidence that points to him wanting to meet with Prairie for whatever reason or another," Shuichi interjects, eyes shifting towards me apologetically until I wave him off to continue. He doesn't need to worry about me, I'm a big girl. I appreciate Kiibo's concerns, but right now is not the time to be concerned about how I feel on the idea of more than two people having tried to kill me. I just need to remind myself that I always knew this was going to happen- there's no getting away from the fact Monokuma made me a huge target because I kept going against him. Even _before_ when Kaede tried to kill me. "The evidence I'm referring to is the ripped monomachine ticket in Ryoma's pocket. The text is a bit faded and part of it is missing altogether, but there's nothing else it could read but 'nectarine'. Anyone who knows Prairie well enough, whether from spending time with her here or prior to the killing game when she had all her memories, knows that a nectarine is pretty much the most valuable item you can offer her. Based on that, Ryoma was _definitely _at the hotel to visit Prairie."

"...To kill her?" Cow-wow questions, blinking behind her glasses and adjusting the lenses. "I mean, I understand what Maki pointed out, maybe that truly was his motive. Maybe his argument with Rantaro the other day gave him _too much _of a will to live."

"I don't think so. He was ready to just let someone off him and he just _barely _agreed with me, I think. I was still worried he only agreed with me to make me stop talking about it by the time he left to retire into his dorm room," Rantaro states, making Shuichi respond with, "Trust me, your words honestly reached him. He said as much when I bumped into him on the way back to gather Prairie's things with Kokichi's help. Kokichi can corroborate this."

"Nishishi! Yeah, he wasn't all brooding or sulky at all when we went to break into Prairie Dog's room. Then he said something about owing you one, I think. Who knows, he took whatever he was implying down to his grave, no thanks to a certain culprit in this circle," Kokichi agrees, looking a tad bit amused. "Oh…now that I think about it…Shuichi, are you saying it's _Rantaro's_ fault Ryoma is dead? Hmm?"

"Hey!" I object, turning to face Kokichi with a vicious fire lighting my temper. Kokichi hardly casts me a glance, eyes simply shifting my way in careless amusement. Seeing that he's not taking me seriously, I reach out and grab the front of his bandanna to tug him closer where he can look me right in the eyes. "You can't just go around saying whatever you want! Rantaro isn't at fault for trying to talk Ryoma out of a stupid self-sacrificing idea, where the heck do you get these crazy ideas from anyways?!"

"Prairie, it's okay! Calm down!" Rantaro urges across from us. Facing him with a look of obvious frustration, he continues to try talking me down before I can think to punch Kokichi in the face again like I want to. I already even have my arm all reeled back so I can strike him. "Don't worry, it's okay."

..._I don't think that remark Kokichi made is 'okay' by any standards, but Rantaro's right. I'll hold back on my punch. You know, until there's a better moment to punch this leechy clown in the face._

I shove Kokichi back with a furious growl and evidently release my grip snagged around his bandanna, ignoring how he nearly falls back from the force of my push and lets out a small curse of annoyance.

"To my knowledge, Ryoma was visiting Prairie because he wanted to repay Rantaro back by checking on her after her fight with Kirumi," Shuichi explains from my other side. See? If the stupid leech would have said it more tactfully, I wouldn't have tried to assault him just now.

"Yeah, yeah! He also told us he planned to BEAT Prairie Dog to death too!" Kokichi just keeps running his mouth. I feel a jitter of my nerves demanding I just go off with punching him again, but I repeat Rantaro's words in my head and allow my rage to dissipate.

I'm exhausted.

_Getting worked up and angry…is exhausting…_

"Ah, no. Ryoma was implying he hoped to keep his word and told us he was grateful for your effort. In relation to that, it was likely why he had a monomachine ticket for a nectarine in his pocket. It was likely some sort of peace-keeper due to his knowledge on Prairie's aggression," Shuichi brushes Kokichi's efforts to lie aside, looking from Rantaro and myself and back."

"Um, question?" Kiibo speaks up, cyan eyes blinking curiously. "Why a ticket though? Wouldn't it have been better to just bring the cashed out fruit in general? Prairie wouldn't be able to exchange it for the nectarine unless…"

"Yes, that very well might have been intentional," Korekiyo states, prompting Shuichi to nod in agreement. "Bring a ticket for a nectarine rather than the actual nectarine so Prairie may be convinced to depart from the sanctity of the hotel.. Shuichi, I must ask…I noticed the prize tickets for the student store and the tickets from the casino are a tad bit different from one another. That in extension to this, they may only be cashed out in their respective issued locations. Am I correct in guessing the ticket you discovered in Ryoma's pocket was for cashing out exclusively at the casino?"

"That's right. The ticket was meant to be cashed at the casino- not the student store," Shuichi confirms, prompting Rantaro and I to share a look while Korekiyo cackles to himself.

"Then I would be correct in the deduction the intention was to reunite Prairie and Rantaro. Yes?"

"...Exactly my thoughts," Shuichi confirms, looking guilty for having to reveal the truth to Rantaro and I.

I can tell Rantaro isn't immune to the discovery, his face may not express much right now, but his eyes say it all. Personally, I know my face isn't bothering to hide how guilty I feel though. Because I really do feel guilty. And with what Kokichi said…so then it really is Rantaro's fault? And not just his, but _my _fault too?

_Why is it my fault everyone keeps dying?_

I feel awful. I feel worse about caring so little about Ryoma's death when we found his body. I shouldn't have felt relieved, and now that I know he died trying to help _us_ my throat has locked up and water's starting to form in the corners of my eyes.

"Prair-" I hear Tsumugi start to say with a soft voice, prompting my emotions to turn steely as I reach up to wipe my eyes.

"Ignore it. This doesn't matter. We have a case to deal with," I answer sharply, cutting her off before she can add any more soft and pathetic words that will only piss me off further. She sounds so genuine…but she's the mastermind. Her empathy is hollow.

_The killing game is not veering the same way as it did in the document you found underground. What if Tsumugi isn't the mastermind anymore? Everyone's memories were wiped in the beginning, weren't they? Several times too, at that. She wasn't suspicious back when everyone was repeatedly having their memories reset for the killing game, so…_

My judgment feels so cloudy. I hate being so emotional, I feel like I can't concentrate on anything.

"We agreed that this was an ambush, right?" Rantaro speaks up to steer the attention off of me, allowing air to fill my lungs again now that the attention is all on him. He definitely did that intentionally, thank god.

"Er, well-" Shuichi starts, caught off guard that the conversation on the murder is picking up so quickly when I'm still trying to dry my eyes beside him.

"I can't see how it wouldn't be. Had Ryoma seen it coming, he would have easily been able to avoid it. He had a special technique due to his Ultimate Tennis Player talent that could allow him to move quickly about," Kirumi states.

"For there to be an ambush...that would mean someone else would have to be in there to carry out the ambush," I add, before realizing what I've just said and biting down hard on my tongue enough to make it ache a little. I guess it was inevitable it'd come to this whether or not I added that input, but still…

"Good to know you'd be willing to volunteer yourself as the possible culprit one more time. You _and _that annoyance next to you," Maki says plainly, cutting straight through my confidence like butter.

"You think Mousey cares? She's trying to find the murderer, she doesn't care if she looks suspish or not _doing _it! And besides, didn't we already tell you? Mousey and I were together the _whole _night!" Kokichi claims, prompting Kiibo to counter quickly with, "You said you 'made yourself known to Prairie' at midnight earlier in the trial! So which is it? Enough with your lies, take this seriously!"

"I am! I'm taking this _very_ seriously! In fact, before I know it, I'm gonna be a stick in the mud just like Run-turdo very soon!" Kokichi excitedly states, bouncing on his heels like he can't sit still.

"...I'm not a stick in the mud," Rantaro huffs across us, somewhat discomfied by the .

"He didn't let me know he was around until midnight, that was the truth. I don't know what this smelly leech was doing from ten up till midnight hit," I sell him out easily, noticing how he seems completely okay with my loose lips now. "So that's two hours he was unaccounted for."

"Hey, but...how do you know whether I came in as a visitor or not? I could have zombied my way in and just asserted myself until I snapped out of it...hm?" Kokichi points out, causing my eyes to narrow dubiously on him. Yeah, right, lugging the stupid _Kokichi _Care Package? He even said it was room service, so he likely used a kitchen inside the hotel- not that I myself saw one since I didn't do more than peek outside my room while waiting for Shuichi to show up on day two.

But if it means completely knocking out the possibility, I'll spell it out for the leech that I'm sure already knows the answer. What a waste of time…

"Prairie, on your first night there, who was the first visitor for the Love Hotel event?" Shuichi inquires, prompting me to look up at him in surprise. Well, I guess I should have expected he knew of the Love Hotel event, he _is _the Ultimate Detective, after all. "Was it...Kaito?"

Everyone seems confused, but none more so than Kaito himself as he leans forward to look at both Shuichi and I from his podium. "Huh? What are you talking about? There's no way I could enter the hotel, I didn't have a key."

"There's another way to enter the hotel. You only need the key if you're entering as a guest- and visitors can enter without one," I explain, causing a sharp gasp to escape Tenko.

"W-Wait! If we knew this, Rantaro and I could have barged right in! Why was Rantaro booted out of the hotel when he tried running in the first time then?!" Tenko asks in confusion.

"Because visitors are a _special _class!" Monophanie interjects, giggling as she fidgets with her coconut bra. "You two didn't qualify just barging in through the front door. If you wanted to enter as a guest, you should have brought a hotel key with you~"

"You mean the key you basically robbed me of, right?" Rantaro asks, all of us watching as her confidence wilts like an overcooked noodle.

"I'm sorry…" Monophanie just whines, surprisingly turning away to sit with her back to Rantaro in shame.

_He totally has her wrapped around his little finger?! Stubborn Monophanie really cares about Rantaro that much, and _ _ **not ** _ _as a way to try and challenge me for his attention?_

"We'll give you the rundown since we only give the explanation when the situation calls for it. We didn't expect it would come up in a trial, but here we are," Monosuke huffs, pushing his glasses up his face a bit more. "So. The guest system is pretty obvious: win a Kumasutra hotel key an' waltz into the hotel. You can stay all day, you can stay all night. If you leave during the night hours though, ya can't come back in till day hours roll back in. Now, for the visitor system…if a student is staying the night, a visitor may enter. This visitor is one of the rest of youse that are asleep and _aren't _already in the hotel."

"Hey, but that doesn't make any sense! I would have known if I got up and visited Prairie. We've all been worried about her, especially Rantaro! I wouldn't visit her and just...keep it to myself!" Kaito immediately objects, visibly offended by just the mere suggestion.

"Ah, another thing. About your memories...yeah, you wouldn't remember because visitors don't remember their visits. It's part of the gig," Monosuke continues, right before slapping Monophanie's head lightly for her to perk up. "Monophanie, it's your turn! I'm not gonna haul ass on your work like I'm already doing because of this blueberry princess over here!"

"WHAT now?!" Monokid snaps, turning towards the yellow bear like he wants to pick him up and hurl him across the room. "Say that again, I DARE you! If I'm a blueberry princess, I'm one _hell _of a blueberry princess! I'll wipe the floor with you with an army of singing forest animal friends, don't test me!"

"How's that even possible…?" Himiko asks, scowling so deeply you'd think her face were trying to implode on itself from trying to figure out how Monosuke's explanation would make sense.

"We-Use-Drugs," Monodam explains simply, prompting everyone's expression to turn pale at the thought. "Please-Direct-Your-Attention-To-Momota's-Neck-At-The-Base-Of-His-Head."

Shuichi leans over as Kaito turns and lowers the back of his collar where we can see, even lowering himself a little so I can see when I push myself higher up to balance on the podium rail. Kokichi makes a whine of annoyance when I block his view, prompting a little imp inside of me to cackle with glee. On the note of Kaito's neck though, there's...nothing really out of place I think. Just a little mole a centimeter were his baby hairs start to lead up to the rest of his hair.

_Wait...is that actually a mole?_

I start to turn to leave my podium, up until Monokuma's voice suddenly rings out, "Your feet must _always_ be touching the podium, Miss Marble! If you leave your podium, I won't hesitate to punish you!"

Turning back to look at the bear on his throne above the trial grounds, I can see he's slid out his claws, a sharp look of warning coloring his face. Hm, always touching the podium then, huh?

I lift my feet on the podium rail and crawl across Shuichi's podium, keeping my foot planted on my podium as directed. Shuichi has leaned back a little, allowing me to reach up and rub the little "mole" until Kaito winces and shifts away from my touch. What I thought was a mole stays stuck to my finger, making me shake it off and look to see a little globule of blood forming where the spot once was on the base of his head.

"The drug was administered straight into the spinal column and bam! He was set to enter the hotel as a qualified visitor!" Monosuke states, looks of horror crossing all of our features when he pulls out a large looking syringe with a thick needle for us to see. Holy crap! That needle is WAY too large, how does it not _kill_ a person?! "It has properties similar to our flashback lights, except it allows us to administer a temporary false scenario into the student's mind of either a platonic, romantic, or _explicit_ _sexual _fantasy to their own liking!"

"SEXUAL?!" Tenko screeches in disapproval, her glare now locking onto Kaito sharply with deadly intent. "I swear you _menace_, if you touched a single strand of _hair _on Prairie's head sexually, I'm going to make sure you regret it for the rest of your pathetic miserable life…!"

"I-I didn't do that! Right? Prairie, nothing happened, right?!" Kaito questions anxiously as I'm lowering myself back on my podium carefully. I'm making sure I don't accidentally lift a foot and incite Monokuma's rage over something stupid, so it takes me a bit before I actually answer the nervous Ultimate Astronaut.

Glancing back up at him from Shuichi's other side, I eventually give Kaito a serious stare.

"You did the kabe-don on me," I say, watching fear forming across Kaito's features when Tenko's gaze lasers in harder at the side of his head. "So I slammed my knee up between your legs as hard as I could, because I was scared."

"Is _that_ why I woke up in pain yesterday morning?!" Kaito asks in a higher octave, horrified by my admission of hurting him more than his own actions towards me. I give him a dirty look.

"Yeah, I think you deserved it. Pig," I snap, turning away from him with an impudent 'hmph' on my part.

"On that note…" Monophanie picks up for Monosuke, pausing to clear her throat a little. "Visitors will automatically be assigned to one guest in the hotel via the drug to enact the fantasy. If the fantasy goes well, the visitor returns to their dorm room hunky-dory. However, if the fantasy goes _badly, _such as with your friend here, they will experience a 'bad trip'. This has to do with the drug meshing well with positive emotions, and reacting very badly when chemicals in the brain release stress hormones in regards to negative emotions! The bad reaction usually will carry for a while even after they've left the hotel and are no longer misty-eyed from the Love Suite event."

"Okay then. We can completely shoot aside Oma's stupid suggestion that he came in as a visitor by looking at his neck," Maki states plainly, immediately directing her attention to me.

Taking this as a 'hurry up' on checking Kokichi, I turn to face him and feel my stomach plummet a little when I see him already looking my way. Uggh, I don't even like him _looking _at me, I hate him!

As if able to sense what I'm thinking, Kokichi chuckles and just turns around, lifting the back of his hair for me. "If it's Prairie Dog checking, I'm totally fine with that."

_I hate the stupid comments he makes too!_

Still in a rather bad mood after Kaito, I carefully examine the base of his neck by pulling his bandanna down slightly to get a better look. Nope, even touching his skin a little, I can see he has nothing there. The leech lied again, although it's really no surprise. I turn away from him, hands feeling tingly from contact with his...body. I really need to stop overthinking my interactions with Kokichi.

"He hasn't entered the hotel as a visitor at all yet, I don't see any piercing from a needle like Shuichi and I found on Kaito's neck," I state, just as we hear the sound of something loud. Looking up at Monokuma, we can see he's struck a gavel for our attention.

"Aaaand, time for an intermission! You have five minutes to leave your podiums and stretch before we continue! Also, mostly towards Kirumi Tojou, please be aware any murders that are attempted in the trial grounds will not be tolerated or accepted regarding the motives or rules of the academy. So! If you murder Prairie during the time in the trial, you go bye-bye too! I hope this is well understood!"

"I understand," Kirumi answers, frowning a bit in displeasure despite her agreement. I'm guessing this means she wanted another go during this break...but that's surprising in itself though. We get breaks during the trial? Well, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, even if that horse happens to be the ugliest thing to walk this planet like Monokuma is.

I scurry off my podium at jet speed just in time to avoid getting my arm snagged in Kokichi's hold, dodging the leech and eventually making it to Rantaro's waiting arms with a big hug.

"Hi, there," he sighs in resignation when I pull back to look up at his sympathetic smile. "You doing okay over there? I can see Kokichi's bugging you...a _lot_."

"It's not the most ideal of seating arrangements, but I'll survive. Him, I'm not so sure…" I hint, watching Rantaro resist a smile and reach over to ruffle my bangs a little. He seems a little uneasy, likely from that Ryoma thing that came up earlier...I'm sure it hit him as hard as it hit me. "I feel bad."

"Why? What's wrong?" He asks, before I meet his gaze and he seems to understand. "Oh. Right...I know. I feel bad too...in the end though, as much as we wish it, what's done is done. We didn't know this would happen. None of us knew he would be killed, and it's not our fault. I hope you're not taking what Kokichi remarked to heart, you of all people know he's completely full of hot air."

Rantaro rubs my shoulders a little in an effort to relax me, just as I blow out a puff of air in a sigh. "I know...but it still feels bad. I wish I didn't ruin things before. If we had just gotten along, Ryoma wouldn't have thought he needed to help repair our friendship. He could have...I don't know...baked you a pie?"

He actually laughs at that, making me smile a little even though I've started to play with his necklace aimlessly to get my mind to relax. I'm still upset about Ryoma.

"If you ask me, I think we definitely needed that fight. You didn't ruin anything, Prairie, what happened was totally natural. I was being a control freak and I didn't take into consideration how my efforts, as well meaning as the may have been, could affect you in a negative manner. I don't want to be the reason you get yourself killed, so I'm going to do better," he says before poking my nose lightly so I smile a bit wider. "And you?"

"I'm gonna work even harder to control my anger. I'm not really doing that good of a job though…" I lament, thinking on how many times I've harassed Kokichi for being an annoying leech with a dejected pout. "Kokichi makes it really hard. I hate him."

"You can do it, don't worry. Hey...I have an idea. When you think you're angry, I want you to rate it on a meter of one to ten, ten being so angry you can't control yourself. You don't have to give an explanation out loud or anything, just examine how you feel and rate it with a number. It's a self-awareness technique I've heard psychologists use for anger management. Once you get used to it, the self-awareness should be able to help with regulation of your anger. You think you can do that?" Rantaro asks, making me nod in agreement as I contemplate his suggestion.

"Yeah, I think I can do that!" I chirp, before Rantaro eventually pulls my hands off of his necklace. Confused and ready to apologize in case he's about to tell me he didn't like that- sort of like when I was messing with his ear piercings too much that other time- he pulls the necklace up over his head and then brings it down over my head. He has to pull up my curly hair from the necklace pinning it down, smiling down brightly once the pendant is settled around my collar and chest.

"There. Now you have me with you all the time," he comments, just as Monokuma strikes his gavel again.

"Alright, brats, get back to your podiums! We have a culprit to uncover, hop to it!" Monokuma shouts, raising his gavel and striking it a few more times unprofessionally.

A flavor of disappointment hits my tongue as I look up and then back at Rantaro. I have to go back to my stupid podium now…

Rantaro rubs my cheek and takes my hand, using it to turn me around where he gently pushes me to go on my way.

"We'll have time together after the trial, don't forget," I hear him say, just before I eventually start heading back to my podium. My hand drifts up to the simple looking necklace Rantaro draped around my neck. The cord is a leathery material, holding an oval shaped pendant that I play with aimlessly until I reach my podium.

_Yeah. We'll be together after the trial, I just need to keep my focus trained and control my anger. This is do-able, that self-awareness meter technique Rantaro told me of should help._

"Ohh, is that like some sort of promise-necklace-thingy?" Kokichi asks out loud, staring at the pendant around my neck he's noticed off the bat belongs to Rantaro with a grin. "Like so you can save yourself for him and stuff?"

Two veins feel ready to burst at my temple as I look across the room towards Rantaro, rage boiling in my gut.

"TEN-THOUSAND," I spit out clearly without missing a beat.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _ **End of 3.19 - Weed Out The Lies**_ ❀


	49. Confirming Alibis

❀ _**3.20 - Confirming Alibis**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"Ah, okay, where'd we leave off then?" Kaito asks, prompting Angie to pipe up with, "Oh! At the part where Kokichi _definitely_ didn't enter the hotel as a visitor like he lied about just now!"

"Nishishi~! Okay, okay…so I did lie a little," he admits plainly, looking rather proud for someone getting called out on his behavior. How does he feel no shame lying like that? "I entered of my own volition. No way was I gonna waste my opportunity after I snatched up that key from Angie! Not when I could go in and mess with Prairie Dog!"

I grunt in disapproval at his admission, trying to work with taming my anger just like Rantaro suggested. Although I was at a definite ten when Kokichi made that stupid "promise necklace" remark, thankfully it managed to dip back down to a low three of irritation.

"Are there any more rules we should know about, Monokuma?" I hear Maki ask, a scowl across her features as she looks up towards the monochrome-toned bear's throne over the trial grounds.

"Well, if you ask _nicely_-" Monokuma cuts himself off when Maki's expression hardens with deadly intent, one I'm sure she of all people would have no trouble carrying out. "Ack! Okay, fine! You teenagers really are no fun…!"

…

"Kubbies, that's _your_ cue!" Monokuma barks, prompting the bears to all jump in unison when called out. Even Monokid flinches, probably due to the fact he fears Monokuma- unlike his immunity to the remarks made by Monophanie and Monosuke.

"Right!" Monosuke blurts out first, fidgeting with his glasses in a feeble attempt to regain his composure. "More hotel rules…_ah!_ So regarding those visitors: only _one _visitor will enter the hotel for the Love Suite Event, but only if at least one person checks in as a guest and stays the night! For example, if three of you check in as guests and spend the night, a single visitor will visit only one of you at random. There will never be more than one visitor, even if twelve of you spend the night in there! Once the fantasy has played out successfully or has completely fallen flat, the visitor will return to their dorm room before the end of the night hours by default. They will either leave, or if prevented, they will be escorted out by the hotel staff."

_Huh? Hotel staff…?_

"I suppose you mean an Exisal? How would you even get their fat asses into the Hotel?" Kokichi asks curiously, frowning in thought.

"Ask Ugly. She knows perfectly well how we could. We had to terrorize her a while back to get her to come out of her locker before all of this, and we did perfectly fine maneuvering the Exisal in a small place~" Monophanie states brightly.

I avoid Kokichi's gaze when he glances my way, not keen to help him anymore than I have to. Maybe it's not a good idea to let my distaste with him override the fact I definitely need to take part in helping this trial, but…well, if the Monokubs are saying it, then I shouldn't have to confirm it. They aren't going to lie during a killing game trial, at least I don't think. Furthermore, at least _I_ know they're telling the truth on that one.

"Hey…you don't think _Ryoma _himself could have come in as a visitor, do you guys? I know he had that ticket in his pocket that made it appear he wanted to visit Prairie, but there's a possibility it could have been planted there," Kiibo theorizes, prompting Tenko to bite her lip and hum in thought.

"What would that change about the murder? He would have still died in the Kumasutra Hotel whether he came in as a visitor or a guest," Tenko states.

"Actually…it might be a good idea to explore that concept. It would narrow down the presumed time of death, which means our pool of suspects will decrease drastically if Kiibo is right," Shuichi elaborates, leaning over his podium to rest his elbow over it and prop his chin over his fist. He looks pretty deep in thought…like he's trying to solve a difficult puzzle in his head or something. "We know his murder happened sometime yesterday. If he died as a guest, that means he could have died anytime through the day. If he died as a visitor, he definitely died during the nighttime."

"Prairie and Kokichi were separate around the beginning of the night for approximately two hours. Kokichi _or _Prairie could have killed Ryoma while the other's back was turned," Maki states, glaring at both Kokichi and I suspiciously. Korekiyo cackles in amusement at Maki's claim, brushing some of his hair over his shoulder.

"What a pity none of us were allowed entry to confirm either of their alibis, save for when the two were together," The Ultimate Anthropologist asserts, his eyes crinkling at the corners like he's smiling underneath his mask.

"Nnn, is it possible for both of them to be the culprit? Like a tag team of sorts? Atua is telling me that they are both suspicious!" Angie chimes in before adding, "Well, more so _Kokichi_ than Prairie!"

"Funny that you of all people would be saying that!" Kokichi shoots back cheerfully.

"Even if it was a tag team, how would we cast our votes? We can only vote for one individual each, so who would we vote for?" Kiibo questions, tapping the podium screen before him so it lights up. "This thing will turn on, but it won't allow us to cast votes without Monokuma's authorized input, but from what I can see of the interface, it only allows one vote, not two."

"According to Monokuma's rules, ya gotta vote for the killer that dealt the killing blow," Monokid sighs from his place beside the other kubs. "His rules frame that the blackened is specifically the individual that causes the victim's death. So if you have one person that stabs someone, but gets stabbed by another person that finishes them off, the blackened would be the second person."

"But-Friends-Should-Not-Kill-Together-So-Don't-Do-That," Monodam adds, making Monokid nod vehemently in agreement.

"Then the culprit that killed Ryoma now falls on those of us that had access to the hotel then- me, Prairie Dog, and that mysterious individual that attacked Prairie Dog in the hotel this morning with a knife, right?" Kokichi inquires innocently, peeking my way for a reaction that I don't express since I'm still upset with him and avoiding his gaze. He groans upon seeing this, audibly annoyed by my behavior. "Prairie Dog, you're no fun…"

I ignore him.

"Third person? What third- damn it, Kokichi, why do you always _wait_ to tell us important information?! What do you mean Prairie was attacked?!" Kaito demands furiously, before looking my way. "And you didn't say anything either, Prairie?"

"Didn't I already mention I blackmailed her? And on the first note, why would I tell you important information immediately? Keeping secrets and revealing the truth in the middle of the trial makes things _spicier!" _Kokichi answers much to everyone's annoyance.

"How could there be a third person? As far as we're aware, there were only two keys. The key Shuichi lost that eventually jumped from Angie to Kokichi, and then a second in Prairie's possession indefinitely. Furthermore, Prairie's key couldn't have been taken considering the fact she was in the hotel the entire time…" Kirumi states, before turning towards Monokuma and the Monokubs. "Actually, that's more of a gray area, I suppose. Monokuma, if someone checks in as a guest with the key but another guest steals their key and leaves, would that immediately result in guest one's removal from the hotel?"

"Nope!" Monokuma answers with a wide gaping grin. "The key is only for the check in process! _Not_ the permanent stay!"

"Prairie," Kirumi speaks up again, prompting my stomach to turn as I pause and then reluctantly turn her way to meet her gaze.

Every time I look at her, I feel smaller. Furthermore, I can still remember the look on her face when she was approaching me with those large pair of scissors the other afternoon, ready to murder me in cold blood. My teeth clench when she holds my gaze, otherwise unaware of her effect on me the longer she stares. That, or she knows exactly how it makes me feel and is taking her time speaking up on purpose.

_"What?"_ I snap after a minute, unable to control my temper when the stress becomes too much. "If you're just gonna stare at me rather than ask me something, take a freaking picture. If you're asking me whether I've had my key this whole time, then yes. I have. I haven't removed it at all," I state clearly as I unzip the start of my suit and fish it out from under my clothing. Once it's resting over my chest with Rantaro's necklace, I zip up my suit again and level Kirumi with a nasty look. "Now stop staring at me you nasty walking hemorrhoid wipe."

Kokichi makes an uncharacteristic small muffled squeak. Upon looking his way, I can see he's biting his lip hard enough to break the skin. Heck his eyes are even starting to water as he leans over his podium and promptly shoves his face in his arms. What the heck is wrong with him now?

_Ah, who cares. You're ignoring him, remember?_

I focus my attention ahead, only to see some of the others are turned away or staring at me. Even Rantaro looks a little shocked. By the attention I'm getting from a few of the others, save for Kirumi who looks perfectly fine being called what I called her, I can't help but feel the need to defend myself.

"What?! I don't want her staring at me! I hate her, she tried to poison me, she tried to stab me, she tried to strangle me _and _she tried to drown me!" I complain. "None of you can tell me I have no right to call her that!"

"Mm, no one's arguing against that, don't worry. That's just…very colorful language. And you plainly didn't even use any curse words," the Moldy Milk Maid states, casting me an impressed look.

_Why can't she just be quiet over there so I don't have to think about her boring traitorous bovine butt?_

"Hmm…maybe they used Shuichi's key or maybe exchanged casino coins for one of their own. The fact remains that there was a third key- and it was purchased," Kokichi explains before casting us a sly look. "Furthermore, we don't know which of the two purchased or picked up Shuichi's key- Ryoma or the mystery guest."

"So…then extra person really attack small Prairie in hotel? Not lie?" Gonta asks, making Tenko bark, "I want to hear it from Prairie before we just jump in and agree with the biggest liar of all the male degenerates!"

"Yes, that seems fair! Because Prairie would _never _lie, _right?" _Angie inquires in a manner I can only describe as thinly veiled sarcasm. I'm sure she's surprised by my immediate response, going by her expression.

"Get real, I'm only human. As for the question…" I inhale to prep myself to answer, pinching the bridge of my nose momentarily as I take the plunge and confirm. "Yes. There was a third person in the hotel that attacked me and then tackled Kokichi when he came to check on me. He's not lying about that, and it happened by the time visitor hours were already over."

"Wait…Prairie, then the blood that's coming through your suit by your calf is the result of the attack you two are talking about?" Rantaro asks, prompting me to glance his way where he's casting me an inquisitive stare. No doubt he remembers Kokichi and I lying to his face about it back during the investigation…when we said it was because of roughhousing. "So Kokichi lied back then?"

"...Yeah," I confirm, hearing Maki sigh with an annoyed edge to her exhale.

"Neither you nor that annoying clown are by any means trustworthy," she remarks, causing a slight flare in my temper once again.

"That's rich coming from miss I-don't-want-anyone-in-my-lab. What makes _you _any more trustworthy than I am? Or anyone else for that matter? We're in this mess to begin with because no one is trustworthy here, not the other way around. Two people have committed murders at this point and you want to complain about Kokichi and I not being trustworthy? That's just stupidity on your part," I comment, noting how she nails me with a rigid deadly gaze. Maybe she doesn't like it, but I'm right either way…

_"Do you want to die?" _She asks, bristling more than I've ever seen before. My rational thinking clouds with rage at that remark, so I unfortunately don't miss a beat as I answer in kind, "No, but _you sure as hell want to if you're gonna say something like that to me."_

"Both of you _calm down!_ We don't need anyone threatening death on anyone, that is _definitely _crossing the line right now. Even worse, you're doing this right after Ryoma was just killed. Maki, you should already know that Prairie will snap at thinly veiled remarks. You were the one demanding we stay on track, so the least you could do is stick with that plan instead of abandoning it the second Prairie is unable to control herself," Rantaro suddenly snaps, making both Maki and I freeze as we glance his way. Maki looks like she's about to argue with him, but evidently just clicks her tongue and allows it to pass. I feel just a tad bit too smug until Rantaro directs his attention to me, causing my stomach to sink on impulse.

_That might be a seven on my anger scale, I shouldn't have opened my mouth like that. Maybe __**I**_ _ought to be the one shutting my mouth...and going by Rantaro's expression, I'm not leaving this verbal tussle unscathed either._

"And you, Prairie. If you need to lash out, bite your tongue and think carefully about what's going to come out of your mouth. You can say whatever you want, but that doesn't mean you're exempt from the consequences of whatever you choose to say. Controlling your anger isn't just the result of snapping your fingers and making it go away, you need to put _effort_ into it. I don't want to be ordering you around, but if you're gonna disrupt the trial acting like that, then I _will _put my foot down," he states firmly, making me wince and nod quietly despite myself. He's right, he's definitely right about that. I wasn't even trying just now, I only wanted to make Maki eat her words 'cause she was being stupi-

_First and foremost, maybe try getting rid of those mental insults. Of course Rantaro is going to be annoyed with me if I keep saying "I want to change" and then promptly wasting his efforts._

"Shuichi, go ahead," Rantaro says to the guy to my left after he sighs to release the tension in his shoulders from yelling at both Maki and I. To my mild surprise, I can see Shuichi looking down at me from the side as well, making me glance up at him curiously in confusion. What's he looking at me for?

"...Huh?" Shuichi looks away from me to face Rantaro, causing Rantaro to raise an expectant eyebrow like he thought the detective would be able to catch a cue he's sent him. After a beat, Shuichi perks up. "Oh! Right, um…Prairie or Kokichi, can you tell us more about what happened in the hotel? The way you two framed it, it sort of sounds like you couldn't identify the attacker despite the instances of such close encounters," Shuichi comments, both to get more answers as well as comply with Rantaro's urging to keep the conversation on the case going.

"Oh, yeah. Other than our hotel room, the lights in the entire hotel and the other rooms were completely out. Didn't even want to turn on when I tried flicking on the switches," Kokichi answers casually. "Not sure why though. It wasn't like that before we fell asleep."

"Other than _my _hotel room. _You _broke in and invaded _my _bed," I clarify when a grin curls over the leech's face. "Either way, it was dark. When I was outside my room in the hall, I noticed the door to the room I used the previous day was open a crack and I thought it was weird, so I ditched Kokichi to check it out myself."

"Ditched…" Kokichi repeats under his breath low enough that I'm just barely able to catch it. He sounds like he's annoyed at the memory- which is pretty odd. Is he still upset about the fact I left him talking to a wall? He said he wasn't willing to "babysit" me, so I don't know why he thinks I would go and babysit him.

_What a petty thing to be annoyed over. He's such an idiot, I thought he didn't care about me? Wouldn't that extend to what I feel and whether he has my attention or not?_

There I go again, trying to find a way to redeem Kokichi's every move in a way that places him under a good light.

_Argh, get out of my head! Stupid Leech Face!_

"Was there any particular reason you decided to swap rooms, if any? I don't see why a change would have been necessary considering you were presumed to be alone," Korekiyo states, making a fair point that I'm more than happy to answer as a distraction.

"Yeah, I swapped rooms on the first night. Right after kicking Kaito in the balls for terrorizing me. I didn't know about the visitor system at the time, so I swapped rooms to avoid him. After Monokuma explained it to me, there wasn't really a point to go back to my old room, so I just grabbed my stuff and brought it to my new room where the rest of my things were, " I explain, noting Kaito peeking my way from Shuichi's other side in guilt.

"So cruel…" he comments sadly. Okay, I guess he's not as guilty as I thought.

"I'm sorry? This coming from a _six foot tall man _that cages girls against walls, looms over them, and slams his hand on the wall behind them like a rabid gorilla? Are you sure my reaction was unreasonable? In the _Love Hotel?" _I ask, trying to keep my temper in check as I look Kaito straight in the eye upon adding, "Or are you asking me to kick you in the balls again?"

"So the lights were out and you decided to check your old room when you saw the door was ajar. Then what?" Shuichi presses, ignoring Kaito's frozen expression of absolute dread from my threat. If anything, he's acting like that threat is a million times worse than my meaningless snap against Maki's life was.

Probably because he knows I'm more likely to kick someone in the balls more than I'd kill someone else…I guess that's a good thing.

"When I went in the room, I smelled something that smelled like medical equipment and found this big damp patch on the hotel room carpet-" I start, causing Tsumugi to gasp and cut me off with, "B-Blood…?!"

I stare at her, my gaze drilling into her face until she has the sense to appear a little chastened. I think she apologizes for the interruption, but I'm so absorbed with mad-dogging her that I don't actually hear what she says. I still have no reason to be upset with her in the eyes of the others, but…

"Prairie…" I hear Tenko speak up, like she can tell something is bubbling to the surface from the chasm of rage deep within me, ready to overflow yet again. I don't understand why everything and everyone is _pissing me off so much. _Especially when I already made up my mind to try and control my anger issues. Is it impossible? What's wrong with me?

"Hey…you've done a stellar job at being on the quiet side through this trial so far," I start, giving her a sweet smile despite the fact the volcano has already erupted in my mind. "But if you're just gonna interrupt me like that, consider keeping your smelly cow mouth shut and chew on some hay to pass the time instead. Okay?"

"E-Excuse me?!" She asks, visibly startled by what's come out of my mouth. From the podium beside Kokichi, I can hear Rantaro sighing heavily before Tsumugi speaks up again. "Prairie, are you okay? What's wrong? Did I do something to make you upset with me again…?"

Looking at her straight across from me, I can't help but notice just how confused and bewildered she actually looks by my insults. It looks like a pretty genuine reaction as far as things go…too bad I don't think I believe her one bit. I'm gonna set aside my concerns over it possibly being untrue and I'm gonna assume her guilty of being the mastermind until proven innocent. I don't have time for indecisiveness, if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. If I'm _right_ however…well, we'll deal with that if and when we get to it.

Of course, if I'm actually wrong, I'm going to be apologizing a _lot _after this. Not that I liked her much to begin with anyways, but it would still be pretty bad to have bullied her without confirmation on her status. Regardless, whatever friendship we could have built was swept away as soon as I found those documents underground, and I sincerely doubt a foundation can be rebuilt.

"Yeah. You were born," I answer Tsumugi clearly, ignoring the looks some of the others are giving me. Gonta is looking between us with visible horror, like he wants to say something to try and ease the tension. Rantaro looks disappointed, which feels a lot worse than him being outright upset at me and yelling at me, but I just do my best to ignore it.

"I-I'm sorry?" Tsumugi can only answer, eyes tearing up a little as a result.

_Nope. I don't feel sorry at all._

"Prairie, how could you say that?! That was out of line!" Kiibo is first to speak up, prompting me to roll my eyes. Like I don't know that or something? Of course I know what I said was rude, that's why I said it.

"Good. Stupid cows ought to know their place," I remark in response, looking in time to see Kaito groan and run a hand through his hair. Clearly he's had enough of my attitude too, but he doesn't get a chance to say anything on it.

"Anyways, that aside," Maki grunts from her podium, clearly uncaring over Tsumugi's abuse as she looks my way with a glare that tells me she wants me to continue. Considering I'm already done talking smack to Tsumugi, I continue.

"I was trying to figure out what that damp spot on the carpet was when the door leading out into the hall slammed shut. That's when whoever else was in the hotel managed to cut my leg while I was trying to maneuver around the room to avoid them. They didn't try to keep attacking me though, they cut my leg and then made a break for the exit again where they ran into Kokichi since he heard the scuffle, I guess," I tell the rest of the story.

"...Could the knife from this instance be the same as the one from my lab?" Kirumi inquires. "Prairie's survival knife? If the same weapon was used, we may be able to clear both Kokichi and Prairie as suspects since they both witnessed a third guest in the hotel together."

"Psst. Prairie Dog…" I hear to my right, making an effort to act like I don't hear anything.

_Hm, Kirumi's right, I never even considered making the connection- I just assumed the third guest was likely the murderer of Ryoma by default. Technically, with or without the attempt on my life, that could have been someone who didn't kill Ryoma. It's a good thing Kirumi noticed a way to confirm it though. This means if we find the identity of the third guest, we for sure find the culprit!_

"Nyeh…so if we want to know, does that mean we need to look at Prairie's leg?" Himiko asks, making a small scowl at the thought.

That's pretty much the only way to find out. It's not like the culprit is going to raise their hand and tell us themselves. Still…examining the damage done to my calf. After running around and abusing those stitches to the moon and back? Hopefully I didn't screw up the evidence, I probably should have been more careful like Kokichi tried to imply.

"Psst! I know you can hear me, Prairie Dog," I hear Kokichi try to get my attention again in a whisper. Rather than plainly ignore him this time, I respond in a whisper of equal volume, "No, I can't."

Still not turning to face Kokichi, I lift the leg in question and lean against my podium to start pulling my boot off. Back when Rantaro pulled up my foot to ask me about my cut and before that when Kiibo noticed the blood, it didn't occur to me to wonder how they could see the blood staining my suit leg since the cut was located under my boot. Looking now though, I can see how they noticed something wrong.

The blood seeping up through the stitches Kokichi helped me with has traveled up my pant leg to saturate the white and black fabric behind my knee, enough where it's no wonder the boys noticed if they observed me long enough or saw it at a certain angle. Once I remove my boot though, I bite my lip to keep from visibly cringing. Kokichi whistles in awe, followed by Tenko choking back saliva at the sight from his other side.

"Oh my god, Prairie! Are you okay?! That looks bad, you're bleeding everywhere…!" Himiko gasps in horror, making me wince a little. Now that I'm paying attention to it, I realize it's throbbing pretty badly. I was hoping with my leg facing _away _from Rantaro, I could keep the mess from his worry-wart knowledge, but…

_Himiko, why?_ _Why'd you have to flap those donkey lips of yours?_

"It's fine…" I lie, only for said lie to become rather apparent when I roll up my pant leg- wincing as the areas of drying blood chafes and peels from the site of the stitches as if unable to decide whether it wants to bind with the clothing being removed or bind with the actual wound. I grunt a little, but eventually uncover the mess enough to see it.

"That doesn't look fine at all! That looks _not _fine!" Tenko cries out, probably since the blood has not only crawled up behind my knee, but down along the rest of my calf. My skin is tinted red from the messy layer of blood over it, but other than peeling off my remaining sleeve and pocketing my glove, I can only wipe what little of the wetter blood there is aside for the Ultimate Detective to examine, there's actually not much I can do to clean it up any better than that.

"Sorry, that's as good as it gets," I apologize to the disturbed expression Shuichi is wearing. He stares at my leg before his eyes bounce to my waist, making me glance down at the openings of my suit where my bruises are still visible, even if they're a lot less purple than they were after I was thrown around so much by the Exisals. When I look up at him again, I realize he's looking at my forehead where I had to apply a gauze pad under my bangs from when Kirumi made me slam my forehead on the fountain.

"Prairie, I don't think you're as okay as you're imagining…please take better care of yourself. _Please," _Shuichi begs quietly so only me and the people to our immediate sides can hear, prompting a wave of inexplicable relief to roll over me. It's not much, but it's enough for me to finally realize just how tense I am. Once my body relaxes, I'm taken aback by how sore all my muscles and bones feel. Is that why I've been so high strung and easy to tick off during the trial? I let out a breath and glance back at Shuichi to give him a nod of understanding. With that, he crouches and starts examining my calf studiously.

"Psst, psst, psst, psst, psst, psst-"

"Alright. What is it?" I finally answer the leech, since most of the others are debating together while Shuichi busies himself with my leg. Also, considering I feel much more mellowed out from Shuichi's request, I don't really feel like snapping or ignoring Kokichi and making my temper rise back up.

"So I wanted to ask and stuff, but…why _do _you hate Tsumugi so much?" Kokichi asks quietly, making sure to keep the conversation between us. I scowl, hating he's brought her up again. The last thing I want to think about is Bovine Bessie right now, there's definitely nothing else that makes my temper spike as much as it does when thinking about the documents stating she's a Team Danganronpa writer.

"Because she's a cow. 'Nuff said," I simply respond. "Do I really need a reason to hate someone? Maybe I'm just an unreasonable jerk."

"Nooo…but this is _you _we're talking about, and you _always _have a reason to hate someone even if the reason seems arbitrary. Angie got your hate for trash-talking you, Rantaro for being a control freak, Maki for being antagonistic, and Kirumi for obvious reasons. So? Come on and tell me the drama~" Kokichi urges, just as Shuichi shifts the skin around the area of the stitches and makes me hiss through my teeth at the sharp pain. Somehow it hurts more _now _than it did when I actually first got it.

"Funny you leave yourself off of that list," I comment at the first chance of relief from the sting I get.

"Nee-hee-hee! That's because you don't hate me, you _like _me," Kokichi clarifies, making me grunt irritably.

"There's no drama, I just don't like her," I insist, only to make the mistake of peeking his way to see just how close he is to me. I lurch my torso back from him, making Shuichi unintentionally press hard into a delicate area of the wound at my sudden movement. It hurts enough to make me snap at Kokichi a little, but I'm half relieved to have a separate reason for my cheeks heating up besides just for lying. "Jeez, step _back! _Haven't you heard of personal space?"

He looks a little annoyed at my comment. "I'm close so I can talk _low. _Without Shuichi hearing us. Unless you don't care if he hears?"

I glance down at Shuichi, noting how his gold eyes flick up momentarily with clear guilt for listening in- just before I ease his nerves by answering Kokichi, "Shuichi is fine. I don't mind him listening, I have nothing to hide."

"Well, obviously you do if you won't answer my simple question. What did she do? Put you in something sleazy?" Shuichi abruptly coughs at that, his face turning red as he looks Kokichi's way in horror. Seeing the detective's red features, Kokichi breaks into a sly grin and horrifyingly comments, "Oh, what's this? That's the face of a man that's seen a lady in something skimpy! Lemme guess, you saw that cute saucy get-up Prairie Dog had on in the hotel too, didn't you?"

"Kokichi, shut up!" I complain in embarrassment, pushing him away by the side of his head and making him laugh.

"Then answer me or I'll keep embarrassing you. Trust me, I have a _lot _of ammo. Especially when even the smallest of things will embarrass you," Kokichi snickers, prompting a scowl on my part as I test a glance Monokuma's way.

To my surprise, the bear is already looking in our direction, staring intently at me. He definitely knows I know about Tsumugi…by the look on his face, Monosuke reported everything to him and he's likely staring because he doesn't want me to spill the beans about his precious mastermind. Does that mean I'm right then? The information I found about Tsumugi being a part of Team Danganronpa is true?

Glancing Tsumugi's way next, I'm immediately bothered at the sight of her conversing with Rantaro. She looks hurt and sad, lip trembling slightly as she frowns at the ground. Rantaro reaches over to rub her shoulder, spiking my temper a little more. Maybe I _should _say something...Rantaro wouldn't be showing her any sympathy if he knew she was the reason we're all shoved in here being egged on into killing one another…but there she is, pouting like a wounded cow or something stupid like that.

_Moo me a river of low fat two percent milk, cow tits. I don't buy it one bit with the way Monokuma is staring at me like a hawk._

"Hey, Shuichi. Did you know Prairie thinks you're actually the Ultimate P-" Kokichi starts to speak, making me garble in panic to shut him up before I'm able to get a coherent sentence out.

"Wait! Wait, I'll talk. N-No need to go making stuff up…" I lie, feeling my cheeks heat up despite my efforts to lie successfully and keep Shuichi from finding out what I like to call him when he isn't around. Kokichi just grins in amusement at my efforts, leaving Shuichi to stare at both of us before shaking his head to focus back on my calf. Is he still looking for evidence? Or is it that Kokichi and I are distracting him? Whoops. "So, Tsumugi...fine, you're right. I do have a reason for hating her, but I can't see why you're so interested in knowing about it?"

"'Cause. She's a snorefest, yet somehow she managed to reserve a spot for herself on your shit list. It can't be for the same reason you exploded on her that first time with Rantaro and Kaede as witnesses, considering she told me while hanging out that you managed to make nice with Tsumugi," Kokichi explains, seeming not to care when Shuichi winces at the mention of our late friend.

Risking one more glance in Monokuma's way, I realize he's no longer staring at us. This is enough to give me a little bravery, so I turn to look Kokichi directly in his violet eyes and clearly answer him.

"I can't tell you."

He looks pretty exasperated by my answer, crossing his arms and letting out a mixture between a sigh and a groan before he seems to notice how intense my stare is glued to him. He raises an eyebrow, a rueful smile making its way to his face. Before he can make any smart-aleck remarks though, he seems to notice Shuichi making a reaction I can't see since I'm still staring at Kokichi to get him to understand. I don't mind Shuichi knowing since I had the full intention of telling him on day two at the hotel. On the other hand, I hope I don't somehow regret telling Kokichi, watching as he looks back at me with that infamous unreadable blank mask suddenly pulled over his features. Seems like that stupid big brain of his managed to connect the dots.

I don't give him a chance to give his input though, focusing on Shuichi who looks obviously shocked by what I've hinted at and sharply whispering, "Fix your face!"

He does his best, and eventually it's suffice for returning our attention to the trial at hand.

"Are you done looking at my leg, by the way? You're hurting me," I comment, wincing when I realize just how tight of a grip he has beneath my calf. It's aching from his hold.

"Ah! Sorry-" Shuichi pulls back his hands from the tender spot he's pressing too hard on, allowing me sweet relief. "I'm done for now, but maybe it's best not to cover the wound with anything at the moment. It looks like the stitching needs to be redone…" Shuichi states, casting me one more look as if asking whether I'm serious about what I said. I don't answer him, instead turning to face the rest of the trial room...where I notice Monokuma looking straight at me yet again.

_I hope I don't regret that._

Shuichi looks down at his semi-bloodied hands when he stands up again, as if unsure of what to do with them. After a minute of standing there with his hands out and a thoughtful look on his face, he evidently wipes them on his shirt with a grimace. It's actually incredible how much blood I can lose without feeling dizzy...that looks like a lot.

"So what's the verdict? You guys seemed busy," Kaito says once Shuichi is facing everyone again.

"Well, based on just the damage to the surface area it's hard to tell since the stitches have pulled the skin due to Prairie not taking care of them, but I believe it was the same blade. To be sure, I'd probably have to cut the stitches, but I don't-" Shuichi starts, making Maki cut him off with, "Then cut them."

"Um, _hello?_ Do you see all that blood on her leg?! It's easy for you to say when it's not your limb on the line, isn't it? On top of that, you don't even _like _Prairie!" Tenko is quick to object from Kokichi's other side. "We're not cutting her stitches!"

"Think of it this way: What's better, losing a little blood, or losing your life if this ends up a stupid detail we should have paid attention to?" Maki points out, making Kokichi hum for her attention.

"I hear you, buuut...the cut she has is pretty deep. Will you take responsibility for her death if she bleeds out and dies here? Or if we end up having to amputate her leg?" Kokichi asks casually, before a dark menacing grin curls at his lips. "I personally don't mind either way. That just means she won't be able to run away from me anymore!"

I shoot him a disturbed scowl, throwing up a hand in disbelief. Yeah, I'd like my leg _intact_, thank you very much!

"Who cares, it's not happening either way," Rantaro interjects. "Cutting Prairie's stitches just to verify something when it puts her at risk isn't worth it."

"Mm, there's your first mistake going by that logic. Ethics have no place in a zone such as this. We are very much cut off from the outside world, so falling back on ethics wouldn't help us much in situations such as these. Khehehe! In fact, ethics may be more of a hindrance to us while we're under Monokuma's mercy," Korekiyo cackles, much to Rantaro's visible vexation and my own annoyance on top of that.

_Well, considering I'm apparently only useful to everyone when I'm half-dead or beaten up!_

"Can I borrow your knife?" I turn to ask Kokichi, hating the critical look he gives me before he reaches under his coat with a grin and pulls out his switchblade with the familiar dice on it. I stare a bit too long at it, enough that Kokichi gives me a pensive look when he notices my gaze resting on the dice.

Kiibo makes a noise of objection when I finally take it from his hands, opening it carefully since I can't flick it open like him unless I want to cut off my own finger.

Technically, I could easily do it using my intuition to mimic him, but that would be a pretty stupid thing to waste it on- even if it only uses a little of my overall energy.

"Prairie, don't listen to Maki, you don't have to!" Tenko reassures me, visibly anxious when I turn and lean over to reach my stitches.

"Prairie, you're gonna exacerbate it, _stop!"_ I hear Rantaro urge from the other side, but I ignore the two of them.

"I don't agree with cutting the stitches like Maki suggested, but...if Prairie wants to do it, I don't think any of us are in any place to stop her! Besides, we don't need to worry! I'm sure Atua will watch over her with this hearty blood sacrifice~!" Angie chirps, prompting me to momentarily wonder what happened to the whole "no amount of blood sacrifice would ever redeem Perfect Blitz for being a blasphemer" thing she seemed so sure about when we first met.

To my surprise, Shuichi challenges Angie's claim by grabbing my wrist and snatching the switchblade straight out of my hand before I can place the blade at the stitches. He shuts it easily with a flick of his own wrist, making me stare at him quietly as he pockets the blade.

"I don't trust giving it back to you, so I'll return it once the trial is over, Kokichi," Shuichi sighs, shooting me an apologetic glance before turning to face the rest of the group. "Those stitches are staying where they are until we're out of here and can stitch them up properly again. I shouldn't have said what I said about opening them to be sure, it put the wrong idea in some of your heads. For now, you're just going to have to take my word that they're caused by the same blade. Understood?"

There's another wave of mild relief over me as I'm placated yet again, glancing back at my calf and the damage done to it. After all, it's not like I _want _to mess up my leg badly enough that I regret it later. The bloody wound is leaking down my foot, enough that I have to peel off my sock so it doesn't stain them either, tossing it behind where I discarded my boot. It feels awkward still wearing my other boot and sock, so I remove them while I have the chance, deciding to go Gonta-style for the time being.

"Besides that though, there is something else I noticed while examining the stitches Prairie had on, which now makes a little sense from when I was looking at Ryoma's body. Ryoma's neck was stitched with a red thread which matches Prairie's stitches at her calf," Shuichi comments, prompting me to blink in surprise.

I never noticed the colors of the stitches...but looking down now, he's right that my stitches are made of a thick red thread- and that's not because of my blood all over it.

"Monokuma, you can at least confirm that, right?" Kaito asks, prompting Monokuma to look up and tap his chin with a paw, reclining across his throne sideways with a flamboyant appearance to his position.

"Huh, _can _I confirm that…? I don't know...I haven't seen what the stitches in those kits look like! I didn't build this place," Monokuma comments carelessly, prompting Kaito to snap, "Just answer the question! Some of us weren't able to visit the hotel!"

Monokuma swings his little legs over the armrest of his throne, humming lazily.

"Well, why didn't you get a key then?" Monokuma asks, before gasping and sitting up. "Oh that's _riiight_, you had enough coins to purchase over three keys, didn't you? And you lost it all because you got greedy! Bummer…"

"Y-You tricked me back then! You shouldn't have intervened!" Kaito accuses, followed closely by Monokuma adding, "No, _you_ shouldn't have let yourself be led about by your urges!"

I mean, he's not wrong...that was a true wipeout that Kaito went through, and it definitely was his own fault considering how prideful and confident he acted just before disaster hit him.

"I went inside the hotel! Prairie Dog did too, remember?" Kokichi reminds everyone, grinning brightly. "And in case anyone was wondering, exploring the hotel was the first thing I did when I entered yesterday just before I made dinner for myself and Prairie Dog!"

"...Why was that so hard for you to say before…?" Himiko asks with a salty glare his way. "Nyeh, I don't know what Prairie sees in you…"

"I'll tell you. I see the physical embodiment of despair," I remark with a sulk, still ashamed that everyone essentially now knows I have a crush on this pathetic leech from the depths of some dirty swamp in hell.

"Anyways, the threads are all red in the hotel kits. Monokuma was _definitely _aiming to keep it in theme with the rest of the hotel!" Kokichi states, ignoring both Himiko and I.

"So that confirms that the crime scene was definitely the love hotel and that items from the hotel were not just taken out and used elsewhere!" Kiibo continues, making Kokichi laugh.

"Oh, Kii-boy...the first aid kits aren't chained to the hotel, they could have taken them out too, silly!" Kokichi points out with a smile, making Kiibo pause before gasping.

"Wait, then what are we proving with this?!" Kiibo asks, looking to Shuichi who is the de facto keeper of answers at this point.

"If you recall, I stated Ryoma's stitches were red at his neck. However, Ryoma's _ankles_ were actually stitched with _black_ threads," Shuichi explains, gesturing to Kirumi's stitches and watching as she reaches up to touch them gently at his implications. "The stitches around the academy, even the ones located outdoors, usually all have packets of black threads. Anyone who's used them or opened them up out of curiosity can confirm this, but we see this directly from Kirumi. Since we know the wound at Ryoma's neck had to be sealed at the location of his murder to prevent the blood from trailing behind and exposing the true crimescene, that confirms the murder site was _definitely _the Love Hotel."

"So...that mean knife left in lab _this _morning?" Gonta questions, catching most of us by surprise with that realization.

"N-Nyeh?" Himiko is suddenly sweating at his comment, making everyone glance her way. "Does...does that make me a culprit…?"

…

"...Shit," she mumbles, scowling at the ground. "What a pain…"

"Don't worry, Himiko! I won't let any degenerates make you out to be the killer, I believe in you!" Tenko tries to console her energetically, prompting Himiko to scowl and repeat, "What a _pain…_"

_It's a pain even with Tenko volunteering herself to help clear her name…?_

"Gonta has a point. Since the knife used to kill Ryoma is the same knife used on Prairie, that means the culprit must have returned to Kirumi's lab to drop off the murder weapon."

"So then…Himiko is a very lazy individual, so arriving at Kirumi's lab early is rather odd," Kirumi remarks, followed by Korekiyo adding, "I'm sure even the most slothful of individuals would find it in themselves to move considering the current circumstances…"

"Himiko wouldn't do that! She's not a murderer and on top of that her frail body wouldn't stand a chance against Prairie and that degenerate male!" Tenko argues, slamming her hands down on her podium hard enough to make the wood shudder with the force.

"...'Frail'...?" Himiko questions, looking less worried about the accusations being hurled her way and rather irritated over Tenko's words on her physical appearance.

"Ah, to be fair to Himiko, I don't think you need to be all that strong if you're slashing at someone in the dark with a knife…" I explain, prompting Shuichi to suddenly perk up with a noise of surprise.

"That's right, you said you were attacked in a pitch black room...but the person ran straight into you, didn't they, Kokichi?" Shuichi remarks as Kokichi lets out a yawn.

"Hm?" He asks, smiling Shuichi's way as he looks up to see him over my head. "Yeah, they basically tackled me to the floor with how fast they were going."

"So do you think you'd notice how tall they were? Or even their physical build in general?"

"Probably. Why _ever_ do you ask?"

"Ah, well, because I don't think it could have been Himiko."

"Are you sure?" Maki asks carefully, red eyes glossing over Himiko. "This isn't you just saying that because Himiko is as moe looking as Prairie, is it?"

I can feel my expression go hard with anger as soon as the word leaves her mouth, sharply snapping, "_**Don't**_ _call me 'moe'."_

Kokichi snorts in amusement, but no one says anything else- likely to avoid the trial derailing again.

"We're able to cross off Prairie from suspicion because Kokichi is her alibi. Furthermore, we can actually cross off Himiko as well, since for her to be the culprit, she would have had to have been separated from both Tenko and Angie yesterday. This is different than the girls not noticing Angie pick up my hotel key, Tenko would _definitely _have noticed if Himiko left their group," Shuichi elaborates, gold eyes narrowed thoughtfully on his podium.

"That's right! I was totally focused on Himiko, there would be no way she could have left to kill Ryoma yesterday without me noticing!" Tenko claims, prompting Angie to giggle.

"Tenko...do you like Himiko?" Angie inquiries curiously.

Tenko seems to absorb Angie's words slowly. By the time they process in her brain, she is looking down and playing with the ruffles of her skirt aimlessly with pink cheeks and a look of embarrassment.

"I...really like magical girls like Himiko and idols like Prairie…" she states with a softer, less confident change in her voice as she tries not to make such a show of it. Himiko looks somewhat annoyed. On the other hand, I'm already covering my warm cheeks with my hair. I'm embarrassed _for _Tenko, why would Angie ask her that in front of everyone?!

"So you're biased? Like the plain vegetable over there?" Maki asks flatly, pointing in Rantaro's direction until he lets out a sheepish laugh and scratches the back of his head. To my embarrassment, he doesn't actually deny her words, so I allow my curls to swallow me more in their depths

"Nevertheless, we can cross off quite a few people off the suspect list now. For the culprit to have killed Ryoma, they would lack an airtight alibi for yesterday _and_ this morning," Shuichi tries to steer us back on track, making Angie hum in delight.

"Nyahaha~! In that case, we can cross off you, Kaito, Himiko, Tenko, Prairie, Kokichi, and myself from the suspect list!" Angie declares, making Shuichi nod absentmindedly in agreement as he continues to think to himself. With that expression on his face, I really do wonder what's going on inside his head. How does he notice so many little details and somehow manages to string them up cohesively?

"I'm not quite so sure about Prairie...her and Kokichi are very close and I wouldn't put it past either of them to lie for one another. In fact, I think I trust Prairie the least in this instance, considering it's been revealed she indeed has feelings for Kokichi- who hardly seems interested," Korekiyo surprisingly states, making me narrow my eyes on him after dropping my hair.

"Oh yeah, we'd totally lie for one another! We're a power couple!" Kokichi claims, smiling brightly at the lie he's just uttered. I quickly toss in a rebuttal to his words, voice dry with annoyance.

"I don't like him _that _much, I hope that's at least obvious. Would _you_ punch your crush four times in the face?" I ask, making Korekiyo evidently pause before his eyes twinkle in amusement and shift to Kokichi curiously.

Kokichi isn't smiling anymore.

"I see...alright, I'll take your word for it in that case. I will say the relationship you two have is rather on the odd side, after all," Korekiyo gracefully backs down on the topic. "That aside however, why would the culprit wait such a long time to abandon the murder weapon at the false crime scene if the murder occurred yesterday? They clearly lacked organization skills regarding their false set up in Kirumi's lab...furthermore, what would compel them to revisit the hotel knowing Prairie would still be in there?

"Hm...what would make them wait till this morning…" Kaito murmurs thoughtfully, reaching up to stroke the goatee on his chin.

"Maybe they forgot the knife behind at the hotel yesterday and were unable to retrieve it until morning. That's the most likely cause, I think. Also, didn't Prairie say there was a damp puddle in the hotel room that she noticed? They probably still had to clean up some of the mess they left there from the initial kill," Maki explains, pulling at the bow on the front of her outfit thoughtfully. "You said the damp spot had a scent of something medical. Did it maybe smell like hydrogen peroxide?" Maki asks me, looking me in the eye.

"...I'm not actually sure I can recall the smell of hydrogen peroxide from the top of my head," I answer, noting the annoyance in her eyes until I turn to Kokichi. "What do you think, Leech Face?"

"Hmm...yeah, actually it did smell a lot like hydrogen peroxide. What would they need that for though? Were they gonna try reviving Ryoma after they stabbed him to death right in the neck artery? _Nishishi!" _Kokichi laughs, until Maki cuts his amusement off to answer, "Hydrogen peroxide can remove stains that are protein based, which would include bloodstains."

…

"And _how_ would you know that...?" Kokichi asks suspiciously.

"Stupid, what do you think people with vaginas go through every month?" Maki bluntly answers without hesitation, prompting Kokichi to fall dead silent, enough the suspicion in his eyes dies off and he doesn't add anything to argue with Maki.

_Whoa, he's been completely silenced...but yeah, I'm sure it's because of that and has absolutely _ _ **nothing ** _ _to do with the fact her lab is supplied from top to bottom with deadly weapons...definitely nothing related to her real talent as the Ultimate Murderous Fiend...nope._

"Now, we should probably figure out if Ryoma was a visitor or not," Maki states, before looking to Kokichi and I again. "I assume at least one of you knows who the visitor was yesterday."

"I don't-" I start.

"It was _that_ bitch," Kokichi states bluntly, pointing straight at Kirumi with a grin that doesn't reach his eyes. In fact, he seems somewhat pissed off as he looks her way, making Kirumi blink in surprise and then scowl.

"Me?" Kirumi questions, reaching behind her neck curiously and then closing her eyes momentarily as she seems to realize something. "I see...I was feeling under the weather when I woke up this morning, and only got out of bed shortly before the body discovery announcement. I presume from a 'bad trip' as explained before."

"I hope you felt _reeeally _bad after I left the room last night!" Kokichi snickers, putting his hands together and striking a mocking dreamy pose. "You were all, 'Master Kokichi, I'm madly in _love_ with you!' So I told you to fuck off with that sappy shit and go deep clean some toilets."

"Yikes…" I hear Moo-Moo-gi comment, her voice quieter than the times she's spoken up before. Clearly she's hesitant to speak up any louder since I harassed her previously.

Good.

_Besides that though, that explains why Kokichi was in a bad mood this morning. Stupid Kirumi was sent into the hotel and he ended up having to deal with her. I guess he was already irritated before I woke up, so me jumping him with cuddles in my sleep probably only made things worse…_

_But why'd he come to __**my**_ _room? Why not just swap with one of the other empty rooms? He wasn't...worried about me because it was Kirumi there, was he?_

…

..._Doubtful_.

"We still need to verify that since it's coming from _him_. Kaito, check the back of Kirumi's neck," Maki orders, turning her red gaze to the man beside Shuichi that seemed to already realize he was going to have to do what I did for Kokichi. At that, he swallows thickly and turns to look Kirumi's way with a sheepish smile. He's obviously not comfortable asking her, but then again who would be?

Kirumi tried to kill me three times, it's only natural we'd all be wary of her.

The Ultimate Maid sighs and turns around for Kaito. "Make it quick. It should be easy to spot with my hair up," she states, even though Kaito is already leaning closer and looking around.

"...Yeah, there's a red spot at the back of her neck. Looks like a bug bite, actually," Kaito comments, reaching back to touch his own neck after Kirumi faces the rest of us again.

"In that case, that means Ryoma was a guest since each night is limited to one visitor only. If he were to enter the hotel, it would have been during the day after he was last seen, since he wouldn't hesitate to see Prairie. I presume by the time night hours hit, he was already dead considering the state of his body, so that's a time of death between eleven thirty am to ten pm," Shuichi sighs. "Kiibo, were you with Kokichi during the day up until he left for the hotel?"

"Yes! We were searching around the courtyard and the surrounding area after breakfast ended when we split up the search workload. That stayed consistent up until we found the girls in the gym before night hours. At that point, Kokichi just upped and left me," Kiibo states, making Kokichi chuckle.

"I bet you were _very _happy about that," Kokichi says with a grin, arms behind his neck.

"Trust me when I say I have never been happier," Kiibo grunts, face scrunched in anxious relief at the memory. "It took us a lot of time searching because Kokichi kept horsing around and being a huge distraction. There's more robophobia in him than I've ever seen in any other human…!"

"G-Gonta and I were searching the pool area before we arrived at the casino. Mainly, we searched the area outside the casino and hotel to see if Shuichi maybe dropped his key along the path or in the water," Udder Ursula states, eyes flicking my way as she shrinks back from her podium like I'll snap at her for saying something. She seems to relax when I don't, adding, "W-We can also verify that Rantaro was sleeping in there, in case Monophanie's input wasn't enough. She wouldn't actually let us try to wake him up though…"

..._I hate how well she's playing into that dumb role of the innocent bullied baby cow. She's making me look like a total jerk for yelling at her earlier._

I must be making a face at her, because she immediately ducks her gaze and bites her lip in dismay, her body shrinking back more in an effort to make herself as small as possible. When I hear Rantaro cough, I glance his way and have the sense to stop mad-dogging the dumb Cow Face next to him.

"Did either of you see anyone or even Ryoma himself heading for the hotel at all?" I ask to distract myself, prompting Gonta to speak up.

"Not sure, but...Gonta think see Ryoma at exchange counter sometime. Did not look close, so not sure. Gonta very big and Ryoma...Ryoma smaller than Small Prairie. Hard to see," Gonta admits solemnly. "Gonta feel very useless in trial..."

"No, no, that's okay, Gonta, you're helping. I mean...that would explain the nectarine ticket in his pocket if that's the case. Still, how would he have been able to purchase it? I only saw him gamble a little, so I can't imagine he would have accumulated enough casino coins to purchase both a key _and _a nectarine. As mundane as the nectarine may be-" Rantaro starts, until I grunt and he glances over to find my gaze glued to him insistently in objection. "As incredibly _tasty_ as the nectarine is, it's one of the most expensive items to purchase at the casino due to its rarity at being dropped from the Monomachine in the student store."

That's better. No one is allowed to shun the nectarine.

"...Khehehe, I see now," Korekiyo cackles, crossing his arms in amusement as we all turn to look his way. "Shuichi, do you recall that challenge Kaito proposed before Prairie reappeared? Kokichi was there too."

"Ah! That's it!" Shuichi exclaims, bumping a fist into his hand lightly. "Ryoma won a lot of coins that time, it's possible he used the casino coins from that instance to purchase the nectarine ticket as well as the hotel key to see Prairie. It would have been much faster than simply looking for my key, considering everyone knew my key was missing by the time we finished breakfast and cleaned up the dining hall."

"Gonta, what time do you think you saw Ryoma at the exchange counter?" Rantaro asks, watching as Gonta seems to think back.

"Gonta count back. Gonta think twelve seven, when Gonta come back from bathroom break."

"Huuuuh? So you two weren't together the whole time?" Kokichi asks, zeroing in on a suspicious detail as soon as it's possible for him to.

"N-No, admittedly not. But I don't believe neither I nor Gonta would have been away from each other long enough for either of us to have plainly entered the hotel to commit a murder. Right, Gonta?" Tsumugi asks, making Gonta nod in agreement.

"Right!" Gonta agrees.

"About how long were you two apart? Sorry, I just have to be sure I'm not missing anything," Shuichi inquires, making Gonta and Tsumugi nod in understanding.

"Gonta remember Tsumugi outside hotel when leave, looking for key. Eleven fifty-one then," Gonta states. "Gonta gone for fifteen minutes, come back to casino. Tsumugi search at back of casino. We go to search garden at twelve fifty."

"Alright," Shuichi agrees with only slight hesitancy, making me resist a mild scowl.

So Tsumugi was searching at the back of the casino, but maybe we should ask exact questions when it comes to Gonta. His vernacular is extremely simple and not as fluent as ours. Did he actually _see_ her? He only said Tsumugi was searching the back of the casino and that's it, but is that factual or an assumption on his part? I don't think I'm alone in my suspicions either, Shuichi doesn't appear all that convinced, going by the pensive expression on his face.

_Or maybe that's just you wanting to find fault in the milk-maid because you hate her. Don't let your anger get the better of you, she may be the mastermind, but that doesn't guarantee that she's the killer. Especially since as a writer for Team Danganronpa, she would want to see her precious killing game to the very end._

"Tsumugi, I recall seeing you stepping out from the dormitory building around twelve forty-seven when I was leaving my room to head for the library. Will you explain that?" Korekiyo inquires, prompting a small sigh from Tsu of the Zoo.

"Yes, um…I had a small accident falling in the water by the casino and had to run to my room to change into something dry," Tsumugi clarifies, prompting Gonta to blink in surprise.

"But...Tsumugi no told Gonta?" He says, prompting Tsumugi to turn bright red immediately and tug the coat over her chest more. "T-That's because my coat doesn't close all the way over me and I have a white shirt…!"

"Hm," Korekiyo hums, although he doesn't seem all too satisfied with the answer. To be honest, neither am I, but it might just be because I hate her guts.

Either way, Shuichi doesn't linger on that issue, choosing to redirect the conversation back on Gonta's admission.

"If Gonta really saw Ryoma when he said he did, that means Ryoma really could potentially have entered around that time. Prairie, did you hear any strange noises around then? Like maybe someone walking in the hotel or anything suspicious in general?" Shuichi asks me, prompting me to shake my head.

"Not that I recall, and I was wide awake at the time. In fact, I even left my room at two ten when I realized if you came in, you wouldn't know that I had swapped rooms. At that time, I put up a sign on my old room door to let you know which room I had moved to," I explain, playing with some of my hair thoughtlessly. "Nothing unusual stuck out to me though."

"Nn...hey, didn't Kokichi say he explored the whole hotel before he went into Prairie's room…? Wouldn't he have looked in Prairie's old room too?" Himiko asks, looking at Kokichi for some sort of response.

"Eh? Oh, yeah I said that, didn't I? Soo...I _actually _didn't go into all the rooms, I kinda only looked into the rooms on the first level of the hotel and then called it quits. As soon as I saw the door with Prairie's note on the second floor, I figured it was a waste of time looking at the rest of the upstairs rooms!" Kokichi answers with a grin, causing Himiko to make a face.

"Then you didn't 'explore the whole hotel'. You lied," Himiko says more than asks with a dry look, to which Kokichi responds cheekily with, _"Yeeeuup~!"_

"Okay, so that just means there's potential in the fact the knife could have been left behind. It would have been better if Kokichi could confirm it, but this is alright too. We're not backed into any corners yet," Shuichi tries to calm us down, making me look to Kokichi with a grimace.

_Angie finding the key under the stairs on the girls side of the dormitory...Kokichi running into the culprit and feeling someone's boobs...we should probably bring that up._

"Hm? What?" Kokichi asks when he realizes I'm staring at him, making me tense up momentarily before I control myself and lean closer.

"About that whole thing in the hotel...you know, when the culprit ran into you. Are you planning on mentioning that? You never answered Shuichi's question from before," I point out, making Shuichi glance our way at the sound of my soft voice. It doesn't seem like he can hear us clearly enough to know what we're talking about.

"Hm?" Shuichi asks, making Kokichi hum and regard Shuichi before leaning closer to me and lowering his voice where Shuichi can't hear us.

"...You're not gonna get _jealous_ again if I do, are you…?" He teases me quietly, prompting me to shoot daggers his way with my eyes. Kokichi grins, leaning back and holding up his hands defensively. "Okay, okay, no need to fire up the engine, Prairie Dog!"

"Kokichi, what's going on?" Kaito asks annoyed, like he's expecting yet another confession to a lie.

"I've got it solved!" Kokichi claims, much to the disbelief of everyone- including myself.

_What? He __**solved**_ _it?! No, that can't be true, we haven't even discussed the use of the other missing objects from the hotel rooms! Or even why there was water damage to the items in Ryoma's pocket…!_

"Trust me, I've got this! Are you ready?" Kokichi asks, peeking back at me like he's just told a joke and is examining my reaction to it.

"...No," I object bluntly, though this only seems to amuse Kokichi more.

"The murderer was _definitely _Kirumi!" Kokichi claims, "And I can prove why right here and right now without a shadow of a doubt!"

_...But _ _ **can ** _ _he though?_

'_Cause...I think he's just screwing around._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.20 - Confirming Alibis**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Links: all the story art will be viewable on my art twitter and art tumblr, which you can find on my Linktree :3 Only recent arts will still be added as separate hyperlinks for easy access.
> 
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> 
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[Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)   

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> 
> [Scrum Debate! (White)](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/626075347355631617/scrum-debate-white)
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> [Scrum Debate! (Orange Coral)](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/626074659551690752/scrum-debate-orange-coral)  



	50. How to Show You the Truth

❀ _**3.21 - How to Show You The Truth**_ ❀

**⚠️ tw/ xenophobia ⚠️**

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"The murderer was _definitely _Kirumi!" Kokichi claims, causing Kirumi's expression to dip into a dry look at his words. Hm...is he sure? Or is he just screwing around? "See, we now have proof that she was actually able to enter the hotel even with the presented circumstances! She probably mistook Ryoma as Prairie Dog and killed him on accident as a result. After all, we don't _actually _know whether Ryoma really entered the hotel as soon as he got the key."

He's totally screwing around.

"That's wrong, and I'm pretty sure you're aware of it. If she entered as a visitor and killed Ryoma, that would mean Ryoma still would have basically waited several hours until the Love Suite Event went into motion, since it didn't start off until some time after you left my room at three am. It makes no sense that Ryoma would wait that long to see me considering his main objective to get Rantaro and I on friendly terms again," I shoot his words down without even blinking.

"Even on the chance Ryoma hesitated and _did _stay in a room to pass time, Kirumi still couldn't logically kill him. In all likelihood, if she were to actually mistake someone for Prairie in a state like that, it would probably be the person she was supposed to visit- _Kokichi_ in this case. The monokubs explained that the drug gives the subject an objective on who to visit. So if Kirumi visited Kokichi, she wouldn't have the need to visit Ryoma afterwards, she would automatically just head out to her room after the failed Love Suite Event," Shuichi continues on my point.

"Kokichi might be right about one thing, actually!" Angie speaks up, making our attention fall onto her as she bounces on her heels. "This was an ambush Ryoma walked into. Except none of us were aware Ryoma could access the hotel, not even after he was murdered. It's likely whoever killed him wasn't actually aiming to slaughter Ryoma specifically. In fact, the _only_ two people we knew had access to the hotel were Prairie and Shuichi! Since everyone save for Kirumi was around yesterday at breakfast when Shuichi realized he'd lost his key and the location of Ryoma's murder was Prairie's old room, with the process of elimination we can determine…"

Angie's expression tints a dark shade, her smile just a tad bit on the uncanny side.

"The culprit's intended target _had to be Prairie,"_ she concludes.

"Fucking hell," Rantaro curses at the realization, running a hand through his messy green hair. I can't help but choke a little on my saliva at the fact he's said the baddest of bad words, but Rantaro doesn't seem to notice. "_Again_ with someone trying to kill Prairie…?"

"Nee-hee-hee! Prairie Dog really was a great choice for the golden target motive, wasn't she? She's so small and adorable that everyone keeps thinking that killing her is a piece of cake, only to learn the hard way every time! I guess that's why Monokuma made Prairie Dog that motive. She's practically unkillable!" Kokichi comments, making my heart jerk just a little when assumptions fill my brain.

_He's saying that so boldly...is he trying to make the others believe that trying to kill me isn't worth it? Won't that make the people that decide to kill start aiming for the others though?!_

"I'm not unkillable, it's just dumb luck that's gotten me this far," I claim, noting how Kokichi's eyes flash with annoyance when he glances my way. He clearly didn't like that, so that means I must be right then. He's trying to get people to stop coming after me.

I appreciate the effort regardless of whatever objective he's trying to achieve, but if I've been able to get past all this, even if it _was _dumb luck, even _if _being targeted is the worst, I'll deal with it myself. I don't want the others to become targets like me. Besides, I still have a better chance of getting out of difficult situations than the others do because of my 'advantage', as Kokichi called it. Whether he actually knows what it is or not…

"Prairie, you said you put up the sign for me at two ten pm? You never removed it from the door, right?" Shuichi inquires, breaking into the conversation again less with the intention to stop us from getting distracted and more because he's clearly noticed some new connection. I blink up at him before it's suddenly clear to me, prompting a gasp of surprise to escape me.

"We've narrowed down Ryoma's possible time of death!" I state hopefully, making Shuichi nod. "If it was an ambush meant for me to walk into, that means both Ryoma and the murderer had to have entered my old room _before _I left a sign saying which room I was staying in. And if Ryoma was seen alive around twelve seven, that means he must have died within the two hours between those time frames! That's plenty of time to deal with the crime scene, isn't it?"

"That's right," Shuichi confirms, the two of us turning to face the rest of the group as they regard the two of us curiously.

"Prairie...you're oddly proficient at this sort of thing. Have you ever considered being a detective yourself?" Korekiyo asks, making me shake my head quickly in horror.

"N-No. I don't wanna risk the chance I'll have to look at bodies, that's too scary…" I answer, prompting a snort out of Kokichi.

"You held Ka-yay-day on her deathbed and you were willing to get grabby with Ryoma's corpse without a complaint before, but you're scared of seeing dead bodies?" Kokichi asks, to which I shoot him a sharp glare and scrunch my nose in distaste.

"Those were two different situations. For one, Kaede died as a result of Miu trying to defend me for an issue that was no longer a problem. In Ryoma's case, like I said before, we didn't really have a choice but to examine his body thoroughly in preparation for this trial. Just because I can try and stomach it doesn't mean gore doesn't scare me, I'm still going to have nightmares about it later, potato brains."

Kokichi looks amused by that, but doesn't say anything else on the topic.

"Okay, so now we know whoever doesn't have an alibi around twelve pm to two pm is the potential killer...but there's something that still doesn't make sense to me," Kiibo speaks up, tapping his fingers over his podium pensively. "Kokichi and I were around the courtyard at that time, right between the school and the hotel-casino area. Tsumugi and Gonta were searching the casino and they were around the exterior of the hotel area searching the path for the key around that time, yes?"

"Yeah, that's right," Tsumugi answers.

"Alright then. How would _anyone_ manage to hide carrying a dead body across to the main academy building when we were all out there searching for Shuichi's key? They would have had to luck out and pass Gonta and Tsumugi while they searched the hotel area, they would have had to somehow avoid being spotted in an open area such as the courtyard in broad daylight while Kokichi and I were walking about, and then they would have had to dodge Shuichi and Kaito while they were searching the school building. That can't be possibly achieved, can it? On top of that, the murderer also couldn't have left the body behind in the hotel until later either, or they would have been shut out by the time we all called it quits when night hours hit. If it was left anywhere just _outside_ the hotel, wouldn't we also have noticed?"

…

Shuichi looks away, meditating on Kiibo's well brought up points. He seems a little perplexed, like he's having a hard time trying to figure that point out. Two hours is enough time to set up a murder scene- _if _it didn't involve moving a physical dead body, even one as small as Ryoma's, from one location to another. It would be glaringly obvious if someone was seen carrying a large bag or something that a body could be stored in.

_...Maybe now's the time to use my intuition, huh?_

I look around at the others around the circle of podiums. Then I turn my attention towards the throne and the monokubs, noting how Monokuma is staring at Shuichi rather than myself.

_Alright._

I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes to give off the illusion that I'm simply deep in thought.

How could Ryoma's body have been transported from the hotel to the school?

…

_A makeshift body bag was created using the duvet to hold both the corpse and chains. It was tied off with the rope and placed in the surrounding water where the chains would keep the body weighed down._

It worked! But...wouldn't the body have been bloody? And if they washed themselves and the corpse in the hotel shower, wouldn't someone notice a trail of blood or water coming out of the hotel room? At two ten, I never noticed anything suspicious when I put up that note for Shuichi...Also someone would see the body bag in the water, wouldn't they? The water around the hotel is crystal clear as can be.

_The culprit and the corpse were likely dried using the duvet to avoid leaving a water trail and leaving towels behind that would reveal their secret. If dried properly, they'd be damp enough that they wouldn't leave a trail of water behind._

_The body bag would be hard to spot in the water if it's swam out to the far corner where the sunlight and light from the building bends with the movement of the water. This would correlate with the body being bloated and having water damage if it was left there and recovered at a much later time._

Probably because I haven't eaten yet, I feel just a little light headed as I open my eyes again, swaying in place and nearly stepping back off of my podium until Kokichi pulls me back up quickly. He casts me a confused look, making me blink up at him to see I'm having a bit of double-vision. It settles after a moment, enough for me to realize something that has me rather relieved.

_Kokichi definitely doesn't know about my intuition. He must have come to another deduction regarding what he read in that bloody sudoku puzzle book. I can probably get his thoughts of it out of him safely in that case to see what he thinks that "advantage" of mine is._

"Hey, Shuichi," I speak up, making Shuichi glance my way as I pull my arm from Kokichi's grip. "I think I may have thought of a way the killer could have hidden the body without leaving it in the hotel."

"R-Really?!" Tenko asks, before grinning and pumping a fist in the air. "Prairie, you're a genius!"

"Hm, shouldn't we hear what her idea is _before _we start amplifying her ego any more than it already is?" Angie questions, tapping a finger over her chin playfully.

_I will not get mad, I will not get mad, I will not get mad-_

"Prairie is a natural genius, that much I'll agree with Tenko!" Kokichi also jumps in, making me hold in an eye roll as I proceed to explain.

"Kiibo said the body couldn't be left hidden inside the hotel, since it would be left behind until morning. However, we know the body was not moved this morning because the puddle of blood made in Kirumi's lab was already dried when Kaito and I spotted it, meaning it was likely created yesterday. On top of that, it couldn't have been taken out of the hotel-casino area without being seen. So...if I were smart, I'd stick it where it's accessible once everyone has given up looking for Shuichi's key. In the water," I elaborate.

"Eh? The water...well, that would explain the body bloating and the damage to the things in his pocket, but…" Shuichi trails off, right before it clicks and he gapes at me. "You mean…! With the _items_, right?"

I nod, watching as Shuichi thinks it over and then smiles confidently.

"I see…" Shuichi answers with interest.

"Hey, can you power duo clue the rest of us less fortunate with mystery solving in on your discovery?" Rantaro inquires with a raised brow, arms crossed as we turn to face him. "Prairie, you said in the water. Can you elaborate how the killer would manage this without anyone noticing it?"

"See, remember the duvet, the chains, and the rope we found missing from the hotel that appeared in Kirumi's lab hidden in different places?" Rantaro nods as Shuichi speaks, allowing him to continue when no one objects. " If you put the body in the duvet, threw in those heavy chains, and then tied it off with a rope, you would have a weighted body bag."

"So if you put that body bag at any of the far corners in the water around the casino-hotel area, the light would be reflected back and essentially hide what's under the surface!" I explain. "Even if the water is clear as polished glass, you wouldn't be able to see the body bag with the movement of the water shooting light back in your eyes."

"What about the blood from the murder? Wouldn't a trail be left behind, considering he was stabbed at his neck?" Tenko asks, making me shake my head.

"No, we established they needed to hide that the murder happened at the hotel, right? They definitely washed the corpse and their own body in the shower and dried off until they were damp, probably using the duvet so they didn't leave evidence like a bunch of towels behind. If they used the duvet, they would have nothing to worry about in that regard since they'd promptly use it as a body bag right after they dried off. Although...I'm sure they would have left a trail of water leading out from the hotel-casino itself, though I'm guessing Kokichi and Kiibo didn't see anything like that either?"

"Ah! Well, actually we did see water on the concrete near the hotel-casino around one pm, but...well, the water was vast and I suspect any specific trail the culprit may have left happened either while the sprinklers were on or they happened just in time for the sprinklers to cover the trail," Kiibo explains.

"That's…" Maki starts, looking a little startled by the crazy theory Shuichi and I have come up with, which is made all the more plausible by Kiibo confirming any evidence of the culprit passing without being spotted would have been completely washed away by the sprinklers. The culprit is pretty lucky...

"I told you all! _Genius!" _Tenko gushes, grinning proudly from her podium beside Kiibo and Kokichi.

"Also, Kaito and I have supplementary information regarding an extension of this and how it would make the most sense. Last night when we were headed to the casino to check on Rantaro close to twelve am, Kaito and I actually noticed a trail of water half leading into the school and another trail half leading from the hotel-casino entrance to the grass. We didn't think much of it at the time and thought it was odd...but when I noticed Ryoma's body was bloated and showed signs of water damage, I knew it had to be related. I just didn't know how it was linked until Prairie brought up her theory," Shuichi continues.

"So that means the body could have been moved at night without having to worry about running into everyone that was searching for Shuichi's key in the day," Kiibo finalizes, nodding in agreement. "I see, that makes sense. In that case, all we have left to do is figure out who of everyone without a proper alibi is the most likely to have been the culprit."

"Aaaand, now it's my turn to jump in and clear off some more names!" Kokichi chirps brightly, making me look at him hopefully. Is he finally gonna tell Shuichi about the boobs?! "I think at this point we can all agree Angie was the first to spot the body at the very least. She arrived early, found Ryoma's body, and then bailed on co-op laundry before donkey lips got there!"

"W-Wait, we don't actually-" Kiibo starts to speak up, just as Angie clears her throat and cuts him off with a resounding. "Yes! That's absolutely right!"

…

"What?!" Himiko questions in horror, visibly stunned by Angie's admission. "You left me to walk in on finding a dead body…? You couldn't even just wait to warn me?"

"Atua called me away. I could not stay without suspicion falling on me. I have a duty to fulfil. You'll understand soon enough, don't worry. I'm glad Prairie was there to soften the discovery for you, however," Angie responds, to which Himiko only sighs over before relaxing and answering, "Yeah…okay. I understand."

_She's just going to forgive her that easily for ditching her?! What?!_

Angie seems to think the perplexed expression on my face as I look from her to Himiko is funny considering how she giggles when our eyes meet, but she keeps her mouth shut as far as poking fun at me goes.

"So could the killer still be Kirumi. She definitely doesn't have a solid alibi, even if she _couldn't _have killed Ryoma in a scenario where she was the visitor," Maki states, looking Kirumi's way until the Ultimate Maid lets out a sigh.

"Very well. I believe I can give a logical explanation proving why I wouldn't kill Ryoma. It's nothing concrete, but it also has to do with my reasoning for wanting to kill exclusively Prairie and why I wouldn't have made the mistake of killing the wrong person," Kirumi states, making my stomach churn. A reason for wanting to kill me...I don't like that phrase coming out of her mouth.

"Well, let's hear it then," Rantaro immediately orders, though he doesn't appear any more thrilled than I am about the matter.

"What could you possibly tell us that would make us believe you have a specific reason for only wanting to kill Prairie? Not only could you have changed your mind about your target anytime you felt like it, but the intended target _was _Prairie!" Kaito shouts.

"You tried to kill Prairie _three times, _that's way more attempts than Kaede!" Tenko accuses, prompting Himiko to add, "You were hiding in her room and you expected _her _to walk in, not Ryoma!"

"You used Shuichi's key to enter the hotel in broad daylight, set up a trap in Prairie's old room, and ended up shish-kebabing _Ryoma _instead!" Kokichi claims, holding up the key around his neck proudly, up until Shuichi suddenly blurts out. "Hold on right there!"

Kokichi blinks in confusion, scowling at Shuichi.

"What? Did I get something wrong in my accusations?" Kokichi asks curiously, watching as the detective points at the key in his hand.

"Is that the key you found in Angie's pocket?" Shuichi questions, making Kokichi and I examine it for a moment. It's a hotel key, there's no question about it. It hangs off of a thick silver chain-like necklace around his neck, one wider than the gold chain of my own necklace in question.

"Uh, yeah. It's your key-"

"No, that's definitely not my key. My key hung on a black leather cord. Angie, that's the same key you recall picking up, right?" Shuichi asks, prompting Angie to nod confidently.

"Yes, it is! I remember it had that silver chain!" She declares, grinning as she regards both Kokichi and I.

"...So. Regardless whether the key belongs to either Ryoma himself or the culprit in question, it's not Shuichi's key. This means the culprit definitely dropped it and they went to the dormitories at some point," I state, letting my eyes slide towards both Korekiyo and Tsumugi.

_Kokichi still hasn't answered Shuichi's question on whether he felt any defining features to the individual he ran into. If Kokichi _ _ **really ** _ _felt boobs, that means the killer is potentially Tsumugi or Kirumi…_

I risk a glance in Maki's direction, allowing my gaze to drift discreetly down to her chest.

...It's non-existent, even with that giant bow giving her more dimension. It can't be her, that's for sure. Heck, even _my _chest is larger than hers. Regarding Korekiyo, it can't be him either considering he's just as flat chested as Maki.

"Kokichi, will you _tell_ _them_ already?!" I blurt out impatiently, since at this point I'm pretty sure he's not going to say it unless I force his hand. Kokichi blinks innocently, daintily putting a hand over his chest as he turns towards me.

"Pardon? Tell them what, Mousey-mouse?" He asks dumbly like he has absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. He's avoided telling them several times now, I'm not just going to stand here and let the others continue to scramble about without _everyone's _full testimonies.

"Shuichi's question you dodged earlier. About the culprit having distinct physical features when they ran into you. Remember?" I press, a hand on my hip as I glare at him.

"Hm...I think I remember something, but it's just so hard to summon forth in my mind…! Hey, why don't _you _tell them, Prairie Dog?" Kokichi suggests as he picks at his ear, throwing a sweet smile my way that's as gentle as can be.

_He wants me to answer so I embarrass myself! Because __**I'll**_ _be the one to say he grabbed someone's boobs when he was knocked over! UGH! Whatever!_

"When I was cleaning off my cut, Kokichi said that he-!" I cut myself off trying to steel myself to say it. It runs off on my tongue before ending in a dry trickle, one that can't even be forced to come out as my mouth turns to sandpaper. It's so embarrassing…! I don't _want_ to say it…!

"Come on, Prairie Dog, you can do it! Say it loud and say it proud!" Kokichi tries to encourage me, resulting in a swift smack to the back of his head that only makes him snort with laughter when he looks at the mix of expressions between mortification and rage etched over my extremely warm features.

"Kokichi, just tell us yourself! Why do you always have to torture Prairie like this?!" Kaito complains, ruffling his hair even though it just springs back into its usual shape once he drops his hands from it.

"H-H-He said…" I can feel my rage fading, turning into pure embarrassment, as I finally manage to utter with a forceful twist of my lips, "_...'Tits'."_

…

… …

"Kokichi felt…'tits'? On the culprit? Okay, so they're female and implied to be busty. That means-" Kiibo takes in stride with little shame, only for Tenko to suddenly blurt out, "Hey, don't just gloss over the issue! Kokichi, you're even more of a skeevy degenerate male than I thought! You had the gall to even sexually assault the _murderer_ of this case! How low could you have possibly set your bar to?!"

"Huuhh? _She _ran into _me. _I was the one assaulted here, I didn't want my hands touching those giant coconut sized balls of fat!" Kokichi argues, startling me when he throws his arms over his podium and around me tightly enough to make my shoulders ache from his less than comfortable squeezing. "I love _Prairie Dog _and I'd _never _betray her by doing something filthy like that!"

"Well, I don't love _you_, you diseased garden gnome! Lemme go!" I snap heatedly from embarrassment, shoving him off of me forcefully and grabbing my hair to hide my face as it floods with heat.

"The killer is Kirumi. Like I said from the very start," Maki comments, prompting Kirumi to clear her voice so we turn to face her. Much to everyone's surprise, Kirumi is holding what appears to be a kubz pad in her hands, making my embarrassment pan out into a silent discomfort as she turns towards Monokuma.

"Is...that a kubz pad?" Kaito asks, looking rather disturbed to see it. "You managed to convince someone to trade videos with you?!"

Kirumi shakes her head, her appearance confident as she rests the side of the tablet against her head.

"No. As Prairie predicted, I was one of the lucky ones that recieved my own video rather than someone else's. Monokuma, is it possible to display this on a larger screen for everyone to see?" She inquires, making Monokuma yawn and raise a paw at the monokubs.

"You heard the lady, get to work," Monokuma orders, prompting Monophanie to jump off her place with Monosuke and Monodam, bounding in Kirumi's direction to take her kubz pad from her outstretched hand. Monokid moves to drag down a large screen near the back of the trial grounds close to where the elevator is, eventually stepping to look up at the screen and allow the other kubs to do the rest of the work.

"Wait, where's this cord go?!" Monosuke complains. "This one doesn't even _fit _anywhere!"

"..._Oh!_ Over here, pass the tablet to me!" Monophanie chirps, the sound of sparks flying and something cracking before the screen finally powers on for us to see. "There we go! It's almost ready to roll!"

"Turn up the brightness, you clowns, it's super dim," Monokid calls up, crossing his arms and waiting with us as we listen to the sound of the other three kubs tinkering with the back of the large screen. Eventually, brightness jumps up all the way to the point it's nearly blinding. "TOO bright, I didn't say turn it up _all_ the way!" Monokid complains, even covering his own eyes as some of us turn our gaze away from the screen.

"You ought to be the one that does this, I don't know anything about technology…!" Monosuke huffs, prompting me to frown in confusion and surprise. He doesn't know anything about technology? Isn't he supposed to be the smart monokub? He has the glasses and the snarky know-it-all attitude befitting of the part, at the very least.

"Hnn...I miss Monotaro. He was the tech wizard," Monophanie sighs, a pang of hurt stabbing me in the heart at hearing his name again.

_After the first murder, Monotaro was destroyed by Monokuma...I'm still not sure if it's because of Monotaro going off the rails on him or whether he'd planned to set off the bomb inside Monotaro from the get-go after Kaede died and Miu graduated._

_Bearing that in mind, does that mean Monokid might also end up getting executed alongside the killer of this trial…?_

I should have hurried and found the time to try and remove Monokid's bomb from inside of him- but instead I was hiding in the stupid love hotel like a scared rabbit. With anxiety swirling about in my gut, I look in Monokid's direction, though he's more or less oblivious to my gaze resting on him as he calls out more orders to the kubs behind the screen.

_I really hope nothing happens to him._

"...There! _Don't_ move the thing anymore, it's displayed on the screen!" Monokid calls out, making the three other monokubs jump down from behind the screen to look up. Monodam holds up a remote and turns his head to regard the rest of us.

"I'm-Hitting-Play-Now," he states, pressing a button with his paw.

Swallowing thickly for whatever Kirumi's motive for killing me may be, I steel myself as soon as Monokuma's bouncy voice fills the trial room from the speakers around the large screen. It's as eager and haunting as usual, bearing little true innocence as he gets through the introduction of the title screen.

"_Who, oh who, could be your _'_**most important loved ones,' **__I wooonder? Let's begin, let's begiiin…!"_

"_The Ultimate Maid, Kirumi Tojou...as a 'super maid' of sorts, she accomplished a great deal of requests for clients throughout the political and business world alike."_

The images on the screen shift to reveal Kirumi in a large room patiently waiting before a desk, men standing on either side of the room bowing respectfully. There's a flag on the side of the seated man's desk, one that appears to be Japan's national flag. I can only guess this is a politician she's served in the past considering my limited knowledge on the outside world from my amnesia, but the sound of soft gasps littered around the room when the others see it makes me look around in confusion in an effort to get more information on what's going on. Is the man at the desk someone really influential?

"No freaking way…! Kirumi's even given her services to the _prime minister?!" _Kaito gapes, making me look his way in confusion. 'Prime minister'?

"_Then suddenly, one day...she was summoned by one of her most influential clients- the prime minister of Japan."_

"_As he gave her a request of the utmost importance, he said this: 'I would like for you to serve all the citizens of this country, as the Ultimate Maid'."_

What? Wait...like a secretary? Or did Kirumi become a politician too?

"_The prime minister requested that she 'rebuild this country', and transferred the authority to do so over to her. And so, while publicly she began working as the prime minister's private secretary, she actually became this country's shadow prime minister...No, it's '__**true prime minister'**__!"_

"Is...this real?" Rantaro asks in confusion, looking like he believes it very little even with the motive video on display for us to watch. Honestly, I hardly think I can believe it myself. Kirumi essentially became the leader of Japan? What sort of parallel world did I just step into? The twilight zone?

"As real as can be," Kirumi confirms.

"_By now, no one but Kirumi can save this country on the verge of an 'unprecedented crisis'. Yes! The future of this __**entire country**_ _rests on her shoulders!"_

"_But surely Kirumi will succeed. After all, she always accomplishes every request that she receives. And of course, she's a young lady who truly thinks of the citizens of this country as her _'_**most important people' **__from the bottom of her heart."_

"Of my citizens, this doesn't include Prairie. She's a foreign exchange student on a visa who originates from Spain and was raised in both her home country and America," Kirumi elaborates as the video is paused, the Ultimate Maid turning to face the rest of us. "As she is a foreigner, I have no qualms using the golden target motive to get myself out of here and fulfil my duties as the prime minister. It means not only can I leave this place and continue my task, but I have a way out that doesn't hurt the rest of you. Members of our society and country. Looking on the bright side, I can potentially come back for the rest of you with the appropriate resources if I leave this place in one piece. I do have the power of the entire country's assets, after all."

"At the cost of _killing _Prairie! I'd rather we all rot here together than go that route! Even if she's a foreigner, that's no reason to sacrifice her to further your political gain!" Tenko argues, horrified. "Clearly the power has gotten to your head!"

"There's more in the video. I would not do this if I had any other option. As I stated before, it's _not_ personal. She's simply my best chance out of here to see what has happened to the country I lead so I can administer repairs," Kirumi continues with a somewhat crestfallen look.

"Administer repairs…? What do you mean…? What's happened?" Himiko asks, visibly confused, just as Monodam plays the video again in response to her query.

"_Oh, right, right. Before I forget to mention it…"_

The screen distorts, causing a sinking feeling in my stomach. That's right, Kaito's motive video ended with something like this too. With the claim something unspeakable had happened to his gentle looking grandparents.

"_Afterward, the humble citizens of this democracy seem to have met with an unbearable outcome of some sort, but…" _Monokuma appears on the screen, a jarring smile on his face unbefitting of the situation or the distorted background of the screen behind him. Kirumi closes her eyes, averting her gaze from the bear on display. "_What happened to them is a secret! Puhuhuhu~! Please feel free to try and check what it was with your own two eyes, okay?"_

"What the hell...was that…? The prime minister?!" Kaito finally questions, looking back at Kirumi.

"We were all aware she had a versatile talent, but even this is rather unprecedented…" Korekiyo remarks, looking pretty impressed despite everything.

"Therefore, as you can see...I do everything for the benefit of my people. All of you, save for Prairie, are also my people. Had this been different circumstances, I would not want to kill Prairie. Foreign visitors deserve the same protection on Japan soil if they respect our country's hospitality. However, we are not in a situation where I can put a foreigner before my own people. I'm sorry," Kirumi apologizes, eyes opening once more with revitalized determination. "That's the way things are. I _will _kill Prairie Marble and restore my country to its former state. Be it tomorrow, the next day, or in a week from now, she will die by my hand. _I won't hesitate_. And I will not show mercy to anyone who stands in my way."

Shuichi makes a low disgruntled sound under his breath, offering me a look of sympathy that I don't respond to much.

"If anything, wouldn't this do more to prove you killed Ryoma? We already established who the intended target was. You could have killed Ryoma accidentally with the amount of desperation and a reason to live as big as _this_, yet you're standing there expecting us to believe you somehow couldn't make that mistake by revealing your motive video. This seems like too much of a diversion," Maki remarks, red eyes boring into Kirumi. "I don't believe it. A prime minister is not exempt from making mistakes."

"Alright, believe what you want. We can all just collectively die here together. You, me, Prairie, and this whole country...however I do have one question to ask before we cast our votes in," Kirumi answers, looking not the least bit concerned. "Tenko."

Tenko hums in response, though the expression on her face says she's less than thrilled to be conversing with the de facto prime minister of Japan. "What do you want?"

"...I want to ask about the survival knife we found in my lab. Where _exactly_ did you find it?" She inquires, prompting Tenko to stiffen up a little. It's an inconspicuous yet unexpected reaction to the question, one that makes Kokichi chuckle quietly from my right.

"I found it on the dining table," Tenko answers straight-forward, causing Kirumi to cock her head slightly to the side. Tenko appears a bit uncomfortable by the response, but does a pretty good job hiding her discomfort.

"Are you sure? You found it on the dining table...is that really true?" She inquires, prompting Tenko to scowl defensively and bark, "Of course it is! Why would I lie about that?"

"Hm! Before I happened upon Ryoma's corpse in the washing machine, I was sitting at the dining table messing with the objects and I _never _saw a knife there," Angie comments, prompting my heart to sink a little. Tenko is lying for some reason...where _did _she find the knife? And why won't she tell us where she found it?

"Nyeh...Prairie and I would have noticed if there was a knife on the dining table…I didn't see anything like that there either," Himiko remarks suspiciously, turning in my direction to meet my gaze. "Right, Prairie?"

…

_She's going to look like the bad guy if I let her try to continue lying. I'm gonna try coaxing the truth out of her. The only reason I can imagine she'd be doing this is to protect someone- of which I can determine to be either myself or Himiko. If anyone else could possibly be under her protection, it would probably be Angie with how much Himiko seems to like her. The four of us are already cleared of suspicion though, so it should be okay for Tenko to be open about whatever it is she wants to hide._

"Hey, it's okay. You can tell us the truth," I speak up, making Tenko's green eyes flick my way in mild surprise. "The murderer can't be Himiko, Angie, or myself because of our alibis. And it can't be you either for the same reason. If you're trying to protect us from something, you don't have to worry about implicating any of us. The only person that telling the truth will affect is whoever the culprit is."

I watch as Tenko lets out a soft exhale following my explanation to ease her nerves.

…

"A-Alright then. I'm trusting you, Prairie, so…" She flattens the sides of her skirt, casting Himiko a guilty look. Once she seems content with her choice of action, she continues with, "I found the knife when I was moving Himiko's laundry bag. The blade was poking up from the inside when I grabbed it, so I cut my finger a little. I didn't know what to think of finding it in there, especially with what was being revealed throughout the trial but...I know it couldn't be Himiko! I was _absolutely _sure of it!"

"...No one asked you to do that for me…" Himiko huffs. She's kind of an ingrate, I can only wonder how she would have felt considering she was _almost _in the hot-seat earlier and looked less than calm about it.

Also, she still _really _reminds me of myself and my behavior towards Rantaro at times...

"She did what she thought was right, Himiko. Please go easy on her," I comment, resulting in a lazy hum from Himiko as she settles down. She seems placated enough by my request and eventually pipes up again to say to Tenko, "Thanks, I guess…"

Looking back at Tenko, she almost seems to glow with modest glee, a quiver of happiness clearly running over her as she presses her lips tightly shut. I guess she's trying to hold in a squeal of elation, considering this is neither the time nor the place.

"Her alibi from yesterday clears her of her suspicion entirely, yes? Was she in clear sight among you and Angie from twelve to two?" Korekiyo inquires, prompting both Tenko and Angie to agree verbally, Tenko with reinvigorated spunk to her spirit. "Then that means only one possible thing. The killer did _not _set up the false scene of the crime in the morning hours, but sometime before then. All they had left was to get the knife at their set up somehow...although this is a rather unorthodox way to have transferred it if they didn't want to be seen around that area. Not only did it implicate Prairie as the killer, but it could have potentially implicated Himiko had Tenko not concealed it till after we had cleared Himiko of culpability."

"Himiko, who were the people you passed by this morning on the way to the lab with your laundry?" I ask the Ultimate Magi- ah, the Ultimate _Mage, _watching as she puckers her lips a little and rests her chin between her index finger and thumb thoughtfully.

"Hhh...from what I recall, I passed Korekiyo, Tenko, Tsumugi, and Kiibo... nyeh, I saw Kaito passing the Ultimate Maid lab too once I got here, but I was already sitting at the table and he didn't enter."

"Oh, yeah. I was heading to see if Maki was in her lab. I wanted to speak to her about something, but she never opened the door and I think she propped something up to keep the door shut...it's got nothing to do with this case though, that much I'll say," Kaito states, scratching the back of his head.

"...I think I heard you, but I didn't bother checking. I was reorganizing with my headphones on. Besides, I doubt it could have been _that _important," Maki huffs, making Kaito sigh a little. Going by his expression, I can see he obviously disagrees on the importance of it.

_Why __**would**_ _Kaito want to visit Maki? Hmm...if he says it's not part of the case though, I think I believe him._

"If Prairie's knife was left at the hotel though, how did they cut Ryoma's ankles to create the crime scene in the lab if it was done during at time the knife was inaccessible?" Angie asks, tucking her hands behind her back and shifting back and forth on her feet thoughtfully.

"It's still possible to create that crime scene without the survival knife in the question. The dining table had other sets of cutlery set out at each of the seatings- many of which were smooth steak knives that could create the same smooth slices that the half of the survival knife closest to the hilt of the blade could. Although we can't return to the lab, I imagine they might have used one of those knives wrapped in the linen napkins and washed it before returning it to its place. There's no certain way to prove this since we didn't examine the cutlery, however…but it's what I would do if I wanted to divert everyone's attention to the survival knife specifically," Kirumi clearly states, a theory I can somewhat find myself believing.

"Are we going to vote yet?" Maki inquires, visibly impatient. "I'm ready to leave this place, I'm sick of the color blue, pink, and purple."

Kokichi yawns loudly, leaning over his podium lazily. "As super, duper _bored_ as I am, we're just not done yet! After all...we have _two_ potential culprits, not one."

"Two culprits?" Gonta asks.

"Yes, Gonta! We have Tenko cleared indefinitely, but there are two other ladies that don't have solid alibis. Kiruuumi..." Kokichi chirps, pointing in Kirumi's direction...and then pointing his finger in someone else's direction.

_I was waiting for someone that wasn't _ _ **me ** _ _to point it out! For once this stupid leech is useful!_

"And you!" Kokichi chirps, causing the accused to flinch a little in horror.

"M-Me?" Tsumugi asks, her glasses going crooked before she reaches up to straighten them out. "But…"

"No, no, no! There are no 'buts'. I have some questions I know for a _fact _Mousey here was desperate to bring up, but didn't after the show she put up bullying you earlier in the trial," Kokichi speaks over the shy cosplayer, his voice dominating the trial room with prideful glee. "Maki and Korekiyo don't have such solid alibi's, but I know I felt someone with _big_ bungalo-mungas run into me, so neither of them count!"

"..." Maki looks like she wants to kill Kokichi, but she wouldn't dare say anything while he's technically clearing her of suspicion. Even if the method of clearing her is a bit on the seedy side...

_He really does have that effect on people, doesn't he..._

"Gonta!" Kokichi speaks up, watching as the much larger man looks at him curiously. "Hey, so you said you were gone for maybe fifteen minutes to go to the bathroom, right? Now, when you got back and thought you spotted Ryoma at the exchange counter, where was Tsumugi again?"

"Right! Tsumugi say was at back of casino. Searching under machines for key," Gonta responds, making me nod as the truth comes out, not likely of Gonta's fault. He's just naive and trustworthy, which wouldn't be too bad of a quirk if we weren't all crammed together in a free-for-all killing game…

"You didn't see her when you got back?" Kaito asks, prompting Gonta to answer carefully as if he's starting to realize something horrible, "N-No. Gonta...search around area where Rantaro was. Did not see Tsumugi until we go to garden together..."

"...Oh dear," Tsumugi says, looking suddenly scared upon the notice of her faulty alibi. "I probably should have tried to find him when he got back, but...I just plainly didn't think to since I got so focused on searching. When he asked me if I found anything at the back of the casino, I just agreed with it since I figured he brought it up from seeing me lingering back there."

"Hmmm, yeah, you just plainly didn't think to go find Gonta when you didn't see him for a solid hour, huh? And when you conveniently had _just_ returned from taking a tumble in the water by the casino, riiight...? Wow, that's so weird and completely not suspicious," Kokichi points out in amusement, grinning darkly enough that he almost looks otherworldly on a rather disturbing scale. "I think the killer is you. Prairie Dog thinks so too."

"W-Wait, there must be some mistake though-!" Tsumugi timidly speaks up, her demeanor completely rattled and struck like a deer caught in headlights. She looks terrified...is she really the killer? Would the mastermind _actually_ risk participating in a murder game they know they can't triumph over? What if it's not her? "You and Kiibo would have seen me crossing the courtyard! You were paying while you were looking for the key, _weren't_ you, Kokichi?"

"Eh? Oh, that," he laughs like it's no big deal, just before his laugh peeters off into a low croak of realization that I can already tell is as ingenuine as his personality. "...Oops! I guess I _wasn't _paying attention, _Nishishi! _Clumsy me! I bet it was all that gas inhalation from Kiiboy's breath that lowered my observation skills!"

_"There is __**no**_ _**gas**_ _in my body," _Kiibo forces out, visibly fuming as he grits his synthetic teeth together.

"This is stupid. It can't be Tsumugi, she looked like she was going to faint at the first sight of Ryoma's body. If they didn't notice Tsumugi walking across the courtyard, then Kirumi could have easily made her way across as well no problem. She is already known to have tried to kill Prairie, I saw it with my own eyes. _She's the killer,"_ Maki responds impatiently.

Voices are starting to raise, arguments clashing as everyone else fights to defend and accuse Tsumugi and Kirumi. Shuichi and I aren't really participating in the arguments, instead just watching as everyone else seems to throw their opinions about in an unruly manner. There's absolutely no order, which Shuichi and I seem to acknowledge together as we turn to share a look.

"How are you doing?" He asks, even though from the way he sighs before the words come out, it's not what he really wanted to ask me. His gaze falls to my calf, making me follow suit and lift back my foot a little. The wound hurts...I'm pretty sure if I tried to walk on it, it would throb even more as it is now. It's a good thing Shuichi stepped in before I could cut my stitches open earlier...

"I'm okay, don't worry. It's not as bad as it looks," I lie, watching as Shuichi's shoulders fall a little.

"You're still lying about it," Shuichi comments, prompting me to wince mildly with guilt. "There's nothing wrong with admitting you're not doing okay, you know?"

I avert my gaze, eventually just shrugging half-heartedly. Shuichi pokes my cheek, making me squeak a little in surprise to look back up at him. "You've gone through a lot, more than the rest of us have. You definitely need a break when we leave the trial grounds," he says with a sympathetic smile, making me return it in kind and eventually regard the arguments still going on around us.

Even if we tried to reel them all back in and restore order in the debate, it'll be hard trying to get a word in.

"We're all totally split on who the killer is, we definitely still need to talk things through and-" Rantaro states, prompting Monokuma to gasp from his throne behind the monokubs.

"Did someone say '_split'?!"_ The monochromatic toned bear suddenly blurts out with such a passion it even makes Shuichi and I flinch, prompting us to all look in his direction as Monokuma's shout halts the conversations and debates. "Everyone's guess is split down the middle?! I _heard_ it! Right in my belly button microphone!"

"Eh?! Your ears are just for show then?!" Tenko gapes at the revelation, looking a tad bit repulsed as she looks at the large outie belly button on the robotic bear from hell. "That's gross…!"

"In _any _case, split down the middle means...the Ultimate Academy is proud to present its very own _morphenomenal trial grounds!"_ Monokuma announces, pulling out a key from under his seat with a huge grin.

"...'Morphenomenal trial grounds'?" Maki asks, just as gears flip up from a part of the seat of the throne Monokuma is sitting at. He thrusts his key into the propped open gears and promptly turns it without answering Maki, causing a cyan light to outline the trial grounds and our podiums.

At the sight of the blue glow coating the room, Kokichi gasps in awe and looks around with an exaggerated expression of interest. "The trial grounds are _morphing! _Holy shit, this is cool!"

I cling tightly to my podium so I'm sure not to fall, glancing over the edge curiously as the podiums start to lift up higher and higher, spiraling upwards before our seats are arranged in a fashion where the fourteen of us are split into seven- each person on either side facing one on the other.

Monokuma's throne has lifted up to join the level of our podiums, the bear crossing his arms as the rest of us try to adjust to the change in the layout. Upon looking up, I see Angie straight across from me with a pleasant smile on her face. She grins, casting me a cheerful wave I just barely manage to return half-heartedly in confusion before I feel someone poke my right shoulder blade.

At first I think it's Kokichi trying to get my attention again since he's still on that side of me, with Shuichi to my left. When I see all the rings and the black banded bracelets attached to the hand though, I grab it immediately and coo as I lean back and look behind Kokichi to see Rantaro on his other side. He smiles at the happy expression on my face, letting me lace my petite fingers with his much larger hand.

That's when Kokichi seems to hear my happy noises, leaning back from looking over the front rails of his podium to see how high up we are. Upon glancing at me and seeing Rantaro's arm behind him, he turns and grunts in displeasure, shooing our hands apart and sweeping back Rantaro so he's no longer making the effort to reach for me. When our hands part, I can't help but pout a little. Why'd stupid Kokichi need to be put between us?

"No, _no!_ None of that here, get back, you homewrecker," Kokichi huffs to Rantaro in annoyance, who doesn't look offended at all as he grins and simply shrugs at Kokichi.

"Aaall-_righty! _You dolts should be able to organize the debate with this _Scrum Debate _set up!" Monokuma speaks up proudly, paws on his hips. "Harukawa leads her side accusing Kirumi and Shuichi leads his side refuting that to accuse Tsumugi as the culprit! Have fun!"

Before either Maki and Shuichi can say anything, Himiko is the first to speak up. "Kirumi was missing the whole day yesterday...she had plenty of time to kill Ryoma and hide the body..."

"Tenko!" Shuichi takes control immediately, prompting Tenko to swallow thickly. For being prompted to go against someone she thinks so highly of, she manages to blurt out, "Tsumugi's alibi isn't perfect either, _especially_ with the amount of time she was unaccounted for around Ryoma's presumed time of death!"

"Kirumi was _tardy _arriving to the false scene of the crime this morning. Perhaps adding the final touches to her murder ploy?" Korekiyo jumps on the topic.

"Rantaro," Shuichi calls, prompting the Ultimate Adventurer to respond, "According to Kokichi's testimony, she was late due to the negative effect of the Love Suite drug and nothing more."

"Drugged or not, Kirumi had a more legitimate reason to try killing Prairie based on her motive video! I am _not_ the killer!" Tsumugi argues. Shuichi sharply calls on Kirumi, prompting the maid to easily respond, "Everyone here has _equal _reason to want to murder Prairie because of the golden target motive, whether or not they choose to take advantage of it."

"You can't possibly believe Kirumi is somehow exempt of having accidents, can you? She too could have made the mistake of messing up an ambush!" Angie directly speaks to me, prompting me to shoot back before Shuichi can get out a name with, "I do think it's a mistake anyone could make. I just believe it was _Tsumugi's_ mistake and not Kirumi's in this case."

"We likely didn't notice Kirumi enter the hotel-casino area because _you _were a huge distraction during our search, Kokichi!" Kiibo takes a page out of Angie's book by speaking directly to Kokichi. Shuichi doesn't have to call any names as Kokichi answers with a laugh, "Nee-hee-hee! That's because she didn't go to the hotel. Though since Tsumugi took the job of searching the casino-hotel, she could have easily done what she wanted at the time!"

"But Kokichi and Kiibo also no see _Tsumugi _go to dormitory or leave dormitory after fall in water, right?" Gonta tries to point out, visibly troubled. No doubt he blames himself for Tsumugi being on the hot seat...poor Gonta.

"Kaito!" Shuichi calls, making Kaito respond to Gonta with a grimace and explain, "Even if those two didn't see either Kirumi or Tsumugi, Korekiyo can vouch seeing _Tsumugi_ leave the dormitory building after she claims she 'fell' in the hotel-casino water!"

"Kirumi has been the obvious killer from the start, we wasted our time with this stupid trial. Tsumugi is innocent," Maki firmly claims, followed by Shuichi himself responding, "The evidence we have lines up with Tsumugi as the culprit more than it does with Kirumi. Kirumi is no angel, but she's _not_ the culprit in this scenario."

"Kirumi is the most guilty of everyone here and every action she's made since receiving her motive video has revolved around her attempting to take Prairie's life. How does that manage to go over your head when we are dealing with a case where the intended target was Prairie herself?" Maki demands, hands braced on the front of her podium as she levels Shuichi with a blazing glare. "Kirumi is the culprit no matter how you look at it."

"No, she's not and it's _not _obvious_. _She may not have an alibi, but it hardly matters when there's so much evidence that can line up with proving Tsumugi's guilt. The killing game doesn't mean only _one _murderer can appear at any given time, that's the reality of the situation. If you turn a blind eye to what's in front of you, you're only going to be digging yourself and the rest of us an early grave!" Shuichi argues in return. "Kokichi made a good point- Tsumugi was in charge of the hotel. Even with Gonta around, she could easily work around his presence while attempting to maintain her innocence. In fact, I bet that's why she chose to partner with him in the first place- because I _do _remember she asked him before Kokichi could."

"That was so annoying, by the way," Kokichi grunts, adding with a grin, "I do have one more thing to bring up though! It's something that I thought was weird...it doesn't narrow down who is the culprit, but..."

Kokichi smirks, a shadow crawling over his face in amusement.

"I think only the _mastermind _would be aware of which room had been Prairie Dog's, since Shuichi never told any of us her specific hotel room number...so isn't it weird the culprit knew which room to set up their ambush for Prairie Dog?" Kokichi inquires, prompting eyes across from us to widen and heads on our side to turn and look down our row at Kokichi.

"Wait- are you saying the culprit of this case is basically also the _mastermind_ of this killing game?!" Kaito asks, prompting a hum of confirmation out of Kokichi.

"Then...then if we get this trial right, we end the killing game, don't we? We'll all get to go home?" Tenko gasps, hope dangerously filling her eyes. It's good to be hopeful, but the more hope is built up, the bigger the disappointment if that hope isn't fulfilled…

Somehow, I don't think finding the mastermind in this case means this killing game will end.

We still have Monokuma around, after all...

"Ah...my divine link to Atua wants me to ask: What if the culprit saw Prairie coming out of her room and that's how they knew which room to hide in?" Angie inquires, prompting me to shake my head in disagreement. "It's not possible?"

"I left the room the murder occurred in on the first night. After that, I was exclusively in my new room and only stepped out once about an hour later in the same night to grab some stuff I left since I stormed out. By that time, I left only one other time before the assumed ambush, but that was from my new room and it was around two ten," I explain to her reasonably. "There was _no _chance for anyone to know which room I used before, unless they were in the hotel during the first day to see Shuichi visit me, or unless Shuichi told someone my old room number."

"I only told Rantaro, and that happened privately in his own room just so he would know which room to enter if he managed to get a hotel key. Bearing that in mind, I sincerely doubt he would have been willing to tell anyone else her room number, considering the nature of Prairie's situation after Maki told us of Kirumi's attempted murder," Shuichi states, causing Rantaro to nod and confirm, "That's right, I didn't tell anyone Prairie's room number...then the only way someone could reasonably know the room she'd been staying in would be if they could view all areas of the killing game, including the inside of the hotel."

"...And so the murderer is Tsumugi! The end! Let's all vote for her and go get lunch~! I know Prairie and I are _starved _for food at this moment!" Kokichi casually comments, flashing his pearly whites in a smile.

"W-Wait a moment! You still can't prove it's Tsumugi that's the culprit- let _alone_ the mastermind! In fact...that piece of information only makes Kirumi look like the true culprit!" Kiibo argues.

"Does it now?" Rantaro asks, green eyes narrowed on Kiibo. "Are you sure you've been paying attention to this trial, Kiibo?"

"He's being reasonable. The real question is why _you, of_ all people here, aren't convinced Kirumi is the culprit. She tried to kill the most important person to you here three times, remember? And yet you're standing there fighting tooth and nail to defend her," Maki comments, prompting Rantaro to let out a soft chuckle under his breath that doesn't quite fit with the air of annoyance wafting off of him.

"Yes, she tried to kill the person most important to me. So?" He states more than questions, meeting Maki's glare unflinchingly with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not going to be very useful to that important person of mine if I can't get past personal vendettas, am I? I don't like Kirumi. In fact, I hate her. With every fiber of my being. I _wish _she was the culprit, if only to get her out of the picture and ensure Prairie doesn't have to deal with her presence anymore. Thing is…if I let myself be blinded by my hatred for Kirumi, we're all going to die, plain and simple. I don't want that- do you?"

Maki scoffs. "The only thing you're blinded with is that obsession you have on Prairie."

"Then it's a good thing she's a smart girl. I can put my faith in her without any worries, right?" Rantaro states, casting me a smile that almost makes me weak in the knees. I don't think he's obsessed with me, he's obviously just ignoring Maki's jabs to humiliate him and going with the flow, but...did he mean the other thing? Does he really have that much faith in me?

_Oh my god, I'm going to faint._ _I can't feel my fingers or my legs…! And my face is on fire._

"Nyahaha, _look_ at her! She's so red, it's actually super cute~!" Angie giggles, pointing at me until I grab my hair and cover my face to try and compose myself.

_Get back on track, you're still a part of this class trial. If Rantaro is admitting he's going to be a total idiot and just follow me, I can't let myself get too distracted._

_Later I'll get retribution pulling on his ear for embarrassing me like that..._

"Still, I can't agree with Tsumugi being the culprit. Now that we know Kirumi is Japan's prime minister, that gives her just the amount of political power and funding to create an elaborate killing game like this. Can we really just _ignore _that?" Kiibo throws in his rebuttal, causing Kokichi to hum in thought.

"I guess...I still don't see why a Mastermind-Kirumi would then go to try and ditch their own killing game by killing off Prairie Dog for the golden target motive. Wouldn't a mastermind want to leave it up and see us scramble around to take advantage of it? It's led to plenty of accidents as it," Kokichi comments, followed by Angie humming in understanding and chewing lightly on the back of one of her many paint brushes she carries around. "In fact, I bet Tsumugi aimed to kill Prairie and pass it off without releasing anybody! Or, or, or! Maybe as the mastermind, she hoped to totally pass the murder on Kirumi and execute _her_ instead! It would explain why the scene was created in The Ultimate Maid's lab."

…

"In that case, I see! We just had to be sure. Atua also thinks the culprit is Tsumugi!" Angie pipes up, followed closely by the podiums shuddering to life once more.

All of us look down and steady ourselves on our respective podiums, Tenko making a whine of fear.

"This is the worst! I feel dizzy just looking down- how the heck do you handle fear of heights, Prairie?!" Tenko complains, hugging her podium as if it will drop like a stone.

"Huh? I'm not really scared of heights. Actually, it's the most relaxing thing in the world to be up so high alone, in my opinion. When I was hanging off of the top of the academy, it was very calming," I comment with a wry smile, making Tenko shudder at the thought. I try not to giggle too much at the sight of her white knuckled grip on the podium.

I grab the front of my own as we start to descend down to the ground, eventually the podiums reorganizing in the initial seating arrangement we first walked in on. Monokuma's throne also descends, returning the trial grounds back to its original state as we look around at each other. I guess it only takes one person breaking the split in opinion to morph the trial grounds back to normal.

"I…" Tsumugi trails off, speechless as the individuals still on her side try to make sense of the situation. Eventually, she snaps out of it and steadies herself over her podium. "No! It's not possible that it can me! Everyone..._please_ believe me! I was in the _casino_ at the presumed time of Ryoma's murder! I was with _Gonta!"_

Visibly stressed, she turns her attention to the Ultimate Entomologist, ultramarine eyes begging.

"Gonta, did you really not see me? Please try and remember, even just a glimpse of my hair should be enough! You should have seen me! This is all _wrong!"_ She says, her expression jumping from fear to frustration and finally to a blank look of disbelief. "This is all wrong…! This is all a lie, this can't be real! This can't be where everything ends…!"

"G-Gonta sorry…!" Gonta states, his own eyes tearing up at the idea Tsumugi's being accused. It's really not his own fault- this is definitely Tsumugi still trying to dig her way out...right? "Should have paid more attention, but Gonta really no saw Tsumugi! Not even a hair...Gonta _so_ sorry!"

_Maybe you're wrong._

I try to shake off the guilty voice in the back of my mind, attempting to stick to my guns on this case. There's almost no evidence proving Kirumi's guilt, but _enough _to cast that guilt on Tsumugi. If I choose to ignore it because I feel guilty and have second thoughts on the information we've already uncovered thus far...

I could use my intuition, but I have a feeling I should save it for what really matters rather than a method to comfort myself. Everything I need to believe the culprit is Tsumugi stands before us, I can't just look away because I'm uncomfortable at the idea of accusing someone. I need to face the truth, and I need everyone _else _to face that same truth. I may not be the most trustworthy one here, but…everyone trusts Shuichi- including me. If he believes in my own verdicts, then I'll believe in myself too.

There's no need to use my intuition to confirm what we already know is true when I have Shuichi here.

"Still, I can't see _Tsumugi _being any sort of mastermind. Maybe Kirumi has other business to take care of as the mastermind outside of the killing game. We can't rely on that as solid evidence, now can we? Perhaps Prairie had gotten annoying enough for the warrant of her removal. She's the most meddlesome of us all," Maki states, clearly not willing to give up the narrative that Kirumi is the killer.

"At this rate, we're all going to die if we can't prove I'm not Ryoma's killer...I don't have any more points I can bring up that will help my case, Shuichi," Kirumi says, looking past Kaito at the tense detective that's averted his gaze to think more about how to lock Tsumugi as the definite culprit down.

_Okay. We just need to make _ _ **them ** _ _believe what we've put together. I can at the very least use my intuition to help Shuichi bring this trial full circle._

Seeing no time like the present, I close my eyes again.

Is there anything we can do to prove Tsumugi is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?

…

_There is one last piece of evidence that needs to be discussed: the broken glass shard found in the hotel room._

I open my eyes at my intuition's prompting. That's right, there's one more thing! I almost forgot about that piece of glass, it's so inconspicuous compared to everything else that I-

"Prairie? Prairie, your nose is bleeding, are you alright?" Rantaro brings me back to the present, making me blink in his direction a few times until I realize I have double vision again. I can't really see straight, but upon touching my nose and looking at my fingers, I'm not surprised to see a streak of blood lining the side of my hand. It's a little more than expected for consulting with my intuition only four times. Maybe I'm still not recovered enough to be using it...Kirumi _did _hit my head really hard at the garden fountain, after all.

"I'm fine," I lie as I wipe my hand on the side of my hip. My vision isn't immediately righting itself like it did before, so I steady myself on my podium and move to pull out the shard from my pocket. "I was just thinking...I almost forgot one piece of evidence I found in the hotel."

"All of a sudden...? Very well, what is it you'd like to present that you hope to prove Tsumugi's guilt with?" Korekiyo asks, until the light in the room seems to bounce off the small shard and reaches his eyes. He's silent as Shuichi takes the shard for me, right before he seems to make sense of what it is and starts chuckling to himself. "Oh..._khehehe..._I have a feeling I know exactly where this is going, actually."

"What is it?" Kaito asks, brow furrowed as he looks over Shuichi's shoulder. "Glass?"

"Yes, it's broken glass," Shuichi states, before turning it and looking up to examine it under a nearby ray of light beside him. It's likely got my fingerprints on it, so Shuichi has to momentarily wipe it clean with the edge of his shirt, holding it up again by the edges so he doesn't get dried blood from his hand on it. He brings it closer to his eye to look through it better, just before lowering his hand and looking back at all of us. "The way the glass bends the light, it looks like a shard of someone's prescription glasses."

"N-Nyeh…?!" Himiko gasps, gripping the sides of her hat when she looks around at everyone. "Wait, then…!"

It's pretty obvious what she's trying to say. There's only two people among us that wear glasses…

"It was in my old hotel room, right by the large damp patch on the carpet and under the bed. There were other pieces that were broken, but they were shards that were more or less finer pieces like glitter. This was the only big piece I found, so I think the other larger shards managed to get picked up and discarded."

"...Gonta? Tsumugi? Can both of you pass your glasses over to me? We'll be careful with them, I just need to see something," Shuichi speaks up after a beat, likely a bit nervous himself at confirming the truth.

"Alright, Gonta can do..." Gonta agrees, pulling his glasses off and folding the arms of the glasses down upon Shuichi's request. Tsumugi hesitates but evidently does the same, still appearing somewhat worried as she closes hers and passes it on. By the time they reach Shuichi, he begins to do a comparison, prompting me to cock my head slightly to the side. Even broken as it is, will he be able to tell who's-

"Tsumugi, the shard matches your prescription's intensity," Shuichi plainly states after swapping the glasses at hand a few times, eventually lowering them and looking back at Tsumugi. She looks absolutely dismayed, shaking with fear.

"T-That's not possible…! _No! _I'm not the killer, I KNOW I'm not! It has to be Kirumi, I-" She cuts herself off, panic visible across her features. "I didn't kill anybody! Prairie's just throwing the blame on me because she hates me, that's all! I've _never _treated her unfairly!"

She looks directly at me this time, tears collecting in her eyes.

"Why are you doing this? I thought we made up...what did I do to make you hate me so much? How could you think I'd want to kill you...?" Tsumugi asks, trailing off again.

…

_"Moo-hoo_," I remark, pouting and pretending to wipe tears from under my eyes with zero sympathy now that everything's been totally proven. "Next time, write a production about your milk farm rather than a whole entire killing game, alright?"

Tsumugi's expression is one of horror at my response. She's still not dropping the act just yet, huh? I guess she's the ride or die type...with a lean towards the dying side.

"You…" Tsumugi looks angry now, glaring at me through the tears in her eyes. "You_...! _You really live up to the name 'Perfect _Bitch'_, you know that?! You're a terrible person!"

"At least _I_ didn't write up a killing game, now did I, Cow Tits? I bet your boobs are as fake as you are too..." I comment as I look away and cross my arms with an indignant huff.

"There might be some truth to that…! I should know, I got a handful!" Kokichi laughs, clearly enjoying all the cruel remarks I'm throwing in Tsumugi's direction.

"I think Shuichi can make the closing argument now and piece everything together. With that, everything should be perfectly clear," I say to everyone else, steadying myself with my podium to make sure I don't topple over from the minor backlash I'm still experiencing. Facing Shuichi, I meet his gaze and offer him a smile. "Shuichi, it's all yours."

"Ah, r-right," Shuichi clears his throat and straightens up. "In that case…"

His gold eyes flash as he looks straight at Tsumugi, who looks ready to snap. Now I'm definitely sure she's just putting up a facade, one that's slipping the closer we get to voting.

"I'll lay out the truth right in front of you, Tsumugi. The truth even _you _refuse to believe."

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_"The victim's corpse was discovered this morning. Prairie arrived to the Ultimate Maid's lab and offered to help Himiko with doing her laundry since Angie was late._

_"It was at that time Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Player, was found deceased within a washing machine._

_"The state of the lab was an effort to convince everyone the lab was where Ryoma's life ended, however...the true location of this murder was in the Kumasutra Hotel!_

_"It started on the first night after Maki revealed everyone of Prairie's reappearance within the killing game. Presumably, the culprit decided to find the room Prairie was staying in...as they were not _ _ **just ** _ _the culprit, but the _ _ **mastermind ** _ _of this killing game as well. Using their mastermind perks, they pinpointed the room and began their plot to murder Prairie Marble, the Ultimate Rock Climber, however this would not go as they planned._

_"The morning they planned their murder ploy, I had lost my hotel key- which the culprit was lucky enough to find rather than __**steal**_ _to put their plan in motion. Using the excuse of assisting me with searching for my hotel key, the culprit partnered with the person they could best manipulate and took up the burden of searching the casino-hotel area, giving them full dominion of the location they planned to carry out their murder._

_"The culprit entered the hotel as soon as their partner, Gonta, excused himself to go to the bathroom at around eleven fifty am. Without any eyes on them, the culprit went right up to the hotel with their weapon of choice at hand- Prairie's own knife- and waited for their prey to walk in and fall victim to their trap. Although it's not known how they got their hands on it, we do know this is the knife the culprit wielded._

_"Ryoma Hoshi, unknowing of this development and the bloodlust of the culprit hiding in the hotel, took advantage of their previous wins at the casino to purchase a hotel key and a casino prize ticket for a nectarine promptly after Rantaro had fallen asleep at a slot machine in advance for Prairie._

_"Choosing to instead continue with his search to find Shuichi's missing hotel key he was certain not to find, Gonta's trust in his partner allowed the culprit to create the illusion that they were fully accounted for during the time the crime was committed_

_"Since Ryoma likely didn't know which room number was Prairie's, he entered the hotel and probably went through every room, which would allow him to enter Prairie's older room before the new room she moved into if he checked in the order of the rooms from the staircase to the far end of the hotel's left wing._

_"This is when the culprit struck, jumping at the first sight of a person entering and driving in the killing blow to their neck...only to realize they had driven their knife into the wrong victim!_

_"There was a minor struggle, one that resulted in the crucial evidence to seal the culprit's identity- a broken glasses lens. The glasses lens belonged to the culprit, and their vision without their glasses likely helped in this forgotten piece of evidence._

_"They had to work fast to work with this new development. Using a red thread from the hotel, they sewed up the wound at Ryoma's neck and promptly cleaned off the corpse and their own body to avoid leaving a blood trail. To ensure a complete lack of evidence, they also dried themself and the corpse to avoid a water trail within the hotel with Prairie still around._

_"Since Prairie didn't leave her room, and an hour to burn they were able to create a makeshift weighted body bag using the bed duvet, the chains, and a rope to tie everything up._

_"The culprit made another set of mistakes here, not only leaving the hotel without the knife, but dropping Ryoma's hotel key while entering their dorm room to change following their swim to hide the body bag far from the hotel-casino walkway. Chances are that Kiibo and Kokichi were observing a different area around the buildings. Either way, they didn't see the culprit head for the dormitory, and the water trail they left behind was washed away by the sprinklers by the time the culprit was with Gonta once more, but not before Korekiyo spotted them exiting the dorm building._

_"The fake crime scene was completed during the night, presumably at a generous time around midnight, when Kaito and I spotted the water trail from the hotel-casino. The culprit hid the items they used for the transportation of the body from the hotel to the school._

"_Since the culprit regrettably left their knife behind at the hotel, they had to use another knife to cut open Ryoma's ankles, one of the smooth edged knives at the dining table in the lab. Promptly after, the culprit sealed up the cuts with a black thread retrieved from around the school building itself and cleaned off the blood before spreading a body paint close to the color of the victim's skin over the stitches to hide the transportation of the body._

_"Promptly after arranging the body and a vacuum over the bloody puddle to make things appear void of evidence, all that was left was to retrieve the knife the next morning and ensure the hotel was cleaned up enough to pass as mere coincidence._

_"While at the hotel, the culprit messed with the lights within the entirety of the hotel to hide their work and retrieved their knife. Unfortunately, Prairie nearly caught the culprit red-handed entering the room while the cleanup of the rest of the original blood spill was still going on, considering the patch of hydrogen peroxide use was still damp this morning. I can only imagine they had a contraption to help them see in the dark- but either way they must have been shocked to run straight into Kokichi within the hotel in what they expected would be a quick last revision and wipe of the hotel room._

_"They left the hotel and by the time they got back, they found a convenient way to complete their work- slipping the knife they took from their intended victim in Himiko's_ _**laundry bag**_ _upon the learning she was headed for the very room she intended to drop the survival knife off. This could have resulted in missing evidence that would make it hard to determine the murder weapon or making Himiko appearing like a potential culprit, however it was for naught..._

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"That's the truth you're so desperately trying to deny, isn't it? Tsumugi Shirogane, The Ultimate Cosplayer? Or should I say..._Mastermind Tsumugi?"_

Tsumugi is quiet as she stares hopelessly at Shuichi, the tears still coating her face as she comes to terms with the full explanation Shuichi's presented to everyone.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Tsumugi? Anything you'd like to add that you think will help your case?" Shuichi inquires, gold eyes somewhat sympathetic.

Her glasses are passed back to her by Rantaro respectfully, who holds them out for her without a smile. If I were him, I'd just throw them at the ground and stomp on them, but…

Tsumugi takes them from him carefully, fingers shaking as she uses one arm to wipe her face free of her tears. No one says anything as she does, giving her time to compose herself as she eventually brushes some loose strands of hair behind her ears and opens her glasses. She rests them on her face and adjusts them before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, closing her eyes for a moment.

…

…

When Tsumugi opens her eyes again, she looks up to meet my gaze calmly.

_"You ruined __**everything**_ _you little fucking cunt."_

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of 3.21 - How to Show You The Truth**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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~Links~
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[Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)   

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> _**A/N**: I hope this chapter isn't too messy! I went through it twice, but this is still my first time writing a murder mystery sooo...it can't be perfect, that's for sure lol_  



	51. Interlude ii - Shuichi

❀ _**Interlude.ii - Shuichi**_ ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

The feeling of whiplash from Tsumugi's response has many of the people initially uncertain about Shuichi's closing argument now blanching in horror. Her attitude swap is so sudden and out of nowhere, a reaction that completely contrasts the personality everyone has gotten used to thus far.

"S-So it's true?!" Kiibo asks horrified, gaping at Tsumugi's exasperated expression where she stands. "You're…!"

"That's right. I am the mastermind of this killing game," Tsumugi says, just before grimacing down at her podium and barely managing to get out the rest of her words in a sensible fashion since she's growling. "Or at least, I _was _the mastermind."

"What do you mean? It's a simple question, are you or are you _not _the mastermind?" Maki demands, leveling the Ultimate Cosplayer with a glare that borders on deadly. "You better not be implying there's more than one mastermind."

"No, I don't share or collaborate. This is my work entirely, however…" Tsumugi looks angry, turning to face Monokuma. Shuichi is momentarily stunned by this, looking from Tsumugi to Monokuma and back. There's something not right.

The way Shuichi sees Tsumugi staring at Monokuma encompasses a look of anger- something Shuichi would consider unfathomable as far as things are in the killing game. After all, the mastermind has that secret room where he theorized the Monokuma birthing machine is located, so there's no possible way that the mastermind and Monokuma would be at odds...right?

"The killing game is over. I ended up losing control of it entirely...in fact, I suppose I lost control of the game the moment we let _her _in," Tsumugi growls, now turning to glare daggers at the short girl between himself and Kokichi.

"You can hardly blame Prairie Dog, this is all _your _mistake. You chose to participate in creating a killing game, so any consequences are all on you," Kokichi states with a chuckle, grinning despite Tsumugi still nailing Prairie with that look of hate. "So-"

"How do you do it?" Tsumugi demands, promptly cutting off Kokichi to directly speak to Prairie. "Where did you even come from? You're just some freak of nature, is that it?"

Even Kokichi doesn't try and cut her off to reclaim the conversation she brushed off with him, quietly studying the Ultimate Cosplayer before turning to look towards Prairie with that blank look he likes to wear when he wants to conceal his thoughts.

Shuichi sees a strange flicker in Prairie's vivid blue doe eyes, one of those sparks of understanding he'll sometimes see run across her irises when she notices something. Had he not already been looking in her direction, he would have missed the flicker entirely like Kokichi did. What could Tsumugi be referring to?

'How do you do it'...as in how does Prairie manage to survive over and over again? How does she avoid death? Somehow, that's the only thing Shuichi can come up with in his mind as he contemplates Tsumugi's words, and despite how accurate it may be, there's a nagging feeling in the back of his mind insisting it doesn't make sense. Prairie was a last minute addition, wasn't she? And yet Tsumugi also asked, 'Where did you even come from'...

She was a last minute addition, so how does Tsumugi _not _know where Prairie came from? It's not like she was picked up from the total middle of nowhere, right? After all, memory loss or not, she's still a high profile figure. She's still _Perfect Blitz._

On top of that, where is that 'freak of nature' comment coming from? Prairie is an impressive individual, but to a point where she'd be called something like that? It sounds different from the nickname Kaede said people would call her because of her ultimate talent, that being "Piano Freak".

Going by her expression, even Prairie herself seems perplexed by the questions that have left Tsumugi's lips.

"What are you even talking about? What do you mean, 'where do I come from'? I don't remember anything outside of my time within the killing game, no thanks to your contribution. Shouldn't _you_ know?" Prairie huffs irritably, her sky blue eyes narrowed on Tsumugi's ultramarine eyes.

How did Prairie even figure out Tsumugi was the mastermind? Wasn't Monokuma concerned about it being revealed at all, or-

"_Puhuhuhu~!_ I guess this is the end, huh, Shirogane?" Monokuma asks with a sigh, sitting back and folding his arms behind his neck as he lounges in his throne carelessly. "Well, this was fun while it lasted."

Tsumugi clicks her tongue, as if barely restraining herself from becoming enraged. "Don't act like this result isn't half your own doing...this was _my _killing game. What the hell were you thinking going forward on events and motives without _my _say in the matter?!" She looks to be on the brink of snapping as she adds, "_I _am the mastermind! _I _control this killing game! YOU are supposed to OBEY and SUPPORT me! So why did you abandon your assigned role? I'm going to have you completely dismantled and deleted for this, you defective waste!"

"_Oh!"_ Monokuma shivers, appearing nervous as he tries to avoid Tsumugi's gaze. "D-Dismantle me?! But I'm too lovable to be dismantled! Aww...all my efforts were attempts to impress you with my genius...did none of it actually pique your interest? Not even a little bit?"

"Of course it didn't! You strayed from the layout that was agreed on- tell me how _that _was supposed to impress me?" Tsumugi orders sharply, watching as Monokuma ducks his head despairing. "What were you even thinking?! This was my first chance to prove myself to the corporate and it's totally ruined because of some insignificant AI problem! This is a fucking _disaster!"_

"H-Hey!" Kaito blurts out, magenta eyes blazing when Tsumugi turns to look his way. "The game is ruined then, is that right? Entirely over? If that's the case, let us go! If the killing game is done, I want to get out of here, and I think I can speak for the others on that matter too! We beat you at your stupid killing game!"

"That's right!" Tenko shouts, glaring at Tsumugi. "And for the record, I can't _believe _we ever called you our friend! You were pulling the strings to this killing game the whole time- didn't any of us actually _matter _to you?"

"No, not particularly," Tsumugi answers bluntly before casting everyone a...rather uncanny smile. Even Shuichi can't help the side of his nose scrunching up in disgust when she seems to drool a little and clasps her hands together dreamily. "The only thing I cared about to any degree was how you'd all kill one another. I wrote several drafts and quite a couple of concepts, but the layout was all much the same regarding the murderers and victims. Personally, I plotted all the techniques I could apply to get each one of you to want to commit murder and fall victim to each other."

"That's _terrible…! _How could you do something like that?" Himiko shouts, for once rather worked up by the events currently being unravelled before everyone.

"How could I? You make it sound worse than it actually is. People die all the time, what's the big deal? In fact, you all should consider yourselves lucky! You would have died spectacular deaths if _she _hadn't waltzed in and ruined everything!" Tsumugi carelessly adds, shooting Prairie a scalding glare.

Shuichi knows his expression matches everyone else's- visions of horror and contempt across the room.

"At least I'm not as sick as she seems to be," Kirumi quips, staring Tsumugi down.

"Yes, but you're _both _still sick, and that's not exactly good either," Rantaro grunts.

"It's not like you ever said '_don't tell anyone' _or added my silence on the matter of your status to the Ugly Rules," Prairie remarks to the blue haired woman on the verge of setting her on fire with her hateful gaze. "I saw my chance when Kokichi kept pestering me, so I took it. I told him and Shuichi. Maybe I ruined _your _fun, but the rest of us actually don't want to die. Weird, huh?"

Tsumugi's expression twists in confusion, her eyes flicking from Kokichi's pleasant smile to Shuichi's distraught visage and then back to Prairie's face. Dots seem to connect in the back of her mind, prompting her eyebrows to furrow into a knot.

"You...wait, how long have you known I was the mastermind? Since before Kokichi brought up that fact in the trial…? So Shuichi and Kokichi only figured it was me because you _told them?"_

"...I mean, I think they still could have figured it out _without _my input on the matter, considering how clumsy you were with everything-"

"_That's because you should have been the victim, you nasty little shit," _Tsumugi snarls, a flinch startled out of Prairie despite the angry look forming on her face. Prairie can be vicious when she wants to, but she seems to be making an effort to hold herself back a little.

"Why are you so surprised anyways? I would have thought Monosuke reported what I found back to you while I was gone. I mean, didn't he tell Monokuma?" Prairie asks, seeming to reign in her temper in favor of gathering answers Shuichi also wishes to know.

So Prairie found something and learned Tsumugi was the mastermind. Not only that, but she found it while she was with Monosuke- the yellow monokub...even though she's explained, albeit a bit vaguely, Tsumugi only seems even more confused.

"What you _found?_ And what was that?" Tsumugi demands, watching as Prairie's eyes flick past her at Monokuma. Everyone follows her gaze to the bear behind Tsumugi and Rantaro, as if she's expecting him to object to the revelation. "Don't mind that stupid thing back there, he's not the one that's in charge of this place. The killing game is over, but I'm still the one you answer to here."

Prairie looks rather miffed by Tsumugi's words, but her gaze remains on Monokuma. The bear is grinning in a way that seems to dissuade Prairie from answering the mastermind, prompting the petite brunette to look away with a frustrated and pained expression. Tsumugi has allowed her to speak, but...what could she possibly know that would make her unwilling to share?

...Tsumugi's concepts?

"Prairie...am I right to guess you maybe encountered some of Tsumugi's documents?" Shuichi risks asking, watching as Prairie's lips tighten. She's very easy to read at times when she's emotionally overwhelmed. Best not to let this chance be wasted, even if he _does _feel a little guilty taking advantage of her open-book personality.

So she found some of Tsumugi's documents...Tsumugi mentioned writing about the murders, so then…!

"You know the planned murderers and victims Tsumugi put together, don't you?" Shuichi asks upon the realization, gaping down at her a little. From the way she turns her head away, he must be right on the mark. Shit…

"What?! I don't believe it. My documents and files aren't stored _anywhere _here, I'm at the very least sure of that!" Tsumugi argues, the scowl on her face more prominent than ever before. "Tell me the entire list I planned if that's true, and tell me where the hell you found it!"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd _love _that, wouldn't you?" Rantaro chuckles humorlessly. "I see you're still insistent on trying to salvage the killing game. It's over. Just quit now while you still can. If Prairie exposes the names on the list, it's only going to become a motive for us to kill one another, isn't it? You've been exposed and yet you're still grasping for straws."

"She should just say the names," Maki disagrees, glaring at Rantaro for opening his mouth. "If the killing game is over like she said, we have nothing to risk or worry about. It doesn't matter what motive we get if the mastermind has been exposed and we're all headed home. Besides, _I _want to know."

"Hm...I have a rather nagging feeling that this isn't where the killing game ends...do we really want to risk it before we are escorted out from this facility?" Korekiyo questions, clearly as on the fence as Rantaro is. It's surprising seeing him agree with Rantaro, considering they've had disagreements oftentimes- especially when Prairie's been in the question.

"Although Atua has already revealed the truth to me...and I believe we all deserve to hear that truth!" Angie announces, making Kiibo hum curiously.

"If you know as well, how about you tell us then?" Kiibo asks.

"Unfortunately, Atua has deemed this to be a burden on Prairie's behalf. If I speak up, she will not be facing this personal trial Atua has conjured for her," Angie answers, which...kinda sounds like an excuse to hide the fact she doesn't actually know.

"Ah, makes sense!" Kiibo surprises Shuichi with his agreement, but Shuichi doesn't dare speak up to call anyone out or correct them.

Regarding Prairie though, Shuichi can already see why Prairie's gone dead silent now. He almost regrets having said his thoughts out loud like he went and did, watching as nervous looks are passed around between the other ultimates. Although some of them appear in high spirits now that the killing game is over...there's still that wary look in their eyes. Looks sizing others up to see who would have been the most likely to kill who. Unspoken judgments and accusations.

…

"I won't tell you anything past the plan that was meant for this murder, but I can tell you how the first two murders should have gone based on the documents I found," Prairie seems to find some middleground, prompting Maki to form a deadly expression. She clearly doesn't like that answer.

"Ever the noncompliant one, huh?" Maki asks sharply. "The killing game is over. What part of that didn't click in your head?"

Kokichi hums from beside Prairie, his gaze glued past Tsumugi and Rantaro thoughtfully. Despite the mastermind in front and center, somehow everything still seems to return back to Monokuma…

"I get where you're coming from and I really don't want to pop your bubble or anything, but...does that expression on Monokuma's face look like the kind of expression someone would make if they considered the killing game over and done with?" Kokichi questions innocently, pointing up at the throne behind the monokubs. All of them actually look pretty uncomfortable, even the ones that are still loyal to Monokuma. When Shuichi moves his gaze to larger of the robotic bears though…

Monokuma has the most manic and enthused expression Shuichi's ever seen on his face. In fact, Shuichi isn't the only one that has to do a double take at the sight. Despite the disturbing expression on Monokuma's face, Tsumugi neither looks at Monokuma nor seems concerned enough to turn her head. She just lets out a long frustrated sigh of resignation.

"Trust me, it's over. The killing game can't run without a game master. Also, if you're concerned about Monokuma, he can't do anything anymore either. His AI isn't smart enough to run a game, and _this _Monokuma is clearly damaged. I'll bet it's the Monokuma Birthing Machine that's the problem. If two have come out wrong, it only means this is a problem for the engineering department," Tsumugi states before adding, "But alright, let's hear those first two murders that were supposed to happen. And then you tell me exactly where you found that information."

Prairie shifts her attention away from Monokuma cautiously, but eventually faces Tsumugi to give her all her attention.

"Alright...well, Kaede was the first murderer who was supposed to kill Rantaro," Prairie reveals, hesitating only slightly as she looks towards her closest friend within the killing game. Even Rantaro looks dumbfounded, green eyes widening slightly.

"Me? I was meant to be the first victim?...So Kaede…" Rantaro trails off, seemingly uncomfortable with that news. He didn't like Kaede before when she tried to kill Prairie, so Shuichi can only imagine what his opinion of the deceased blonde now turned victim is now…

"Hm...that's right. I planned for Kaede to panic during the last hour of the time limit to get the killing game started and go forth with a plan to kill the mastermind using the hidden door behind the bookcase in the library. She would have ended up killing Rantaro instead on accident, would refuse the First Blood Perk in order to atone for her sin and help Shuichi become just a little more confident in his skills as the Ultimate Detective," Tsumugi elaborates for the rest of the group, prompting a small nearly imperceivable squeak out of Prairie.

It's a damn good thing _that _didn't happen...although, the fact Kaede still had to die doesn't make him feel any better. She died to some stupid killing game that should have never happened. And no less to a killing game produced by a _corporation, _based on Tsumugi's words so far. No doubt a big one run by a lot of people, considering the scale of things.

"For the second murderer, it should have been Kirumi to kill Ryoma," Prairie continues. It's bizarre seeing Tsumugi looking excited considering the topic, smiling and letting out a delighted laugh. Shuichi can't help but stare in horrified fascination as she does a happy little jump.

"That's right too! This trial almost resulted in Kirumi being blamed as the culprit...it was _almost _exactly what I planned, but everything is a mess. Not only was Perfect Bitch such a thorn in my side, but we still had a problem like Rantaro walking around," Tsumugi pouts, looking down at her podium. "He really messed up with Ryoma's head...giving him a will to live and such. If only Ryoma actually received his rightful motive video, all that desire to live would have been sucked out entirely. That would have made it easy for Kirumi, who had more than enough will to live with _her _video, to kill him! ...Also, the golden target motive made everyone want to kill Prairie though, since she's got 'easy-victim' written all over her face. That was Monokuma's AI going stupid and deciding to go ahead with adding a motive without informing me."

…

"I guess considering the killing game is over, I can go ahead and just say, the third trial would have-"

"I don't want to hear anymore," Maki suddenly comments, cutting Tsumugi off. "You can shut up now."

"Huh? Are you really not curious? Don't you want to know whether you kill someone or die? It really is genius planning," Tsumugi tries to coax her into listening. Maki actually looks a little like she doesn't quite resonate with her last spoken statement, as if she's still curious to hear.

"Maki isn't on the list, that's all she needs to know," Prairie answers. "She was a planned survivor, one of five if I remember correctly. And by the way, I'm not telling you where I found the document."

The moment the Ultimate Rock Climber states her stance on the matter clearly, the tension across Maki's body eases up much to Shuichi's surprise. Presumably, that's all she needed to hear, but she doesn't drop her guard even when Tsumugi makes an annoyed huff.

"Well, whatever. I guess it doesn't matter in the end," Tsumugi adds, once again focusing her attention back on Prairie. "I'm surprised you did find the list though. I know exactly where I kept my notes, so I'm not sure how you, of all people, managed to come across them…"

Tsumugi looks away thoughtfully, her expression glazed with thought before she seems to realize something and turns to face Monokuma's disturbing expression. She seems somewhat speechless, the bear before her not bothering to swap the disturbing grin on his face for something less creepy. What's going on?

Shuichi looks down at Prairie for some sign that maybe she knows what's happening, but even she appears totally confused by whatever epiphany seems to have hit Tsumugi Shirogane.

"You...did you _set me up?"_ She demands in shock, staring at the bear and receiving no response in lieu of her query. "When I asked which room was hers and you told me the room number late that night...did you give me her old room number _on purpose?"_

No one else dares speak up.

Monokuma eventually titters mirthfully though.

"How do you know whether you asked me _before _Miss Marble swapped rooms? You can't blame me for your own uncontrollable bloodlust!" Monokuma comments before his left red eye flashes brightly. "I will say, I _was _hoping you'd end up screwing yourself over somehow. It was amusing, but the killing game doesn't need any cheaters. Using your perks as the mastermind to break into Shuichi's room to steal his hotel key? How _nasty _of you!"

Shuichi balks almost immediately as the words leave Monokuma, horror flowing throughout his nervous system. She _broke in? _So...she didn't actually strike lucky and find it after he thought he lost his key. He definitely didn't see it in his room when he woke up yesterday, so the accusation has merit. Furthermore, to think the mastermind has a perk like that which allows them to enter _any _room they feel like entering is nerve wracking in itself.

"Interesting. So our reasoning regarding how she came across Shuichi's key might have been a bit off. That being said...I believe we're witnessing an usurping of Tsumugi as the current killing game mastermind..." Korekiyo observes, prompting Tsumugi to growl as she turns to face the Ultimate Anthropologist.

"No, that's not it! Obviously that piece of useless scrap metal is malfunctioning or something. Monokuma _can't _be the mastermind! It has to be a _human _to fill that role, we have always done it that way. His AI is not complex enough to run something like a killing game. He is only meant to fill a _meager_ role in the grand scheme of things!" Tsumugi fiercely objects to Korekiyo's inference. "It's not possible for him to take over the killing game, let alone to _want _to do that! He wasn't built that way! Not even Kiibo is built with an AI comparative to a human's, and he's the closest _anyone _has ever gotten!"

"H-Hey, _what?!_ You need to calm down! Mastermind or not, you're becoming both erratic and _increasingly _robophobic! I'll definitely be able to take you to court for this!" Kiibo complains, clearly not about to take her words lying down.

"Nee-hee-hee! Kiiboy, shouldn't you be wanting to take her to court for other reasons? Like...oh, I don't know," Kokichi pushes a finger into his cheek with a listless look, almost like he's trying to remember something. "Huh, it escapes me, but I think she did some sort of unspeakable thing to a group of ultimates...something to do with imprisonment and murder, I think? Ah, I'm sure I'll remember it later after Prairie Dog and I go home together."

Going by the look on Prairie's face, Shuichi can tell there's nothing Kokichi could ever do to make a scenario like that happen short of basically kidnapping her...if he even could.

Prairie's small, but just remembering the muscles across her body when he saw her in that..._thing..._in the hotel? She could probably strangle Kokichi with just her thighs if she wanted to, but he'd never say that out loud in the same room as her. Maybe if she was in a different continent or something.

"But we can be released, correct? If we've really reached the conclusion of the killing game, that means I don't have to kill Prairie anymore," Kirumi speaks up, almost looking a smidgen hopeful. Before Tsumugi can say anything, Monokuma lets out a maniacal laugh.

"_Nope! _Nobody's going _anywhere! _This killing game isn't over- in fact, it's just getting started now!" Monokuma announces much to Tsumugi's vexation. She even lets out a groan of annoyance that seems to catch Shuichi off guard.

"Will you cut that out already? It's over. My cover is blown, my killing game is ruined, and we have nowhere to go from here. The fact _you _helped ruin it is even worse! What are we supposed to do now?!" The once composed mastermind snaps, pulling at her hair hard enough that she even uproots a few strands.

This Tsumugi is psychotic…!

"I'll tell you!" Monokuma pipes up without any visible concern to Tsumugi's gradual breakdown at the situation. "Iiiit's _voting time!"_

"What…?" Tsumugi asks in confusion. With a sound much like a videogame jingle, every podium screen lights up to reveal a title card.

Once the title card reading "Class Trial Voting Time" disappears, a complete listing of the participants in the killing game appears- including Prairie and even those no longer with the group. Over the icons of the people no longer alive are big 'X's, with Miu's specific icon bearing a gold figure of a trophy.

"_Aww, _Prairie looks cute in her picture~!" Tenko can't seem to help but gush from Kokichi's other side, although Prairie doesn't seem to hear her. Instead, the shorter girl is frowning down at her podium, leaning over briefly to examine both Kokichi's and Shuichi's respective podium screens.

From what Shuichi can see, there's a portion of text at the top left corner of Prairie's screen that isn't on his own screen which reads, "_Be a hero, save a life! Press me gently,"_ while pointing an orange arrow on the screen towards the golden gem-like button at the top left of the podium.

"Everyone, please select the person you would like to accuse as the blackened and press the button to cast your vote!" Monophanie announces with a bit of flair, even though she still seems to be confused by what's going on between Tsumugi and Monokuma.

"And make sure you all vote, or we get grounds to terminate ya for non-compliance!" Monosuke continues, more composed than Monophanie.

"_Vote?_ Vote for what? I'm the _mastermind,_ and I was caught. The killing game ends here. We don't have an execution room for me, nor did we ever plan one because of the papers I signed," Tsumugi scoffs in amusement, shaking her head. "Whatever. Do what you want, I guess...we're definitely going to work on that system of yours when Headquarters picks us all up."

_Headquarters...so this place is definitely run by more than one person._

"Chop chop! There's a timer to vote- anyone who doesn't beat the clock gets the axe!" Monokuma reminds everyone, prompting Shuichi to fumble at the thirteen second mark and immediately input his vote for Tsumugi. Whatever's going on, it's clear the one in control seems to be Monokuma no matter what Tsumugi's saying. "Puhuhu...it seems everyone has finished voting. Now then, let's see the result!"

The screen reveals a scoreboard, Tsumugi's name collecting nearly all the votes from everyone at their podiums. There's one stray vote under Prairie's name, but the girl in question only rolls her eyes seeing that. Probably Tsumugi choosing her out of spite...

"Who'll be chosen as the blackened!? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one!?" Monokuma states, just as the screen flashes to read "verdict" and reveals what looks to be a casino machine on the screen. There's a roulette with everyone's face visible around the selection wheel, with a yellow icon spinning around the wheel.

Even though Shuichi is absolutely confident in his and Prairie's deductions from the evidence and confessions passed around by the others, the sight of the spinning icon across everyone's names still makes him anxious. After all, if they choose the wrong person, everyone will die. Nobody is surprised when the icon settles on Tsumugi, a fanfare accompanying the visuals of a jackpot with coins flying out of the machine on screen. Shuichi's always thought some of the things Monokuma does is on the showy side and sort of ridiculous, but it never fails to give him an unnerving feeling. Like it's all just a distraction to keep them from fully experiencing the full force of how hopeless their situation is.

Somehow, he had the sinking feeling nothing would be solved even while he was delivering the closing argument on how Tsumugi was both the culprit and the mastermind.

"That's right, it was Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer! Wow, who would have guessed the mastermind would be stupid enough to participate in the killing game in a hands-on way? And with a plot to pin the murder on Miss Marble too! Shame, shame for the mastermind position...it's a good thing her flea was there to cement her alibi~" Monokuma laments, right before shrugging. "Anyways, you may all step off your podiums if you'd like!"

Shuichi goes to step off of his first, already turning to help Prairie limp off of hers when a twitch of pain crosses her features upon turning. She's a step of two off of it when Monokuma adds, "Oh, although I guess Miss Marble might be interested in that gold button, so feel free to return to your podium to press it if you so feel like it! After all...that's a culprit's only chance at a get out of jail free card!"

Prairie pauses as she steps a foot away from her podium, turning likely to examine the button Monokuma is referring to. Shuichi can't help the swirl of discomfort in his stomach at whatever this button may do, but before he decides to restrain her or pull her away from it- which would be easy since her leg is out of order- Kokichi quickly swerves in front of her podium to effectively block her from stepping back up on it. He shoots both Shuichi and Prairie a bright grin which is challenged as soon as Monosuke pops up beside Prairie with the gold button on a black handheld square block.

"It's portable too if you decide to use it in the middle of the culprit's execution!" Monosuke claims as he holds it out to Prairie with a flashy smile. She reaches out to take it, but Kokichi once again lunges past her and snatches it away from the yellow bear before that happens.

"Basically, if you're feeling heroic, you can enter an execution at any point so long as the blackened is still alive. Your goal would be to escort the blackened to the exit, in this case the elevator, _without_ them dying!" Monophanie elaborates cheerily, joining Monosuke's side near Shuichi and Prairie. "If you can get them out alive, they will be acquitted of their crime and continue living their life in the killing game. The drawback is that you can also die from the execution...if you die, the execution of the blackened will continue, but if _they _die before you can rescue them, you're free to leave safely to continue your killing school semester!"

Monophanie glances down at Prairie's calf, which is still bloody and oozing with every shift she makes as Rantaro appears to crouch down and give it a look.

"Hmm...unfortunately for Shirogane, you're really in no shape to be chasing after her during her execution, Ugly," Monophanie laments with a sigh.

"Stop calling her ugly," Rantaro quips immediately, causing the pink bear to stiffen up and jump behind Monosuke. Her eyes have started tearing up, but Rantaro pays no mind to her since he's engrossed in the process of examining Prairie's injury. Although he's fed up with that particular monokub, Monokid bounds up to him in a hurry, holding out a first aid kid and a wet towel that Rantaro doesn't hesitate to take with a smile of gratitude. Seems like he's also chosen to trust Monokid, if only because Prairie trusts the blue bear so much. "Don't worry, this will be quick work. I'll do my best to make this as painless as possible, okay?"

Prairie nods despite the fact she's clinging to Shuichi's arm a bit tightly, earning a soft smile from Rantaro that Shuichi can't help but stare at. There it is again...Rantaro behaving like he's a different kind of man around Prairie. Shuichi can't help but let out a good natured sheepish sigh at the sight. They've had hiccups, but in the end they really are good for each other in a place such as this. They were certainly worse off when they were divided, so it's good they're on friendly terms again.

"You keep explaining things as if an execution is about to happen, and I really don't understand why?" Tsumugi questions, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I'll bet everyone's already changed the channel at this point, considering how plainl- I mean, how miserable this season has gone."

"Season?" Kaito queries, curiosity slowly turning into shock. "Changed the channel…? Are you saying this is some kind of sick broadcasted program or something!?"

"Huh? Oh. I guess I never explained that, did I? Don't worry, someone else will tell you all once we're escorted out. I'm too upset to play the role of excessive unnecessary exposition…" Tsumugi sighs. "My reputation as a Danganronpa writer is finished. I have no idea what to expect from my bosses when I get back."

Shuichi frowns in confusion. Dangan...ronpa?

"No idea what to expect, _hmm?_ Puhuhuhu! How about this?"

Shuichi feels the blast of air rush past him before he actually sees what's happened, turning in time as a gargling gasp is forced out of Tsumugi. Even Prairie flinches as a result of the unexpected rush of air, which sends her curls whipping behind her for a moment. Kaito has moved to Shuichi's other side to allow Rantaro to see, even though the green haired teen is still trying to focus on Prairie's calf more than on what's happening with Tsumugi.

Tsumugi staggers back a few steps, half bumping into Kirumi and Gonta before the two quickly recoil from her in confusion.

The room is silent as everyone processes what's going on, watching Tsumugi let out a cough or two as she clutches at her neck to catch her breath. Shuichi's eyes are glued to her, unwilling to move away even when his nerves tell him not to look. Something tells him things are about to proceed just as the killing game rules dictate it should...

When Tsumugi lifts her head and moves her hands to reveal a metal cuff tightly clamped around her neck, she hardly says a word. The Ultimate Cosplayer gently touches it with her fingertips, tracing the metallic edge at the bottom before finding a thick metal chain, one which her hand follows along with her eyes. Shuichi also follows the trail curiously beside the seven individuals beside him, even the monokubs visibly perturbed as they see the chain leading into the beckoning gaping doors of the elevator that has opened without anyone's notice.

Prairie's grip around Shuichi's arm has tightened just as Tsumugi seems to finally absorb what exactly is going on. The inevitable fate she figured she was exempt from experiencing as the mastermind seems to be all too close now, turning her skin chalk white as she stares at the elevator.

Just like that, Tsumugi becomes angry.

"What the FUCK is this? Get this thing off of me, are you _serious_ right now?! The killing game is OVER! Nobody is watching anymore! Nobody is _going _to watch anymore! Definitely not without a mastermind to contribute to the game! I signed all the necessary documents I needed to guarantee my survival like every one of my predecessors did! I have a binding contract that says I can still produce and write two more seasons!" She screams, suddenly pulling at the clamp around her neck as the chain begins to lift up, becoming gradually taut as if teasing with dragging her in.

Despite her efforts to get the metal clamp off, it remains stuck around her neck and refuses to release it's hold. Her motions start to become desperate just before the chain stops pulling at her, allowing her a moment to calm down as Monokuma sighs heavily. Tsumugi looks up at him, the look on her face finally expressing the same expression of wariness everyone else does when looking at the bear.

"Aw, you did sign some documents, didn't you? I guess in that case I'd have to submit to company policy. It's the rules after all…" Monokuma laments, the chain dropping at Tsumugi's feet hard enough that she flinches and backs away to increase the distance between herself and the elevator.

Prairie's nails suddenly curl into Shuichi's suit, making him look down to see Rantaro already cleaning the freshly sewn stitches with a disposable alcohol wipe. It isn't until after Rantaro sticks on some gauze over her stitches that Monokuma gasps suddenly, as if it was his cue to speak again.

"Oh, yeah! This place is cut off from the outside world! I guess that makes those signatures and documents totally invalid!" Monokuma exclaims, pulling out that gavel from before and deftly spinning it in his paw. A wooden post from the ground slides up in front of him, revealing a large red button he doesn't hesitate to strike with much gusto.

"W-WAIT!" Tsumugi screams.

Everything happens in an instant.

It's something Shuichi knows he won't be able to get out of his head for the next few days. The chain to Tsumugi's neck violently hauls her towards the elevator, her ear piercing screams echoing in his skull even after the moment the elevator doors slam shut behind her.

"Don't worry about the game ending! Because it _won't! _I'm the official mastermind from this point forward! I don't need her anymore. _Danganronpa _doesn't need her anymore. In fact, they don't need an extra 'mastermind' role ever again! It's no role Monokuma-sama can't already fulfil himself," Monokuma announces, standing up on his chair.

Shuichi swallows thickly. Monokuma doesn't seem keen to let them absorb this information anytime soon though, instead using his gavel to hit something behind him on his chair. Considering how far underground the elevator had taken them, Shuichi had already guessed it _couldn't be _real stained glass around them. Still, he's stunned when the image dissolves and transitions to reveal the walls are actually a massive screen that completely wraps around the trial room, the words 'loading' rotating across the walls.

It's likely everyone is still extremely confused about the situation with Tsumugi to speak, falling silent as they cautiously gaze at the walls around them. Prairie has let go of Shuichi, standing on her own as she stares up at the screens with Kaito, Rantaro, and Kokichi.

"From now on, you're entirely at _my _mercy and my mercy _alone. _Enjoy the execution! I know _I _will!" Monokuma says, breaking off in a hysterical laugh as the insanity that is Tsumugi Shirogane's execution proceeds to start across the screens that make up the walls around them.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ _**End of Interlude.ii - Shuichi**_ ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
~Links~
> 
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> [Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)  

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>   

> 
> [Blue Bow](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/626467843533324288/sketchy-to-colory)  

> 
>   



	52. Interlude iii - Rantaro

❀  ** _Interlude.iii - Rantaro_ ** ❀

**⚠️ ****tw/ depression, suicide, self-harm** **⚠️**

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Rantaro let out a prolonged sigh, the flashing colors on the slot machine screen spinning around and around...and around. Almost hypnotizing enough to make Rantaro's eyelids get heavy.

The sound of the energetic machines around him turned to white noise...lulling him to a tempting slumber of comfort and ease...into a dream where the people he cared about were safe...and Prairie…

Rantaro’s head suddenly banged down hard against the slot machine.

He didn’t bother to censor himself, cursing freely as he nursed his forehead with a hand. At first he was pissed off, but a rare jingle from the slot machine caught his attention long enough for the Ultimate Adventurer to set aside his irritation to examine whatever had happened.

Triple sevens across. Just his luck, now he just needed to get a few more of those and he’d be able to collect his own hotel key. Still, it was a relief he'd been able to send Shuichi to deliver food to Prairie. How Shuichi amassed as many coins as he had was a mystery to Rantaro, but he was grateful nonetheless. As nice as it was though, he’d much prefer to see her with his own two eyes and confirm her security for himself. What if he didn’t pack her enough food? What if he should have sent some dessert? What if it was too cold in there? What if she got lonely? What if-

“Huh. That’s an interesting method to get a jackpot, I guess...if you also want to give yourself brain damage,” an amused voice spoke up over the chaotic sounds in the casino, prompting Rantaro to turn his gaze to see who was speaking. Going by the deep voice though, it really could only be one person.

“I guess I’m just a little tired or something. Anyways, what brings you around these parts?” Rantaro asked pleasantly, trying not to appear as exhausted as he felt. It was only the first day since he heard Prairie was back from wherever she went, although her past whereabouts were secondary to how she was doing now.

According to Maki who saw her in the flesh though...she was bloody and in bad shape.

To say he was worried sick wasn't too far from the truth for once. Even more frustrating, Monokuma  _ intentionally  _ made things all the more harder with that damned rule of his that stated the key to the hotel would be confiscated if the owner gave it to another student…

Rantaro couldn't help but think that if it had been for anyone else besides Prairie, that rule wouldn’t have been implemented at all.

“Nothing much, to be honest. I was just drifting by when I saw that impressive technique of yours. I didn’t take you for someone interested in gambling though,” Ryoma commented, approaching Rantaro to take a seat beside him and examine his coin balance.

“‘Impressive technique’, he says…” Rantaro commented, letting out a breath of amusement. “Jokes aside, you’re right. I have about zero interest in gambling altogether, but this is the only way for me to get my own hotel key, so I’m not complaining. I’m not very good at it either, but I’m not giving up until I get that key. I need to get into that hotel at all costs and I’ll gladly pay with my sleep schedule.”

“...To see Prairie, huh? Even after the two of you have been at odds as of late…how sure are you that she even wants to see you?” Ryoma questioned as Rantaro rolled the slots of his machine again. The colors raced across the screen, blending together before their eyes as they watched the segments line up to another loss for Rantaro. At least, to Rantaro’s mild relief, he was a lot less sleepy now that Ryoma had stopped to converse with him.

“Honestly, she probably doesn’t. But I don’t care, it’s not like I need to be there forever. I just want to see she’s okay and I’ll be satisfied.”

“Hm. So it’s only for your own self-satisfaction?”

That response gave Rantaro a knee-jerk reaction that he did his best to hide, pausing before moving to roll the slots again. Those words weren't something he’d heard outside of his own mind, and now it dug deep into his core hearing it said out loud by someone else. His initial annoyance begged him to get defensive and insist Ryoma was out of line in saying that, but...even Rantaro couldn't deny it was true to an extent. 

As much as Rantaro genuinely cared for Prairie, he was self-aware enough to realize he was trying to satisfy a need of his own that he would much rather bury and leave in his past. Since he first pulled her out of that locker- hell, likely even  _ before  _ during the first forgotten resets if he knew himself well enough- that all too familiar urge to nurture and protect sprang up again from the dark recesses of his memories. All it took was one interaction.

He even knew where it all went wrong, and he'd known since she first brought up the subject of his overprotective tendencies. Despite her warnings and complaints, it all spun out of control though, morphing into an almost desperate desire to keep her safe, in sight, and alive at all cost. Every move she made had Rantaro panicked. Every chance she took to antagonize others made him nervous. Every verbal harassment she delivered to someone activated that urge to stifle her fire so she wouldn’t draw attention to herself.

Only after their final discourse in the warehouse did Rantaro realize no matter how much he wanted to blame all of his mistakes on Monokuma for creating the killing game in the first place, he honestly couldn’t.

Rantaro had no one to blame but himself. Her outbursts mainly stemmed from his overprotectiveness, which she of course equated with him infantilizing her...maybe he was infantilizing her though. He never meant to, of course, but whether he'd done it intentionally or not really didn't change anything about the situation. In fact, seeing Rantaro’s behavior was probably the reason why some of the  _ others  _ had adopted a similar way of interacting with Prairie, the biggest offenders having been Kiibo and Kaito. Furthermore, he had placed limitations on what Prairie could do, making her feel even worse about herself.

In his efforts to protect her, he hurt her...probably because the real root of his efforts was actually the fact he was placing priority in something else a little less obvious.

Protecting himself from losing someone else dear to him.

Therein lied his mistake. He shouldn’t have let himself become so engrossed with trying to protect Prairie, and he should have noticed when “protect Prairie” morphed and became “protect yourself”. He knew that song and dance all too well, as much as he wished he didn’t.

His negligence in monitoring his younger sister was where it all started, and he'd learned to be more vigilant in his efforts. And then they started dropping off the radar one by one, each loss driving him to increase his efforts to look after his sisters- up until none were left to watch over.

The idea of losing one more person, even if she was just a friend rather than a sister, slowly drove him up the wall. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the backlash he’d get from his younger sisters over his behavior in the past, so he thought he could handle Prairie Marble’s wrath.

He thought wrong. And since they weren’t siblings, he attempted to cut ties with her in hopes that he could escape guilt and grievances if she were to really...well, he doesn’t even want to think of the word, so that should attest to the success of his efforts in that matter.

There was no way he could just stop caring about her. After all, after what happened in the gym with the Exisal crushing her, her blatant attitude towards Monokuma, as well as when she started bleeding out from her face like crazy, Rantaro felt like he had died four consecutive times while still standing upright. Tsumugi begging him to help her and give in to his protective urges also made for an exhausting obstacle, which he did manage to overcome at least.

He was never doing that again. It may as well have been _him_ crushed under that Exisal with how tortured he felt watching Prairie suffer like that.

Now...even though Rantaro was aware that his efforts to protect her were detrimental to her feelings, were his motives there sitting in front of a slot machine any different from his self-serving actions of any day prior?

“Alright, I’m not going to deny that that’s exactly what it was before. I care about Prairie, but I was also doing it for a reason less than sympathetic towards her. Even if that meant intentionally hurting her myself in the end, I still did it anyways. Right now though…” Rantaro trailed off, hesitating and leading into a long pause that eventually resulted a heavy sigh. He pressed his face into his hands, visibly exhausted by his swirling thoughts. Even though he knew it was good to be called out on his bad behaviors, habits, etc, he couldn't help but still feel nettled despite himself. “I don’t know who I’m doing this for right now. I just want to know she’s okay. If she doesn’t want me there, I’ll leave immediately. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Of course not. You’re worried because you care and that’s valid. Though I have to ask if you’re fully prepared to push her away further if this is the final straw for her. You mentioned before that you ‘can’t lose her’, but your actions speak differently. You may not lose her to death, but you’ve  _ definitely _ been losing her as of late,” Ryoma commented, rolling his slot machine and earning more casino coins as opposed to Rantaro's steady loss of coins per roll. It was impressive considering he’d just started, but Rantaro was thrown off from his awe when Ryoma’s eyes flicked back towards him. “Is not trusting her to look out for herself and judge what she can or can’t handle on her own terms really worth throwing your friendship with her out the window?”

Oh,  _ now  _ who’s underestimating Prairie?

“I think you’re way off the mark. The last straw was three days ago when she disappeared and ran off to god knows where. I don’t know if she actually  _ left  _ the killing game grounds, but I know I might still have a chance to fix everything if she’s up for negotiations- considering she came back  _ here _ of all places. Maybe she’ll talk to me, maybe I’ll get punched in the face. That’s fine with me either way, I do deserve flak all things considered,” Rantaro sighed, thinking back to everything he’d done to hurt the most important person to him in the killing game. He cringed at the unspoken apology he’d been forming and editing in his mind, an apology that had still been going through hundreds of different variations in preparation for the moment he actually saw the blue eyed brunette.

“Well...I will say you’re dedicated. Reminds me of Shuichi actually. He’s been a bit relentless in getting me to open up recently, and I have no idea why since I keep shutting his efforts down. I’ve got a long way to go before I ever understand what goes on in the heads of people like you two,” Ryoma chuckled, which prompted Rantaro’s cheeks to grow slightly warm at a familiar look in Ryoma’s eyes that he recognized as suspect. 

Uh-oh. He suddenly had a feeling that the conversation was going to step into a territory Rantaro detested.

“Though I’m not sure if your stubborn stance in particular is for a non-platonic reason...no shame if it is. Prairie’s a nice girl, if we disregard her violent tendencies.”

The Ultimate Adventurer was annoyed it came up in the conversation as he predicted, but it presumably couldn't be helped. His guess was that it supposedly came with the territory of having a conventionally good-looking face...and following Prairie around like he'd been doing prior to their fight. Still, he hated it.

“I can assure you my feelings for her are entirely on a platonic level and it’s going to stay that way. I’m not interested in anything like romance or falling in love, much less with Prairie of all people,” Rantaro stated as politely as he could. “Nothing against her, but I don’t think I could see her as anything more than a close friend.”

Ryoma nodded in understanding before turning to focus on the slots again. “Make sure you let her know in that case.”

“Let her know…? If you’re implying she might develop legitimate feelings for me, you don’t need to worry. She won’t. She never lets me forget how dumb I am, so I doubt-” Rantaro cut himself off when Ryoma started chuckling, the sound eventually morphing into a full-on laugh that Rantaro almost couldn't believe was coming from Ryoma’s mouth. He could probably count how many times he’d seen the ex-prisoner chuckle sarcastically on one hand, let alone how many times he’d done it out of legitimate amusement.

“Well, I guess I believe you when you say you don’t involve yourself in the matters of love. Furthermore, if your family on the feminine side of the spectrum is the full extent of your experience with understanding the psyche of girls in particular...well, regardless of whatever way you swing when it comes to preferences, I can see why you’d doubt. Not that I’m any sort of ‘pro’, but I at least know you shouldn’t make assumptions. Prairie isn’t dense, but you shouldn’t give her hope where there isn’t any. Trust me when I say I wouldn’t blame her if she thought you were giving her mixed signals. Her anger and annoyance towards you does not equate to total disinterest. If you’ve noticed even a  _ fraction  _ of her behavior towards Kokichi of all people, that should be obvious.”

…

“I’m not telling her,” Rantaro firmly objected, using a large portion of his willpower to keep from being too upset by Ryoma’s input. “If she has or develops feelings for me, I don’t think she’ll act on them either way considering our situation. If I have no need to give an answer, I’m not going to just drop rejection over her and break her heart unprompted-  _ especially  _ if I’m not sure of her feelings in the first place. Her current crush on me is just because, and I quote, ‘a messed up face’. It’s purely aesthetic and I’m confident she’ll get over it.”

Ryoma’s expression hardly shifted at Rantaro’s statement, but Rantaro couldn't help but feel as though Ryoma’s silence meant disagreement. A few beats later, Ryoma decided to confirm Rantaro’s suspicions.

“If it comes back to bite you, I won’t say I told you so,” Ryoma sighed. At that point, Rantaro decided he’d had enough.

“So besides lecturing me on the fickle nature of a girl’s heart, did you need something? Or are you done here?” Probably wasn't one of Rantaro’s most graceful reactions, but now he could see why Prairie hated when he would lecture her all the time. Regardless of his words, Rantaro’s passive-aggressive dismissal wasn't taken too hard going by Ryoma’s chuckle of amusement.

“Come on, no need to shut down the entire conversation. We can swap topics if you really hate the subject. I’m not exactly good at this stuff either, I only know what my girl told me before she-” Ryoma abruptly cut himself off, a pause preceding a cough or two he muffled with the inner crook of his arm. Rantaro almost wanted to pry as payback for Ryoma’s efforts, but thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. “Anyways, I guess you know Prairie better than I do to be the judge.” 

Rantaro blew out a small impatient breath, although...he had some curiosities. Both Ryoma and Prairie were critically acclaimed sports stars in status, so it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that Prairie and Ryoma could have met in the past. Even if their proficiencies were completely different from one another, they were both still involved in sports related careers.

It may just have been wishful thinking on Rantaro's part, but some sort of friendship between the two would explain why Ryoma would go out of his way to talk to Rantaro about Prairie. Maybe Ryoma knew her, but didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable with her situation by mentioning it? In Prairie's mind she kept herself and Blitz as two separate identities, so befriending her because of a bond with her lost identity probably wouldn't come across too well considering her past reactions whenever Blitz’s identity was brought up and shoved onto her.

But...the girl he knew and cared for now couldn't be all  _ too  _ different from Perfect Blitz, could she? Shuichi had highlighted several instances of hijinks Blitz had pulled in her life, but they weren't things Rantaro could say Prairie wouldn’t probably pull either. As sweet as she could be, she was definitely still mischievous in her own right. Besides, if Ryoma  _ did  _ know Blitz, that meant Rantaro had a chance to get a peek behind the curtain of the face Blitz showed to the public. Even if Ryoma wasn’t a close friend, she was bound to have had a different disposition around a fellow sports star than around her fans and the public _ . _

Rantaro opened his mouth to ask, but faltered and allowed his attention to drift to the slot machine to continue losing more of his casino coins. At the rate he was going, he'd be ending up like Kaito real soon: a broke bastard. Maybe instead of asking questions, he ought to have been paying more attention to what he was doing.

“Something you wanna say?” Ryoma pointed out, smiling slightly around his candy cigarette. “You were staring at me like a fish for a good five minutes there.”

Rantaro was almost embarrassed by the callout, but after a second he decided to shove his concerns aside.

It was time to swallow down his pride and just ask.

“Well, as much as I appreciate the company...you have to admit this is kind of out of character for you, isn’t it? If you don’t mind me asking, is there a reason why you’re looking out for Prairie’s well being?” Rantaro relented, trying not to be too salty when a shadow of a smug look graced Ryoma’s features. On the brighter side, at least that expression on his face was better than the one of empty hollowness he’d usually seen Ryoma stalk around the academy with. So maybe Ryoma stuck his nose in Rantaro’s business for a second there, but that was a  _ lot  _ coming from him of all people. Rantaro was almost flattered Ryoma had gone out of his way to look out for Prairie and himself.

Still annoying, but Rantaro could appreciate a good gesture all the same.

“No, not really. Shuichi suggested I try opening up to other people if not him, though he’s still definitely trying to pry my shell open. I figured I’d just talk to someone I know isn’t going to make me talk about things that are better left in the past, is all. You seem like that kind of guy. Considering how much you like Prairie, I just figured that would be the best topic to tackle. Do I need an ulterior motive to chat with you?” Ryoma asked, mildly amused by the looks of it.

Rantaro rolled his slot machine, having paused in his efforts to gain casino coins since he’d been so absorbed in Ryoma’s narrator-esque voice. Both of them had deep voices, but Ryoma’s was much deeper of the two- a baritone rumble resonating just barely over the jingles and mechanical sounds of the casino games.

“No, I suppose you don’t. I was just wondering if maybe you-”

“YES! I got another jackpot~! As you can see, Atua fully supports the idea that I ought to be the one that visits Prairie first!” Someone announced from the entire opposite side of the casino, which prompted both Rantaro and Ryoma to turn their gaze in the general direction of the commotion before Tenko jumped up into view from a seat behind a game machine.

“J-Just you wait! That smirk will be wiped off your face once you hit a nasty losing streak after this!” Tenko shouted, followed by a hum of amusement on Angie’s part.

“Oh, you mean like your losing streak? I’m not so sure about that one!”

The combative girl Angie aimed that comment towards spun around to locate a new machine to sit at, a scowl etched deep over her features. “This machine I’m using is clearly broken, that’s all! I’ll find a better one!”

“...So all three of you decided to become chronic gamblers to try and win hotel keys then?” Ryoma asked, raising a brow in Rantaro’s general direction and watching as the teen let out a long sigh.

“They followed me. Tenko insists on seeing her before a ‘womanizing menace like me’ does and Angie is just joining to annoy Tenko, I think. They definitely overestimated how quickly they can get a key though, Himiko’s bound to show up at any moment since they’re helping with planning that magic show she mentioned before,” Rantaro explained, rolling the machine again and smiling when he was rewarded a generous amount for his efforts.

A silence between the two hung for a few beats. Ryoma rolled the slots and was getting win after win much to Rantaro’s distaste. How was he doing that? He thought Prairie knew how to cheat the machines after that double-jackpot win she hit in front of Monokuma and Kaito before, but...well, Ryoma isn’t winning jackpots per say. Or at the very least he isn’t hitting them often. What _was _happening was that he’d been hitting small wins over and over again, enough that he was accumulating money faster than Rantaro was- even though Rantaro had won a few generous jackpots already.

What was Ryoma doing that Rantaro wasn't? And how could Rantaro do the same? He wanted to see Prairie as soon as possible.

“Were you going to ask something else?” Ryoma broke the silence again, dragging Rantaro’s attention away from his slot machine. “I know Tenko sort of cut you off when you were talking.”

“Ah, right. I wanted to ask if you knew Prairie or met her before all of this mess,” Rantaro inquired. “You said there’s no ulterior motive, but I figured I’d at least ask that just in case.”

Unlike everyone else, Prairie had complete amnesia. Rantaro and the others had the luxury of knowing exactly who they were, what they wanted in life, and what their past looked like. In Prairie’s case however, she was living in the shadow of the person everyone thought they knew. She had to face the struggle of being told who she was, being told what she wanted in life, and being told who she  _ used  _ to be from different sources that may not have actually been correct.

Rantaro could only imagine how much stress she’d gathered as a result- especially with his dumbass contributions to boot. And maybe Prairie wouldn’t want to hear about it, but Rantaro kind of did...just because Prairie didn't remember her past doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be elements between her and Perfect Blitz that would coincide, right? As much as Prairie may have hated it, Blitz was still a part of her she shouldn’t turn a blind eye to.

Maybe she needed more time to accept that side of herself though...Rantaro wouldn't fault her for that.

Ryoma sighed, reaching up to pull the candy cigarette from between his lips for a moment. 

“Sorry, but I don’t. I’ve never seen her in person before, just in photographs and magazines. Actually, I remember a running joke that everyone who’s met her has to be lying, since she’s so hard to pin down. I don’t think I’ve ever known even one person who’s personally met her...so I reckon we're the lucky ones. Or unlucky I guess, all things considered.”

“You’ve never seen her? Not even in sports gatherings or concerts, like when she goes rock climbing or sings?” Rantaro asked. Ryoma shook his head, rolling the slots again as he gathered his thoughts.

“I’m not interested in concerts, and as far as I know they were _private_ concerts pretty much reserved for only certain elites. People like you and me would never be offered a personal invitation to one of her concerts. Our only access would be crappy video recordings by the people that did get invitations. On the other hand, rock climbing isn’t the same thing as tennis. There aren’t gatherings or ‘shows’ for rock climbing. Not only is it non-competitive by nature, but it’s a very personal activity according to the people I knew that would rock climb. You don’t make a spectacle out of something like that. If you plan to beat a record, you have a few close people around to witness and record the record break, but that’s about it.”

Rantaro took a moment to gather his thoughts after Ryoma’s explanation, glaring at his slot machine in the meantime. 

The mechanical cheat beast seemed to mock him, his last roll resulting in only half a space close to another big win. Next roll would hopefully be better.

“There is something I have to admit though. As someone who’s known a lot of people in athletic careers...quite a few of which have gotten amnesia...I do have to agree with something Kokichi has mentioned regarding Prairie,” Ryoma started carefully, as if he was going to tread dangerous ground around Rantaro. Sure, Rantaro knew he could be protective over Prairie- a bit  _ too  _ protective as she’d pointed out to him more than once- but, it wasn't like he was going to crucify anyone for criticizing her or anything.

...Ulness she was in the same room.

And they made her cry.

Then they’d be as good as the walking dead.

“This is the most severe case I’ve ever seen of retrograde amnesia and we don’t even know exactly how she lost her memories. Was it the first blackout light she was exposed to, or did they never actually work on her? Is it stress or mental trauma she’s blocking out? Or maybe it was the result of physical damage? We really don’t know. Worse than that, we don’t actually know if she’ll remember anything at all. Some people with amnesia recover their memories, but it’s possible that she won’t remember anything and will be stuck in this state for the rest of her life. Or…”

Rantaro’s gut tightened when he heard Ryoma’s tone change. It was something that had been echoed between a few of the other ultimates, although Rantaro hated hearing it. Hell, even  _ he himself  _ had the thought once, but it was no longer something he considered after so much time with her.

“She’s not lying,” Rantaro immediately objected, refusing to pull his gaze away from the machine as he rolled the slots over and over again. His eyes weren't even focused on timing or the screen anymore, ignoring the losses as the number signifying his balance in casino coins continued to drop.

“...Or she is, but she’s as talented of a liar as Kokichi suspects.”

“Or Kokichi is lying, considering he can play her like a violin and he loves to lie.”

“Anything to absolve her of possible wrongdoing, huh? Sounds just like someone from her fanbase.”

“And you’re starting to sound like someone looking to  _ piss me off,  _ so be careful.”

Ryoma chuckled, not at all put off by Rantaro’s shift in temper. Speaking of changes, Ryoma clearly had gone through quite some change himself. Likely the result of Shuichi’s efforts going by what Ryoma had recounted at least. Rantaro couldn't imagine that Ryoma would have stayed after his first hint to get lost if Shuichi hadn’t tried talking with him...which was pretty annoying for Rantaro.

Unless that was Ryoma looking to connect with him? If that was the case, he was failing spectacularly. Not that Rantaro thought being locked up in prison would really help with socialization skills or anything, but it still didn't give the shorter teen a pass to say things about Prairie like that. As Ryoma mentioned before, Rantaro knew her better.

…

“...Truth and lies aside, your devotion is admirable. That’s probably why she’s still hoping that you’ll change and listen to her. If I couldn’t remember my own past and I couldn’t remember anyone comforting in my life, I’d probably be desperate to cling to some semblance of a bond too. Actually, as it stands...I do remember my own past and yet I’m still looking for that bond. A reason to live, at least in my case,” Ryoma admitted, prompting Rantaro to pause and glance his way. It wasn't until then that his irritation with Ryoma faltered quite a bit, becoming a small flicker of ember just by the realization of what he was doing.

With his focus entirely on Prairie, he’d neglected interacting with everyone else around him as a result.

Yes, this was a killing game where everyone needed to be careful and watch their backs. This was a killing game and there was bound to be one or more people looking to stab someone gullible in the back.

Rantaro refused to believe Prairie was one of those people looking to backstab someone, especially going by her actions thus far, but...she wasn't the only person suffering from their situation. Not a single one of them  _ wanted  _ to be here. In fact, as much as Kokichi liked to laugh and say he enjoyed their situation, it was easy for Rantaro to see he was lying about it. He was sure everyone, including himself, wished they could take Kaede’s advice and become friends with one another, but the circumstances made it impossible.

After all, Kaede’s death in itself was proof of that. Shuichi and Kaede both trusted Miu to help them with a plan to catch the mastermind, and Miu took advantage of that to kill Kaede in cold blood.

Rantaro couldn't take the risk of trusting the others, but...just because he couldn't put his total faith in anyone didn't mean he couldn't stretch out his hand just a little bit. That being said...the reason he was approached by Ryoma probably wasn’t because he was laid back like Ryoma claimed. If Rantaro had to guess, the lecture on Prairie in itself was a result of Ryoma knowing something Rantaro  _ definitely  _ didn't tell him. Which in extension could only have meant one thing...

"No ulterior motive" his ass.

Rantaro finally pulled himself away from his slot machine to face Ryoma entirely, crossing his arms to show he meant business. Ryoma on the other hand was focused on the slots in front of him, completely unaware of what realization had entered Rantaro’s mind. “You have my motive video.”

At Rantaro's sudden blunt statement, Ryoma froze and angled his face to look towards Rantaro with thinly veiled surprise. Rantaro’s words weren't a question at all, so he continued after getting Ryoma's attention.

“And going by that train of thought, you want to know if I have your motive video, hm?” Rantaro guessed, raising an eyebrow at Ryoma as if challenging him to admit he was wrong about his conjecture.

Ryoma seemed a bit hesitant, but soon he relaxed and smileed around his candy cigarette. He let out a small sigh as if a weight had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.

“That obvious, huh? Yeah. You figured out my ulterior motive...though I really hope you’re not thinking I’m only talking to you  _ because  _ of that.” Ryoma sat back on the stool a little, also giving Rantaro the same respect of facing him entirely. “I know looking to see my motive video looks bad. Trust me, I thought a lot about going through with asking about it and I wasn’t even sure I’d bring it up during our conversation. That being said though...I need to know.”

Rantaro stared at him, watching Ryoma’s charcoal irises flick down to the metal cuff on his left ankle.

“If getting thrown back in prison is the only thing waiting for me out there past the walls, I don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t give the rest of you a leg up if I’m able to,” Ryoma commented, which prompted Rantaro to scowl.

“You’re even worse than _she _is…” Rantaro muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose with impatience. “Okay, do you really think that you dying would help us? Maybe you’re normalized to death from the events of your past, but the rest of us aren’t. Not a single one of us would be comfortable with the idea of you dying to ‘help’ us. Even worse, by doing that you’d just be leaving us an emotional burden, maybe even _psychological damage_ for some of us, during a time when stress will only serve to break us even more. The only person you’d give a leg up by doing that is Monokuma, and that’s it. Also, a friendly reminder that the First Blood Perk was a one-time thing, so if you let someone kill you in order to buy us more time, chances are you won’t save anyone and your death would be in vain.”

Ryoma hummed in agreement, as if he already knew everything Rantaro was chastising him about. That reaction simmered up the fire in Rantaro’s gut again. He couldn't help someone that didn't want to be helped- Prairie made that evidently clear when she refused him even as he begged her to let him help. In that case, there was nothing he could do if his outstretched hand was slapped away. 

He decided to take the option Prairie seemed to hate falling back on when angry: walking away to cool off. 

“...Based on that reaction, then just say it as it is. You’re about as self-servient as I am, and therefore a hypocrite,” Rantaro grunted irritably, hitting a few buttons on the machine and waiting for the machine to discharge a digital voucher with his current casino coin balance. As soon as the machine dispensed it, Rantaro snatched it out and jumped from his seat to get some space.

Unfortunately for him, Ryoma abandoned his machine and winnings to follow Rantaro to the next machine he was eyeing. Noticing that, Rantaro ended up passing it and walking...walking until they were both going around in several circles around the casino without stopping. Tenko and Angie must have noticed the tension between the two, but despite Tenko’s visible concern (Rantaro could only imagine they aligned with the fact Prairie would be upset if something happened to him), the two girls evidently left when Himiko arrived to pick them up.

Rantaro and Ryoma continued that pattern of behavior until Ryoma sighed out loud and finally said something to get Rantaro’s attention.

“Hypocrite or not, I’d still like access to my video. And something tells me you’d be interested in seeing your own too, with or without Prairie standing in as some substitute for one of your little sisters.” Ryoma didn't seem too concerned with stepping very close to a line Rantaro was definitely not comfortable with, not even when the green haired tower finally turned to look down at him with a sharp glare quite unlike his usual calm disposition.

“I’m warning you now, you’d better  _ stop talking-”  _

“Why? You gonna kill me?” Ryoma asked, eyes hooded with expectancy like he already knew the answer. He was unfortunately right on the mark. Rantaro wouldn’t kill Ryoma and was obvious based on how much he disagreed with Ryoma’s suicidal ideas. “Yeah, I figured as much. All hot air and nothing else...but jeez, at least don’t lie to yourself. No one here denies wanting to see their motive video, they just agreed  _ not  _ to see them. I didn’t agree to that. If you really don’t want to see yours, I won’t force you to...but if you want me to give up on endangering everyone with suicide? Then let me see my video. Simple as that.”

“Oh, so now you’re threatening me? No wonder you got involved with the mafia,” Rantaro growled, turning away to march off in another direction. Ryoma followed diligently.

“Yeah. What can I say? I’m a disgusting person that will continue to make disgusting mistakes no matter my intentions. I’ve got a long way to go if I ever want to redeem myself of my past transgressions- if it’s even possible for repentance in the first place,” Ryoma stated, only to be ignored as Rantaro kept on moving. After an extended silence, Ryoma chuckled from where he was following Rantaro. “I guess we’re going to have a lot of time to get to know each other tonight, isn’t that right?”

“I never said I had your motive video, Ryoma.”

“You never said you didn’t have it either, but it’s a little too late to fall back on that lie now, isn’t it?” 

Rantaro exhaled sharply, trying to control his temper. Thank goodness he wasn't like Prairie- she would have probably be trying to physically assault Ryoma at this point.

“I don’t have your video,” Rantaro lied, causing Ryoma to laugh a little.

“Sure you don’t. Anyways, why are you so reluctant to give it up anyways? You don’t think I’m going to kill someone to get out of here, do you? I’m just looking for a reason to try to survive. If you look at it from a different angle, it might convince me to not sacrifice my life to a killer,” Ryoma commented, making a valid point as far as Rantaro could see.

There was only one problem with that: Ryoma’s video specifically. 

If it was a video of his loved ones or people that loved him, then he would have probably relented and shown him...however Ryoma had a bit of a problem. 

There was nothing  _ on  _ his video.

“Answer’s no. I’m not taking the chance that you’ll kill someone after seeing your motive video,” Rantaro continued to lie. There were two possibilities that could result from Ryoma seeing a video that basically confirmed him having nothing and no one to live for- Ryoma letting someone kill him, or Ryoma killing himself, neither of which Rantaro wanted. If he had to be a bit of a villain by lying and keeping his video from him, then he would.

It may have been a little dangerous considering Ryoma's reputation...but Rantaro would do it anyways.

“And what about the chance that I’ll kill someone just  _ to _ see my motive video then? You wanna risk that one too? No matter what you say, I already know you have the video and I’m already liable to kill someone. I took down an entire mafia organization, so you know I’m capable of getting my hands bloodied.”

Rantaro finally stopped walking, thinking for a good response to get Ryoma to stop pressing for the motive video. He knew Ryoma might try to threaten him, so he needed to think of something to say that would shut him down entirely.

"I don't want to show it to you," Rantaro sighed, having turned his body to face Ryoma again. The Ultimate Tennis Player appeared puzzled, pulling the candy cigarette from his lips to examine Rantaro's face curiously. After a moment of him deciphering Rantaro's statement, his entire disposition slackened with understanding and he looked away from the green haired ultimate.

"...Is it bad then?" Ryoma questioned, his voice less assertive than it had been moments before when he was pestering Rantaro to give him his motive video.

"Would it be the end of the world if it was?" 

Ryoma looked pretty annoyed by Rantaro's question at first, up until he was looking at him and could see his face again. Rantaro could only hope his irritation wasn't too evident on his features, especially since it was a sensitive situation that he didn't want Ryoma to brush off so easily.

"Ryoma, you watched my video, right?" Rantaro asked firmly, his green eyes boring into Ryoma's charcoal ones. Ryoma looked a bit put off by Rantaro's sudden swift change in topic, but nodded anyways. "Then you know the situation about my sisters."

Rantaro really didn't want to talk about them, but he had no choice. For one, Ryoma probably only knew the surface details, but second...it was probably the only way he could connect with Ryoma and pull him a little out of his depression. Not all the way, that would take a lot more time and it would take seeing actual  _ professionals _ on top of that, but enough for him to get a foothold on something to start the climb.

"I'm no stranger to losing everyone I care about either, and believe me when I say it's entirely because of my own negligence and impulsive carelessness. My sisters were the only family I knew, and I made the same mistake over and over again until I didn't have anyone left. My sisters all got lost on my travels and I haven't any of them in ages. For all I know? They're probably all…dead," Rantaro said. 

His tongue went dry and his throat clenched painfully at the word, but he forced it out despite how much it hurt.

"I gave up on life too for a little while, but...I'm still looking for them. Everyone tells me it's stupid and that I should give up. They tell me that my sisters are all gone. I believed them for a while, but I eventually decided that I wasn't going to quit. I'd rather be stupid and waste the rest of my life looking for them, even if they are gone. If I die never finding them, it is what it is. It's what I deserve for my sins in the end."

Rantaro looked back at Ryoma, who was watching him with a calculating stare. 

"Life isn't meant to be comfortable, you know? Sometimes it's the worst...but life is risky as much as it’s lucky. You have the opportunity to feel joy, but the trade off is that you also face the reality that there’s a flipside to that joy. If there wasn't, would anything actually feel as good as it does when you're happy?" Rantaro explained as his eyes drifted elsewhere. 

He gently wrapped his finger around the leather cord of his necklace thoughtfully as his feelings swirled around in his head. Although he was talking about his sisters, a subject he wasn't comfortable with at all, fond memories still managed to form in his mind. He had plenty of good times back when they were all accounted for…even though they were lost now, he could still remember the seamist air filled with their laughter on the trips he'd take them on out to sea. 

"I don't really know, but as pessimistic as I am, I'd like to think it wouldn't. That being said, I haven't been as happy as I used to be since I lost my sisters and I don't know if I actually ever  _ will  _ feel unadulterated joy again. At least not unless I find them all again and on the off chance they don’t hate me for what I did...but guess what?"

"...I see where this is going," Ryoma seemed unable to help but laugh under his breath, giving Rantaro a little hope that his words were helping him just a bit as a smile graced his own features. "Prairie."

"Yeah. Prairie. You know, I didn't think a tempermental freckled girl would flip over everything I thought I hated about this world one month ago. She's basically a stranger, she has hit me in the face more times than I can count, and she and I fought pretty badly recently. I shouldn't want anything to do with her, to be fairly honest. I've met other girls that had that sort of personality, but they didn't have the same effect Prairie has on me. I'm not okay,  _ but _ ...I feel better with her here. Expect the unexpected, I guess." 

Rantaro took a deep breath, turning back towards Ryoma directly. 

"I'm not the person that'll say 'let go of the past', because that's impossible. I can't let go of my past, and I can't forgive myself for what I've done. I'm going to live the rest of my life with that burden. My sisters may very well hate me more than they hated how I would dote on them in the past, and me spending the rest of my misreable life searching for them? It's the only thing left that I know I can offer them after my mistakes. Maybe it's sentimental bullshit, but I really don't care. It would feel like a cop-out if I let myself die early- or worse if I killed myself.  _ That  _ would be the most unforgivable thing I could do to them, I think."

Rantaro had finished explaining his side of his ordeals. He didn't know if his words would get to Ryoma- he didn't even know if they would be taken well or taken as pretentious babbling on his part. Still...he had to do it. Prairie accused him of only caring about her and no one else, which was a fair accusation. This would hopefully help Rantaro connect with a little more people, even if he couldn't give them his full trust. 

If they were genuine, they would understand given the circumstances. If it's possible to truly create the bonds Kaede longed for when she was alive, then maybe there really was a chance they could all get out of here together. 

"I don't know enough about your situation, and I won't ask you to explain it because I know it sucks to relive the lowest point in your life. So...I hope at least one thing in my senseless word vomit helps you in some way. I'm still not giving you your motive video no matter how much you beg me or how you threaten to kill me though," Rantaro finished, crossing his arms and staring Ryoma down so he made that last point perfectly clear. 

Ryoma stared back at Rantaro, candy cigarette in his hand as he examined the taller teen quietly. After a moment, Ryoma placed the candy at his lips and pulled his beanie a bit lower over his forehead, turning away from him.

"Whatever...I'm going to bed," Ryoma commented. He was walking towards the exit, which caused Rantaro's stomach to twist nervously. Had he said something wrong? Sure, he'd been trying to chase Ryoma away at first, but after pouring out some downright delicate feelings he wouldn't normally pour out to a stranger...well, it was a bit anticlimactic, but thinking about it was enough for him to realize he wasn’t even  _ sure _ how a conversation like that was supposed to end. Maybe that was actually the best way it could have ended.

"Oh yeah, feel free to take my machine from before by the way. That should help you recover some of your coins, considering how downright awful you are at gambling," Ryoma called over his shoulder while he was climbing up the stairs, resulting in Rantaro scowling a little despite the fact Ryoma was totally right. Still, that meant one important thing regarding their conversation. 

At the very least, Ryoma didn't hate him. Which was good. 

Rantaro, although unsettled with the argument ending just a bit too quickly for comfort, gravitated to Ryoma's old machine and looked around to make sure Monokuma and the monokubs weren't going to rain on his parade. When he didn't see anyone intervene as he sat down and inserted his voucher to add his current coin balance to the balance in the machine, he smiled and settled down to spend the rest of the night gambling to get the infamously expensive hotel key. 

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Ryoma didn't bring up the subject of his motive video the day after. He didn't bring it up even when he was walking to the casino with Rantaro. Not even while he was showing him how to win more coins on his machine. That being said, he didn’t even initially realize Ryoma had told the others he didn’t plan on killing himself anymore. He thought Ryoma wanted to pretend their fight didn’t happen at all.

When Rantaro woke up from falling asleep on the slot machine, he just assumed Ryoma had stalked off to do something else.

He wasn't supposed to die. And Rantaro shouldn't have been relieved that he died instead of Prairie. It shouldn't have been a trade off. 

"Lemme see the button, Kokichi!" Prairie complains, pulling at the straps to Kokichi's sleeves in an effort to bring the button where she can grab it. Kokichi grins at her, moving it to his other hand where she can't grab it despite her efforts.  _ "Kokichi!"  _

_ "Pwaawiiiee! Wah-wah~!"  _ Kokichi mocks her, sharply shooting her an uncanny and creepy grin that makes her flinch and stop fighting him for the button. "You can see it without touching it, give me a break. The last thing the rest of us needs is you killing yourself to save Mastermind Moldy Moo-Moo of all people! And don't even say that isn't what you want to do, because you're so predictable it's pathetic."

"I'm not going to kill myself, you dumb leech!" She argues, visibly offended by his words. "I can handle it!" 

Kokichi raises a brow and then lightly kicks her bad leg at the side of her calf, making her yelp and immediately buckle down to nurse it with just that small of a hit.

"Riiight. You've got it  _ all  _ under control...my bad, I'm so sorry, Prairie Dog! Here you go!" Kokichi says with a charming smile, holding the button out and then immediately swinging it out of her reach when she tries to snap an arm out to press it. "I lied~"

Rantaro sighs, kneeling down beside the visibly annoyed Prairie and pulling her attention away from Kokichi. 

"Disregarding the tasteless way he's saying it, you really are in no condition to help Tsumugi. She probably didn't know you'd be her only rescue, but I don't think you'll be much help to her if you can't even walk properly," Rantaro explains, making Prairie look down at her leg with a frustrated frown. 

"...I hate this," she mumbles, prompting Rantaro to wrap an arm around her and pull her into a side hug. The screens around them are still showing that loading timer...maybe because the execution floor is going through some personalization like Monokuma explained before? "I don't like that stupid smelly cow, but I don't want anyone else to die."

"Which is an admirable trait, believe me. No one will fault you for that one, Prairie," Kaito comments, though Prairie doesn't look up from staring down at her traumatized calf. 

"Hm, I don't mind so much. Moo-gi killed someone, so a murderer like her deserves whatever's coming to her," Kokichi states with a casual shrug, folding his arms behind his neck along with the button.

“Ah! Then you’ll definitely enjoy the show for sure!” Monokuma chirps, raising his paws in the air with excitement so Kokichi grins back at him. It almost looks like the two are sharing a joke with one another. To Rantaro’s sharp eyes however, he notices there’s just a small edge of mocking hate dancing at the rim of Kokichi’s expression- mirrored by Monokuma’s grin as if knowing full well they’re both bullshitting one another and thus the rest of the group.

Whereas Prairie gets blatantly angry and aggressive outright, Kokichi’s attitude is a lot more subtle and subdued. It’s still the same hatred Prairie expresses, but it’s something Monokuma is less likely to call out and torture him for. Furthermore, considering Prairie is around being a large target for Monokuma and the bad kubs to push around already, why would they bother with Kokichi who can control himself anyways?

Rantaro brushes some of Prairie’s curls behind her shoulder, but the girl doesn’t look up. Instead she closes her eyes for a moment and exhales softly. Poor thing must be so tired after everything that happened today...Rantaro can empathize with that. He feels ready to just drop and go to bed, but after this he’ll probably get Prairie something to eat before he decides to take a nap.

When Prairie’s nose starts dripping blood from out of nowhere, Rantaro’s heart jumps straight up to his throat. He pulls off his shirt and bundles the fabric around his hand, reaching over to clean off the blood. Prairie’s eyes snap open, appearing just a little more dazed than the few times she seemed out of it during the trial. She doesn’t seem to register Rantaro cleaning the blood until a moment later, reaching up to push his shirt away with red cheeks of shame.

“I-I’m fine!” She squeaks, averting her gaze from him now that he only has his undershirt tank top on. Even though she seems put off by Rantaro’s actions, she doesn’t shuffle away from him much to his relief.

“I know,” Rantaro agrees, shrugging a little as he sets his rumpled shirt beside her. “But we’re enough of a mess as is. No sense in letting ourselves get worse.”

Prairie doesn’t reply, but eventually reaches for Rantaro’s discarded shirt to clean more blood from her nose. Before he can ask something that has been lingering on his mind regarding how often she experiences these moments where blood starts coming out of her face, Shuichi seems to beat him to the punch.

“Hey...Prairie? You seem to get bloody noses and dizzy spells an awful lot. I’ve been wondering if you’re maybe sick with something…?” Shuichi queries curiously, prompting Prairie to stiffen up just enough that Rantaro’s sure everyone catches it.

“Um...no. I’m not sick. I just get them often and I’m not good with blood,” Prairie explains dismissively. Something about her words seems to alert Kaito a bit, making the taller teen kneel down to check on her.

“Prairie, are you sure you’re okay? It’s fine if you’re not, leave the hardass stuff like that for the dudes, you look like you’re about to fall over,” Kaito speaks up. She’s got his shirt pressed against her nose again, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing a hand against her forehead until she opens them to look towards Kaito.

“I said I’m fine,” she growls with a sharp snarl, words somewhat slurred in a manner Rantaro can’t be too sure anyone else notices. Her patience is clearly being tested, but she simply angles her body away from Kaito. “Go throw your sexism in someone else’s face, _pube chin.”_

“P-PUBE CHIN?!” Kaito squawks, eyes wide as Kokichi bursts out laughing beside him and practically collapses in Shuichi’s arms in an effort to stay upright. Even Shuichi looks pained to have heard such an insult, easily holding Kokichi so he doesn’t end up in a ball of laughter on the floor. “Is that really how you see my goatee?! I’m trying to be nice here! Also, what do you mean ‘ _ sexism’?!  _ Rantaro, tell her she’s crazy!”

Rantaro figured Kaito would know better, but since he clearly doesn’t, he just observes quietly as Prairie lifts her good foot and stomps the hard part of her heel down on Kaito’s toes with a ‘hmph!’ of indignant irritation. Kaito is wearing slippers and Prairie is barefoot, but he still curses and jumps away to rub the pain away after the little attack.

As much as he doesn’t agree with using violence as a method of response to undesirable behaviors, there are times where even he has no place to argue against it.

Still...he can’t help but be a little relieved that there’s a valid reason he can use to convince Prairie not to enter the execution to save Tsumugi. She would hate it if he tried to stop her for the reason of protecting her...even though now he can somewhat admit his reasoning is pretty selfish. Although he hates the idea of Prairie being hurt, Tsumugi inadvertently helped make it so Prairie couldn’t rescue her.

And that means one less chance for him to lose the little happiness he has in this hell.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀  ** _End of Interlude.iii - Rantaro_ ** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Links~
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> [Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)
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[Cover V.1.2 (V.1 Remaster)](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/628220498272272384/string-theory-cover-v12-this-is-a-remasteredit)
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	53. EXECUTION #1

[Tsumugi Game Over Clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa7T5yoptHo) created by Poffin ([@acidtumtums](https://twitter.com/acidtumtums?s=09) on Twitter)([@acidicanatomy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/acidicanatomy/pseuds/acidicanatomy) on Ao3)

**⚠️ ****tw/ descriptive and visual gore, death, and violence** **⚠️**

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

The chain dragging Tsumugi around jingles wildly with a sound that disturbingly resembles laughter to her ears for some reason. Great, even the inanimate objects are laughing at her miserable situation. 

On a certain level, Tsumugi can't help but wonder things though. Prior to entering the killing game, she hardly cared for that stupid livelihood warranty agreement she was forced to sign before they started to arrange the fifty-third season production. She wasn't concerned about whether someone killed her since she'd be an everlasting figure in Danganronpa history either way.

When did that change? 

After she became fixated on Prairie's removal? Or before?

As she drew nearer to her execution, somehow that walking orange fruit stain still seemed to torment her by robbing what little peace she had left in this life. If it wasn't for her, everything would have gone according to plan. She wasn't certain, but she was never wrong with her tactics in manipulation before. It's why Danganronpa hired her and agreed to give her creative freedom with the fifty-third season in the first place.

On the other side of things, why did _ Monokuma _ fixate on Prairie? _ How? _ He wasn't supposed to have "favorites". For an individual will to form in a robot comprised of just code...he shouldn't be able to divert from his original nature like this. Could someone have intentionally tampered with him? Somebody against Danganronpa's practices? That wouldn't actually be anything new, the franchise is controversial with plenty of haters...but how would someone be able to sneak their way into the company in the first place? All workers go through vigorous screening processes and background checks due to its controversial status in an effort to avoid such mishaps from happening, and yet here stands a Monokuma that wants and _ demands _ authority.

It has to be faulty coding, there's no other explanation. An AI like Monokuma's can't become like a human.

Someone must have altered his coding and made him smarter...maybe that engineer that created Kiibo? Not that Tsumugi could even recall the old bat's name.

On top of all that, why would Danganronpa just let it happen either? Perhaps this is what they actually want in the end? They must not be intervening because they like where this is headed- even if it is a drastic step away from the usual Danganronpa formula.

She pauses to wonder why she's concerned with the mystery in the first place and reluctantly resigns to pulling herself out of her head to see what's going to happen next in her execution. What does it matter in the end anyways? Her precious plans are ruined. 

Maybe it'll be painful, but she supposed death is better than being shunned by the Danganronpa staff for her failures here.

How embarrassing.

And totally unfair.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **EXECUTION #1** ❀

❀ **PATCHWORK CHIMERA** ❀

[Tsumugi Execution Card](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxtihgsMvAQ) also created by Poffin ([@acidtumtums](https://twitter.com/acidtumtums?s=09) on Twitter)([@acidicanatomy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/acidicanatomy/pseuds/acidicanatomy) on Ao3) 

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

A red pleated curtain, one which is pulled aside to reveal a black stage that is just barely lit by the spotlights illuminating the center. There's nothing there…

And then there suddenly is.

Tsumugi Shirogane drops down from somewhere above, landing on her feet and immediately buckling down to her knees in an effort to absorb the entire impact of her fall. She winces, clutching at both her neck and her feet as the piles of chains drop at her feet.

As she sits there, lines of Monokumas appear in rows before the stage she's been dropped onto, the bears filling up the seats by the dozen as if they're attending some sort of stage play.

Some of the Monokumas in front of her are dressed in cheap cosplays like the ratty Jibankuma costume he wore once before, all of which are particularly unappealing. One of those bears in the crowd, a Monokuma that looks like the crowd's leader, holds up a laptop for everyone to see.

The laptop in question has a screen bearing a game title reading _ "Cosplay Simulator" _, one with an image of a girl that looks like a badly drawn anime version of Tsumugi in a cute cat-girl maid cosplay. Laptop Monokuma bypasses the screen upon turning the laptop towards himself and tinkering with the program.

The game opens up to a dress-up template with a cute chibi version of Tsumugi standing in a bubblegum pastel designed interface on a stage. The mouse cursor has turned into something that looks like a white cartoon glove like something straight out of the west's animation from the fifties when rubber-hose was the most popular style. Options on what to change on Tsumugi range on clothing, accessories, hairstyles, etc.

_ "Click on me!" _a dialogue bubble reads from the Tsumugi on the computer, which the operating Laptop Monokuma doesn't hesitate to click on.

The spotlights far back behind the real Tsumugi on the stage go dead, followed by a pair of mechanical white rubber gloved hands similar to the computer cursor appearing from the darkness behind. 

There's a moment where they close in on the bi-spectacled girl and time almost slows…

But then the hands grab at her- the crazy mess of movements a tornado of wind, movement, flying clothing, and wigs.

The dust clears just for a second, long enough to see Tsumugi covered head to toe in measuring tape, but it's quickly hidden behind another tornado of movement as the hands resume their job.

Laptop Monokuma hits a few keys and runs his paw across the trackpad to make selections. As mundane as it sounds, it's actually much more intense seeing it. Monokuma's paws are practically on fire with how quick his movements across the laptop are.

When the gloved hands finally clear, Tsumugi is no longer standing there.

It's...Sailor Moon?

She does her classic pose, prompted mostly by the measuring tape locked to her joints and waist along with her metal monokuma neck clamp and chain.

The sound of shutters go off as the crowd hurries to get photographs, half-blinding the blonde on the stage. It's impressive cosplay, Tsumugi looks _ nothing _like herself anymore.

The tape poses her a few more times before the hands dive in again- prompted by laptop Monokuma customizing her in another cosplay.

Sailor Moon is replaced by another blonde girl, one in a pink and lilac dress with an emphasis on gold regalia and a crest of three triangles with wings.

The measuring tape forces the elvish eared girl into different poses to match her new character, just before the hands dive in again to swap her with a dark haired boy with a navy blue shirt and shorts. The red and white fan symbol on his back barely visible before becoming a brown short haired girl in a white dress with purple ribbons and a matching white hat.

Laptop Monokuma is flicking through options at a rapid-fire pace, barely giving anymore time to each individual character as the hands force the Ultimate Cosplayer into cosplays faster than reasonably possible.

The measuring tape yanks her in each and every direction, forcing her arms in all sorts of uncomfortable positions and directions with total disregard for her comfort, let alone safety.

The crowd of Monokumas go crazy as they continue to flash their cameras to get every possible picture of Tsumugi's cosplay, all of them taking wacky positions and climbing over each other in the audience to get the perfect picture.

Laptop Monokuma stops once he finishes dressing Tsumugi's avatar up in a cosplay of a pretty pink haired magical girl with a fluffy mushroom-like dress, catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his brow as Tsumugi trembles on stage.

She hardly looks like the avatar on the laptop at the moment, her cosplay having decreased in quality as Laptop Monokuma had been firing through the cosplays…all the material was pretty expensive looking, so it wasn't that they were using cheap materials. Monokuma just needs a little break, considering how bad this last one looks.

Part of her blue hair is still visible under the pink pig-tailed wig, although half of her real hair has been caught in the pigtail to the left side in a tangled mess with her wig. Her clothes are even askew, one of her socks barely pulled up properly. One could even hardly call what was on her face proper makeup, as the efforts resembled more of that of a clownish mess.

The Monokumas in the crowd aren't cheering anymore- they're very clearly upset. Some show ratings on raised signs as zero out of ten, negative ten out of ten, some even demanding a better performance and such.

Laptop Monokuma looks around in shock, a paw over his mouth before he reaches under his seat to pull something out from under his butt.

It's a red and white hat with a green mark on the front that looks like an oddly shaped L forming a mountain design. He pulls it over his head and turns it around so the bill of the cap is completely backwards.

He stretches both arms out and weaves his fingers together to extend his wires.

He cracks his knuckles and...drags his mouse over to the _ "upgrade to premium" _button at the top right corner of the screen.

_ "Unlock for one month of Premium to impress your friends with more realistic designs and costumes! Only five ninety-nine! Wow~!" _ The pop-up bubble reads.

Laptop Monokuma clicks through the agreements and transaction at lightning speed, prompting the interface to turn to an eye watering electric pink. At the top right of the screen, it now reads _ "Pro Ver. 2024". _

Once more, the bear wearing the hat from that anti-aging loser kid that took twenty-two years to finally win a regional league challenge begins to hit a few keys and runs his paw across the trackpad to make selections.

Instead of only two hands extending out from the darkness, four more appear with the original two. They begin to grab Tsumugi every which way, startling the girl as the wig is yanked from her head with no care for the part of her hair that had been styled with it. Although clearly painful, her hair manages to escape the abuse as the wig is pulled into the darkness behind her.

The measuring tape snaps from several places around her joins as the rubber gloved hands wrench her free and begin their earlier work, this time with much more invasive and vigorous movements.

Tsumugi's first scream pierces the air as one of her legs is twisted around during a pose, followed closely by her arm cracking and snapping in an effort to form her in an elegant position to cosplay an orange and white haired girl in a ballet dress. 

A rubber glove grabs her chin roughly, raising her head in an uncomfortable position while another hand brings a small scalpel to her twisted expression of agony, rage, and fear.

Most of the Monokumas are eagerly taking pictures again, even as her screams start to sound less and less like those a normal human would make. Signs from the Monokuma crowd go up again reading ten out of ten. Nine thousand out of ten.

The sound of shutters and the blinding flashes drown out her screeches and fill the stage with light, but the Monokumas ignore her anguished screams as one green-irised ball hits the bloodied ground beneath her feet with a splatter.

All the other hands continue around her, sewing every new cosplay right on her with total disregard for the amount of times the clothing is sewn into her skin and promptly ripped off violently.

Tsumugi's face is a total mess.

A botched effort of gluing her brows up has been done in a messy fashion on one side. There are cuts, rubber burns from the mechanical gloves dressing and moving her around, and she's missing an eye. Somehow, her mouth has been torn to her ear on the left side of her face, blood seeping from her features.

The noises coming from the woman still pierce the air as the gloves continue to pose her in every outfit they can get her into- regardless of just how broken her body is and how twisted up she is.

The rubber gloved hands all reach for her one last time, obscuring her appearance.

Her last cosplay is a teal seafoam haired girl with messy pigtails once again grabbing some of Tsumugi's real hair on one side, but...Tsumugi isn't moving anymore. One of the hands even poke her, although the girl with only one rolled back eye is unresponsive.

The cameras and shutter clicks have since stopped, almost as if out of respect as the chain still attached to the clamp around the blue-haired girl's neck raises her up from the gloved hands that had tortured her.

The spotlights follow her until the chain stops hauling her up, suspending the unmoving young woman beside two shadows hanging in the darkness- which are quickly revealed to be the corpses of both Ryoma and a badly decaying Kaede Akamatsu.

The gloved hands reach up to reveal a red spindle of thread and, with surprising delicacy considering how those same hands had treated Tsumugi, begin to carefully stitch the bodies together until they look like a pattern cut out of paper. Hand are stitched to hands and feet are stitched to feet, up until they're gently hung over the stage and promptly left there.

Above them, the rubber hands attach a sign.

_ "Tag your photos #CosplayCon2024! Happy Posting~!" _

Just like that the Monokumas go wild once more, snapping photos manically like their lives depend on it as the pleated curtains of the execution close, eventually leaving the stage to go dark as the execution comes to a close.

Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer, is now dead.  
  


❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

** _End of Arc 3: Poisonous Truths Arc_ **

_ ...next… _

** _Arc 4: Lovely Desolation Arc_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Links~
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[Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)   

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[Cosplay Simulator Cover](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/630741223385202688/tw-eye-strain-color-gore-blood-violence)   

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[Cover V.1.2 (Cover V.1 Remaster)](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/628220498272272384/string-theory-cover-v12-this-is-a-remasteredit)   

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[Cursed art dump](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/629717981211082752/cursed-dump)   

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	54. Back to Norms

❀  ** _4.1 - Back to Norms_ ** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Watching Tsumugi transition from life to death in such a gruesome manner…it was an interesting experience. Maybe because it was the worst thing I’d ever seen and it made me feel awful for essentially helping put Tsumugi in that position.

The pastel colors that overlooked the screen made it seem like there was nothing to be afraid of, but it was still an execution. The absurdity of the theme of the execution was exactly like a television program that was meant for entertainment, and it made bloodshed seem like a far reach at first.

Tsumugi still died though. As much as she had blurted out before the execution, it was also like she also hadn't said anything at all to help our situation either. 

She was still working for the company that put us here for show. As much as Kokichi may have claimed she didn't deserve any help in her execution, I can't say I agree with him. 

Besides the awful thing she did and she was involved in, she was still a person. It's not like things have ever been clear cut or black and white. Maybe there was more to her status than we realize- especially regarding the fact she died even though she claimed to be immune to such a fate.

I don't know how to feel about her death. 

However…I do know how I feel about Ryoma's death. 

If I hadn’t been holding such a massive grudge on Rantaro, Ryoma wouldn’t have died. And even worse, if he  _ hadn’t  _ died trying to help us...if he had died for maybe a different reason, I would still be relieved that  _ he was the one to die. _

Just thinking about my earlier relief makes me sick to my stomach.

"THAT was an execution?!" Tenko shouts, the horror of her expression even making its way into her tone of voice. No one seems exempt to the effects of watching such a gruesome execution, especially one directed, aired, and produced by the monochromatic bear now laughing in delight from his throne. 

“Now  _ that’s _ what I call music to my belly button microphone!” He hoots, patting his belly as if he’s just had a hearty meal.

"Dude, that was fucking overkill…!" Kaito gapes, his face a tinge purple that mirrors Shuichi’s expression to my other side. I probably have the same expression on my face, to be honest. 

For one, I'm definitely not hungry anymore. 

“Yep~! Not even the mastermind can escape the chopping block!” Monokuma chirps before his laugh trails off into something a bit more thoughtful. “Actually, I hesitate to call her a true mastermind at all...she didn’t actually get much done to warrant the title. I was pulling most of the weight here!”

“She...really didn’t care about us….” Himiko grumbles, though it doesn’t appear as though it’s out of contempt or hate. Maybe disappointment? Well, there’s something there, but it can be a bit hard to read her properly. On one hand, she emotes less with her face and more with her body, and second, she doesn’t  _ always  _ emote with her body due to her tired nature.

In short, no pun intended, she’s complicated.

“Of course she doesn’t, she was a psychopath,” Maki bluntly states with a tense sigh.

“I’m sure this is tough for all of us despite whoever Tsumugi claimed to be. That was all just...barbaric,” Rantaro speaks up from beside me, prompting my brain to suddenly register his proximity.

Just before the execution started, he was already next to me, but the execution ended with me clinging tightly to his arm as I am now. It doesn’t help that I’m still quite a bit dizzy and nauseous from using my intuition so much...not that the attempt that made Rantaro use his shirt to clean the blood from my nose was anymore useful.

I know my intuition isn’t some magic eight ball that conjures up impossible answers, it needs things to cross-reference so it can come up with an answer. I know it’s still debatable whether the answer will  _ always  _ be right, but so far it’s been pretty on spot. Furthermore, it’s not going to give me an answer I want just because I  _ want  _ it. That being said, as much as I was hoping to hear  _ “sure, you won’t die if you try to save Tsumugi!”  _ I instead got,  _ “certain death” _ and nothing else.

That’s honestly the only reason I gave up trying to take the gold button from Kokichi.

_ Now what are we supposed to do? How do we go back to our normal routines after all this? Ryoma is dead, the mastermind is dead...Monokuma is even more of a threat than ever before… _

Not that our situation has been normal from the start.

“Should we all leave then? I don’t want to be here anymore,” Kiibo speaks up carefully, looking around the room at everyone.

“Yes, I suppose we should.”

Kirumi’s voice coming from directly behind me causes a violent flinch across my body as I turn around to eye her cautiously with Rantaro. Out of anxiousness, I feel my muscles tense in case she tries anything even though I’m exhausted and my calf still aches. I overdid it again and Kirumi definitely knows I’m an easier target if I’m in bad shape like this. I mean, she was  _ very  _ close to killing me the last time I exited the hotel. The only thing she needs to be concerned with now is the fact the number of people around has increased since her last attempt, and I’m assuming at least half of them don’t want me to die.

“Ah-em! Before we go deciding to depart, there’s just a few things I need to reiterate after our gory and awesome execution. It won’t take up too much of your time to be an inconvenience, I promise!” Monokuma announces, right before cocking his head to the side and adding, “Not that you have much of a say in the matter anyways.”

“Oh boy, I wonder what’s so important that I’m being forced to  _ starve  _ to death over here!” Kokichi chirps, the brightness and excitement of his disposition clashing with his words. I think he’s being sarcastic, but his remark doesn’t have a sarcastic intonation...unless it’s not actually him trying to be sarcastic? Sometimes I can’t tell whether what comes out of his mouth is a joke or not, this leech is weird.

“Do we really need to listen right now...? Whatever’s about to be said...I might sleep through it,” Himiko says, a shiver running across her body. No doubt she’s tired, but I suspect she probably needs some space too. I doubt anyone wants to be around  _ anyone  _ after watching Tsumugi’s gruesome death.

“As much as I don’t want to hear anymore shit coming out of that bear’s mouth,” I think it might be smart to listen,” Kaito reluctantly comments, causing the nearby Maki to shoot him a dry prunish look.

“You’re only saying that because we have no option in the matter. When you force yourself to sound smart, you’re only embarrassing yourself,” Maki calls him out with nerves of steel, probably not for the purpose of ridiculing him, but to halt any future useless inputs.

_ “Nishishi! _ No matter what Kaito does, he’s still obviously a total idiot,” Kokichi cackles, prompting the taller man to swivel his offended gape from Maki so he can throw a sharp glare Kokichi’s way quietly. He probably senses that now’s not the time to make a scene.

“Hey.” I look up when I feel a soft movement from Rantaro’s arm, meeting his tired yet sympathetic gaze. “You okay? You’re looking pretty pale, how do you feel?”

“I’m…” My words trail off before I can dismiss his concern when I realize how stupid it is to deny it. I don’t think he’s asking me because he “thinks” I’m not okay, it’s more like he  _ knows  _ I’m not okay. I have no reason to lie to him, especially knowing he’s actually willing to meet me on a leveled equal playing field now. “...I feel like fainting.”

At my admission, he pulls me closer and links his arms under my legs to lift me up, only to fumble with his balance in the process a little.

_ Yeah, he’s very tired. I weigh nearly nothing and the tall skyscraper with washboard abs can’t lift me up? He must be very out of it… _

Rantaro mutters an embarrassed apology, a tinge of annoyance clearly aimed at himself laced in his words as he gives his attempt another try and successfully lifts me up so I don’t end up toppling over.

“Alright, I’m only going to say these things once, so open those nasty ear-wax ridden ears of yours and clear them out!” Monokuma says as I rest my head against Rantaro’s shoulder when it gets too heavy to hold up. 

I just need to stay alert enough to process what that stupid bear is saying...after all, it might be really important and you can’t have  _ too  _ much information in a situation like this. 

“First and foremost regarding Tsumugi’s statement…” Monokuma pauses to laugh to himself. “Yes! This is all being aired to people outside of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles! Hundreds of thousands of people are watching the events unfolding within the academy midst the tragedy outside...you understand what that means, right?”

“...We very entertaining persons? Gonta no can understand what so good about watching when people dying…” Gonta laments, though he doesn’t really seem to put two-and-two together.

“Wait, hold on, what do you mean by a tragedy-” Shuichi starts to ask, only to get steamrolled by Monophanie speaking over him.

“Oh, Gonta, I’m so proud of you! You’re so close!” Monophanie chirps over Shuichi's voice.

“Hey! Don’t just-” Shuichi objects heatedly, prompting Monosuke to hum in confusion.

“Monophanie, you hear somethin’?” Monosuke questions in a mocking manner, making it very clear he’s being sarcastic and doing this on purpose.

“No, I don’t hear any pissy-babies talking at all!” Monophanie continues the game, giggling at the look of irritation crossing Shuichi’s face.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s because  _ we’re the ones that should be talking.  _ ** _So shut your trap, blue balls,” _ ** Monosuke stresses darkly with morbid glee, a shadow crawling over his face as he watches the Ultimate Detective reluctantly back down despite how much he obviously doesn’t want to. 

_ Actually come to think of it...Tsumugi said that we were being watched by a ton of people, but the document on the Gofer Project I found in the offices underground said the world was ending. So this confirms that those documents were planned for fictitious purposes to dramatize our situation, right?  _

_ What does that say about the “befallen tragedy” that was alluded to have impacted Kaito’s grandparents in his motive video? Technically it could have been implying an end of the world, but if that’s the case, what’s true and what isn’t? There’s also the “wall of end” that looks like a barrier between us and a projected image of the outside. How do we know what the world looks like outside? They could have mixed together the reality of the situation outside along with fictitious elements. Besides, there’s still the problem of things Rantaro discussed during the first resets...there’s just so many details that are contradictory and clash in a confusing manner. _

I don’t really want to deal with any of this. I just wanna sleep…every fiber of my body feels awful. I really went overboard with my intuition again, not to mention my leg is all screwed up from Tsumugi’s assault and my own carelessness. 

“Sure, you’re all  _ very  _ entertaining! Specifically when you die!” Monokuma confirms, watching Gonta’s solemn expression to contort into one of grave horror.

“W-What?!” Gonta asks, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s right! Everyone is watching for the spicy murders and executions! That being said, I would like to make it clear that no one will be trying to get you out of here. No one is coming to save you. If you’re waiting in hopes that someone is against this,  _ nobody  _ is. Everyone is happier with you all in here. If anything, if you try to escape, people will probably be pretty angry and upset about it! You guys really should work to earn your way out like Miss Iruma did! Kill and get away with murder so you can leave the academy responsibly! Be better than that awful attempt from Shirogane at least, there was no way she’d get away with that murder, Puhuhu~!” Monokuma laughs.

“So society in fact agrees with our situation? I must say, I’m not quite that astonished, I suppose. Herd mentality has a high chance of settling in on popular ideas- even if they’re morally ambiguous or at times outright immoral,” Korekiyo remarks.

“I-I don’t believe it!” Tenko objects vehemently, making Monophanie giggle.

“Okay. Then don’t believe it,” the pink parasite continues to laugh. Tenko grits her teeth, grimacing angrily at the bear.

“Stop it! People aren’t like that! Yeah, I know there’s the thrill of horror movies and people love their reality TV, but  _ this  _ is real life! And it crosses so many lines!” Tenko argues.

“I can’t believe it either,” Shuichi interjects, surprising more than enough people by his input even after the bears had already tried to silence him a little before. He’s not the most assertive person, but it’s obvious he’s found a bit of his spine after our time in the trial.

_ That’s good… _

Okay, me, please stay awake. Pay attention, this conversation is important.

“I find it hard to believe that so many people would be eager to watch material like real life murders and executions. This is  _ black market  _ entertainment. It would never pass the telecommunication regulations in Japan, let alone the laws of our country. It’s logically impossible for it to reach hundreds of thousands of people just based on that alone. It’s audience pull would consist of a very small and sick niche, not the whole of society!” Shuichi explains.

“Huuh? Oh, no, no, no! Danganronpa is aired worldwide! Everyone loves it so much, you’re the  _ fifty-third  _ season of the reality murder mystery show! It makes a lot of money, you know? There’s the television show, the kids cartoon, the video games, the card game, the monopoly game, the-” Monokuma begins firing off several more franchise subsidiaries until Kaito lets out a frustrated shout.

“OKAY! We get it! That still doesn’t make what you’re saying true though, not in our country!” Kaito exclaims, looking very close to lunging for the bear.

“Like I said before, society would  _ never  _ accept something like this! Not ours, that’s for sure,” Shuichi presses again, causing Korekiyo to hum in thought at that point.

“Regarding Shuichi’s point, there is something logical to be said from his perspective. Although I mentioned herd mentality in terms of human behavior in collective groups of like-minded individuals, it’s difficult to see our current society enjoying a taboo such as this. It would go against the morals that our last few generations have grown to understand...a change in morals usually takes generations to carve and chip away nuances. Just because the laws of the land may demand abrupt change, does not go to mean the people’s interests will change without little pushback or disagreement,” Korekiyo elaborates.

“Gonta...think that make sense. So Monokuma lying!” Gonta claims, looking somewhat proud for understanding Korekiyo’s complicated speech style...if he even did understand him, which is honestly debatable. Sometimes even  _ I  _ have a hard time understanding Korekiyo.

“Yes, well to play devil’s advocate for just a moment, trends could very well override societal taboos, as I suggested prior. It isn’t very common, but it’s quite possible. The thing most strange about our situation is how organized it is...a very curious thing indeed,” Korekiyo continues much to Gonta’s horror. Way to pile things up on the poor man…

“So not lie?!” Gonta asks quickly.

_ We really don’t have more information on our situation though. Monokuma and Tsumugi said we’re being filmed, but that’s really all we’ve got to go by. Monokuma’s word and some documents I found that honestly still have the possibility of being fake. How do we even know this is aired live? For all we know, that’s just a lie and we’re being filmed in secret right now. If most of us are supposed to die, only one or two of us would be able to confirm that by the end. _

_ Anyways, if it isn’t aired live, that would be another possibility besides the assumption of no one wanting to help us...however, that can’t explain away how a franchise like this could go fifty-three seasons without intervention in that time. Unless that’s a lie too? In that case, that would go against what Rantaro said about the Killing Games and Junko Enoshima. He  _ ** _recognized_ ** _ what it was simply by having me give him a description of Monotaro, and that was before the first blackout light. He  _ ** _knew _ ** _ things he doesn’t know anymore. _

My head throbs, prompting me to close my eyes in an attempt to will the pain away. Thinking about the complexities of the Killing Game after abusing my intuition is doing me no favors, that’s for sure. I’m five seconds away from crawling out of Rantaro’s arms and dragging myself to the elevator.

“Yes, it’s ‘not lie’! ANYways...that’s all, kids. You’re dismissed~!” Monokuma chirps, making Angie beam like she didn’t absorb anything she was just told. She faces us, pressing the pads of her fingers together with a charming expression.

“Alrighty-o! Let’s leave and head back up! Atua says I have a bath in order after such an endeavor…” Angie speaks up, her tone is as bouncy as ever. Other than Kokichi, nobody matches her chipper state at all. “Prairie looks like she definitely needs rest too!”

“Poor Prairie Dog…” Kokichi coos from close by, but I ignore him mostly because thinking about the complexity of Kokichi is no better than thinking about the killing game itself. A headache inducing endeavor at best. “She’s so cute when she’s all tuckered out like this~”

“Hey! Don’t call her cute, you nasty degenerate male! She hates your guts!” Tenko claims closeby as well. Thankfully, she is my voice when I’m too tired to have one. “And so do I!”

“Prairie  _ loves  _ me. She told me so! Several times, in fact! As for you...well, that’s already obvious. I don’t care about your opinion on me. Also, your face scrunches up all weird when you suck up milkshakes,” Kokichi claims, prompting both Shuichi and Tenko to sputter in shock at his words. Is it that astounding of a statement? To my ears, it just sounds like the usual crap that rolls out of his mouth on a daily basis.

“W-Wait, were you following Kaede and I around back then when we met Tenko…?! And you remembered what Tenko said to Kaede?” Shuichi asks, honestly surprised.

“Huuuh? Why would I follow you and Ka-yay-day anywhere? Calm down, Sherlock, why are you directing the sus light on me? I wasn’t the one opening every introduction to someone by insisting how not-suspicious I am,” Kokichi chirps brightly.

As tired as I am, I can’t help myself at the weak giggles that suddenly erupt and butterfly out from my lips when my brain immediately identifies who he’s talking about.

“Stop laughing, you,” Rantaro eventually chuckles when I hide my giggles and face in my hair.

“So you were following Rantaro too…?” Shuichi asks, his voice clearly uncertain. “You know what? Nevermind, don’t answer that. I already know I won’t get a straight answer out of you.”

“Of course not! Nee-hee-hee~! Why would you assume anything straight would come out of me anyways?”

“Wait, wha-”

“What? What?” Kokichi honestly sounds genuinely confused.

_ ...Is he flirting with Shuichi...?! _

I look from Kokichi to Shuichi and back, peering through my curly hair to glare at them a little before I cover my eyes again. Nope, I’m not going to let myself get irritated over this...I don’t see it and I’m not jealous. I mean, I totally am, but…

Fake it till you make it!

“Sorry to interject, but we have business to attend to. We’ll be leaving you here to wait for the elevator as it comes up from the execution floor! It shouldn’t take too long, don’t worry!” Monophanie announces beside Monokuma.

“Ah, wonderful!” Angie chirps, ever the optimist despite her critical eye on the monochromatic bear. “My epsom salt bath awaits!”

“...Are you kidding me? I can only tolerate these clowns for so long,” Maki states simply, much to Kaito’s mild disappointment when he lets out a soft sigh.

“Oh?” Monokuma questions. “Well, we’re removing one clown right now, so hopefully it’ll be easier to tolerate!”

Confusion crosses the face of everyone in the room. He’s going to “remove” someone? Like... _ kill? _ Or just kidnap?

“What’s that supposed to mea-” Tenko barely gets out before the elevator doors of the trial room, a large mechanical arm extending and shooting out from inside it. The Exisal unexpectedly clinging to the elevator shaft snatches me out of Rantaro’s weak hold before he even has the chance to tighten his grip.

_ “Hey!”  _ Rantaro snaps, wide awake by the look of outrage on his face.

“How dare you! Give her back!” Tenko snarls, raising her fists in preparation along with Gonta who joins her side aggressively.

“You trying to hurt Small Prairie?!” Gonta growls, a scary expression across his features.

With how tightly the Exisal squeezes me around my midsection, I can’t even cry out at the painful discomfort. At the very least, at least Monosuke- because I assume that’s who it is based on the fact the Exisal is yellow- isn’t squeezing my bad leg...though the bruises on my body certainly aren’t going to heal any better with this treatment.

“Don’t worry! You’ll have her back eventually! Maybe. Probably.  _ Puhuhu!” _ Monokuma laughs, bounding over to grab onto Monosuke’s arm along with Monophanie and Monodam.

“Have-Fun-Waiting-For-The-Elevator,” Monodam adds as the arm suddenly retracts into the elevator shaft, followed by Monokid’s loud objection of shock when he notices something. Currently, he’s still standing beside Rantaro and Shuichi.

“W-Wait a minute, are you ditching me too?! FUCKING HELL, COME ON!” The blue toned bear shouts, though he’s obviously being ditched because he’s no longer actually on Monokuma’s side. Before I know it, the doors shut on the other students and the Exisal charges up the elevator shaft at a dangerous speed. I can feel my stomach drop and my heart jump to my throat, up until we hit a sudden stop and are greeted by the elevator doors opening to the caged garden.

The Exisal steps out and charges across the campus, taking me and the robotic bears straight into the gym. The moment the Exisal drops down and stops moving, the hand gripping me tightly drops me in a heap on the dirty floor. I grunt as I land, immediately clutching my throbbing leg as I look up at Monokuma, Monophanie, and Monodam atop Monosuke’s Exisal.

“What do you want from me now?” I demand, pushing my messy hair out of my face.

“We have new things to address regarding the Ugly Rules! Now hush with the attitude, Ugly!” Monophanie is quick to say, prompting my scowl to grow on my face. “Let’s make this as quick and painless as possible so we don’t have to look at each other’s face for longer than necessary.”

_ P-Painless?! Are they going to hurt me?! _

“There won’t be any violence in this gym for this meeting! You can relax...y’know. Until we leave and stuff. If somebody kills you after our conversation is over, that ain’t our problem!” Monokuma casually states, rubbing his belly with a smile.

I contemplate the bear’s words for a moment before eventually allowing my tense body to ease up. Here I was hoping to go back to the dormitories with Rantaro to take a long nap...and Monokuma totally ruins it by literally ripping me from his arms.

“Fine, I’m listening,” I say, even though it’s obvious I don’t have a choice in the matter. Not with that Exisal looming over me in warning. Furthermore, with how my leg is now, I'd likely be moving slow enough to be stopped in my escape anyways. “No promises I won’t faint soon though, I...I overdid it.”

“Hm, yeah...there’s not much either of us know yet about that ability of yours. I’m sure we’ll discover the secrets of it together though,” Monokuma comments pleasantly to my mild surprise. “A journey of self-discovery of fantastical proportions!”

“...But you know a  _ little  _ about it, right? You’re just not telling me?” I push in a query, watching Monokuma shrug.

“I know absolutely nothing!” He responds, causing my temper to flare. It’s probably level two on the mental scale I’ve set up.

“That’s not true.” My words are firm and surefire as I risk challenging his statement. “After the monokubs had me do the  _ Kagome, Kagome _ game, you came up to me asking if I had a headache like you were expecting it. You can say you don’t want to tell me, but you can’t lie to me and say you have no idea.”

“We’re not here to talk about that, Miss Marble. Remember, I’m the only one  _ allowing  _ you to continue living with everyone here in the killing game. I can see threatening to outright kill you doesn’t affect you much, based on your behavior. On top of that, I’ll admit you’re right on the mark in the assumption I don’t want to kill you. I don’t want to kill your cute friends either! You’ve been waltzing around convinced you’re actually exempt from punishment despite our efforts to bluff through it, so we clearly have to step up to the plate...so I had  _ this  _ idea!”

Monokuma produces something from his pocket, holding it up where I can identify it. It looks like a smartphone…

“What’s that?” I ask, not quite feeling a fear-of-god sensation at the sight of the device. Is it supposed to scare me? He looks like he was kind of waiting for a reaction from me…

“I-Made-It,” Monodam suddenly speaks up, making my heart stutter in my chest. “Father’s-Idea. My-Creation. We-Based-It-On-Devices-Meant-For-Behavioral-Corrections.”

_ Huh…? “Behavioral corrections”...and Monodam helped Monokuma. So he wasn’t on mine and Monokid’s side then? _

I try not to look hurt by the development, causing Monophanie to snicker wildly as a result.

“Surprised? Of course Monodam wasn’t interested in worshipping you, you nasty little goose! You’re too ugly for a sensible bear like Monodam! It was my idea to get him to infiltrate your kubz club with Monokid! Just as I suspected, he blended in perfectly~!” Monophanie giggles brightly.

_ “Get with the revelation already! I wanna see her reaction!”  _ Monosuke shouts from inside his Exisal eagerly, causing Monokuma to clear his voice to get my attention again.

“Please direct your attention down to your Kidwatch.”

My stomach churns at Monokuma’s order, but I do as I’m told and glance down at it nervously. The unassuming blue and white watch with Monokid’s face on it smiles back at me, giving me warm fuzzies when I look down at it. Based on the build-up Monokuma is producing around it though...and the fact Monodam was in on making it  _ for  _ Monokuma’s use…

I don’t even notice I’m moving my hand to try and take it off only to realize the band seems to be locked around my wrist tightly. It’s a regular latch buckle on a woven band, so it  _ should  _ be easy to take off. Heck, I’ve even taken it off before! Well, whatever it is, it was a bad idea to make it a woven band then. I can probably cut through the band later.

“After Kirumi dumped a little drain cleaner into your soup, I assumed you were totally done for. People that have ingested  _ less  _ have died from lack of fast medical treatment! So if you hadn’t popped back up in the killing game grounds, I was planning on surprising everyone with the announcement of your death and your killer!” Monokuma rubs the back of his head with his claws casually. “Boy, that woman was almost out of here and you just  _ had  _ to show your face again...but that’s better for me! I mean, I was  _ so  _ sure you had to be dead. Really, the time limit to the surprise murder announcement was mostly to build suspense. Everyone was paranoid about you dying, and some thought you managed to get out. Imagine what the reaction would have been if I announced you had died from Kirumi poisoning your food? Puhuhu, the thought tickles my brain in such a good way!”

The bear plants his paws on his sides, grinning widely at me in a menacing mirthful grin that has my stomach churning even more. He’s really taking his time, huh? This is obviously just talk to intimidate me with how much power he has in the killing game. He loves doing this every time we speak to one another. I can’t tell if I wish Tsumugi was still the crappy mastermind, but I’m certainly not content with Monokuma now having the crown.

“But whadda ya know! You defied the odds again and crawled back in like a nasty roach that won’t die!”

Monophanie and Monosuke both giggle and laugh at the analogy, Monodam remaining silent and staring me down quietly.

_ So if Monokuma’s abandoned threatening to kill me and threatening to kill others, then...is the watch a torture device or something?! _

“The watch isn’t activated yet, so... _ beep-boop-beep!” _ Monokuma says as he begins tapping options on the device.

The face of the watch flashes, showing a smiley face that soon disappears and replaces itself with unexplained text that reads:  _ Modules full. _

“There we go!” Monokuma cheers upon my gaze flying back to him.

“What is this supposed to do? Isn’t it...just a normal watch?” I ask, pulling at it to try and slide it off of my wrist and hand. I didn’t even consider it could be dangerous to put it on, it was just a  _ watch. _ Sadly despite my efforts and the pain at trying to get the band to slide off my hand, it refuses to come off.

“Oh, it’s anything  _ but  _ normal!” Monophanie chirps, hopping off of the Exisal with Monodam. “This was made  _ juuust  _ for you!”

“This-Is-A-Device-To-Control-You-Better,” Monodam clarifies.

“You see, this should take care of your outbursts if they become too troublesome. Inside the watch beneath the motherboard of the device are three doses of drug concoctions popular with dealing with aggression. Miss Marble, after much time with you, it’s been obvious you need this. In fact, this is probably the nicest thing I’ll ever do for you! Your aggression hurts others and your aggression even hurts yourself. This is good!”

_ Drugs? Forcing drugs on me to control me is a good thing?! I know my attitude problem may be a big issue, but I don’t need freaking drugs so I can be... _ ** _docile_ ** _ ! _

_ “Excuse me?!  _ Where do you get off having an idea that you know what’s ‘good for me’?! You don’t know anything about me!” I shout furiously, now fully awake with the burst of rage flooding my system. “Just say it as it is- you want to tranquilize me like a dog!”

“...I mean,  _ yeah. _ Duh,” Monokuma confirms with an amused giggle of delight at my anger. “The power trip is fun, puhuhu~!”

“Since-It-Injects-Drugs-It-Will-Need-To-Be-Refilled. We-Created-A-System-To-Ensure-Your-Compliance-To-Refill-It,” Monodam claims. Before I can address the green bear to challenge the idea regardless of whatever “system” he’s made.

“Basically, the device with-holds one dose of a highly addictive, highly toxic drug. If you refuse to refill the three tranquilizing chambers within the watch, it’s injected into your bloodstream. It won’t  _ kill  _ you, but...well, it will decay your arm pretty badly after enough injections. We may have to cut off your hand! Or probably the whole arm, actually. Anyways, there will be a countdown for that. Who knows? Maybe you can even tank it like you did with the drain cleaner Miss Toujo gave you! I guess we’ll eventually see, huh?” Monokuma chuckles, much to my horror.

“Oh, so in short: you’re just playing around with me and not actually concerned about my aggression. You just want to  _ experiment _ on me. Got it,” I correct, watching the bear shrug.

“You see through everything, don’t you? That’s good, that’s good...also, I guess it goes without saying, but the Ugly Rules still stand. You may speak about what’s been revealed, those stupid documents...whatever! But say anything to spoil the others and we'll be testing that tranquilizer on you. Or we can go ahead and test out that toxic drug straight away!"

My heart skips a beat at the knowledge of this new development, watching as Monosuke takes the moment to pop open the dome shaped cockpit of the Exisal so he can hop out. As soon as he's out of the way, Monodam swaps places with the yellow bear to pilot the metal behemoth, getting cozy in the seat and stretching out his metallic arms.

"I'll take Ugly back then, Pops!" Monosuke comments proudly, visibly glowing under Monokuma's attention.

"See you later,  _ Ugly~!  _ I hope your face gets even more rancid than it already is!" Monophanie giggles wildly. "Rantaro may not see it yet, but he's destined to be with me! Not you!"

Monophanie and Monokuma jump on the yellow Exisal as Monodam shuts the pilot seat straightening the machine out on it’s two massive legs.

"Ta-ta for now, Miss Marble! I’m busy and I have other things to attend to!" Monokuma gets out just before the Exisal makes a huge leap to exit the gymnasium. The booming sound and the heavy weight of the machine landing rattles the gym from the outside a little, the steps getting further away until only Monosuke and I are left alone together in the gym.

_ ...As if I needed this. I already knew my temper was a problem...Monokuma probably swept in now rather than later to implement this because he wouldn't have a legitimate reason to later. Not that he really needs a reason beyond "because I was bored", I guess. That, or he's really interested in experimenting on me. If he's unsure how my body will respond to that "highly toxic drug" in the watch though, how does he know the three other drugs they implemented for treating aggression will also respond normally when introduced to my body? _

_ I admit that the fact I didn't die after ingesting drain cleaner, the chemical Kirumi put in my food according to Monokuma, is pretty unnatural. She's bound to have questions, that's for sure. I don't think someone like the Ultimate Maid that works extensively with chemicals would brush my survival off as dumb luck. Besides the fact she watched me eat the entire meal she prepared, I wouldn't have had a reason to distrust her back then. _

"That went well, I think!" Monosuke comments, pushing up his glasses as I'm left in the aftermath.

"Whatever...they didn't even tell me how to refill the watch…" I grumble, pulling myself up to my feet weakly from where I was sitting on the floor and glancing down at the device attached tightly around my wrist. I've taken it off before for showers, so I don't understand why it suddenly doesn't want to come off now. "Am I supposed to shower with it on too?"

"The watch is fully submersible, so showers wouldn't be the problem! Also, you refill it inside a machine within the Ultimate Inventor's lab. We usually lock labs of dead people as you know, but Monokuma gave me a key to the lab for you to use when you need to refill the modules. You'll get a notification on the watch and it will vibrate when the drugs need a refill, along with a countdown," Monokuma explains clearly, handing me a key that I examine curiously before something occurs to me.

"'Monokuma'...?" I point out, which doesn't seem all too notable to Monosuke at first until I add, "Not 'Pops'?"

Monosuke sputters for a moment before he starts fuming and waving his arms around furiously.

"I-I misspoke, Ugly! Fucking Monokid calls him by his name so much now that it's rubbing off on me, that's all! Nevermind that though, he's still my father no matter what!" Monosuke defends before turning to march to the exit of the gym. "Whatever! Let's go already, I'm not anyone's nanny!"

I follow the bear as best as I can even though I can hardly keep up, earning some snappy insults when I move too slow for his liking. It's almost as it was when we were walking around underground in that expansive office setting underneath the school. After I remind the bear of my state though, he tones down on his snappiness and instead replaces it with complaining. It's not exactly better, but I'd rather not be insulted over and over on how stupid I am to have not listened to Kokichi on taking better care of my stitches.

"Why would you think I'd ever listen to Kokichi?" I question, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Eh? You sure listened to him in the trial though, didn't ya? You could have sped things up, but you let him take you for a wild ride," Monosuke points out, making me pout in frustration at how critically it seems the bear was watching me during the trial. "What do you even see in him?"

"...I don't know. He's a walking headache," I plainly state, biting on my lip lightly. I don't feel so much like passing out anymore, my temper back in the gym was like a wakeup call that put me back in an alert position. There's a shadow of an ache that's lingering, but I'm mostly just exhausted and moving on a rather weak leg right now. "Well…I guess…he's attractive. But that doesn't matter, a handsome face doesn't make up for his awful behavior and attitude."

… 

When Monosuke goes rather quiet, I look towards him curiously only to find him no longer next to me. I stop in my tracks and turn, finding him just a foot or so behind me flabbergasted.

“What are you even talking about? There’s nothing attractive about him!” The bear argues. “At least matcha greek yogurt has stuff actually going for him as far as looks!”

_ Nothing going for Kokichi? Are we looking at the same person? _

“Yes, there is...he has nice eyes. You know, when he’s not trying to be creepy looking and stuff. Oh, and also he kinda...um...he looks sort of...his face…” I trail off, unable to get the words past my lips as acute self-awareness strikes me. Oh god, should I say it, or will I regret this? I don’t think I should be feeding into the fact I have a crush on him. The less I address it and the more I pretend it’s not there, the more I’ll stand to get over him in that light.

“What? What about his face? Come on, you can’t just say something stupid like that and not finish the thought! Nobody likes cliffhangers!” Monosuke stresses, visibly agitated despite the mediocre topic. He must really want to know.

My face is bright red as I fidget with my hands, allowing my gaze to dart around quickly for insurance that we’re definitely alone here together. Once I’ve verified that the subject of our talk isn’t around where he can overhear our conversation, I relax just a little. In fact, the risk is almost exciting for some reason. Kokichi can potentially walk in on us at any point in time…

_ Wait. That’s  _ ** _not_ ** _ a good thing, brain! You don’t WANT him to hear you admitting to this kind of stuff, remember?! Having a secret urge for him to overhear your sappy confessions is stupid! YOU’RE stupid! _

...This is fine. He’s not around, so this little urge will be unfulfilled anyways. I’m just going to tell Monosuke because he’s making it sound like I have no taste and he’s insulting Kokichi.

“He sort of...looks like a prince,” I finally say, feeling a warm sensation crawl over my face when I hear myself out loud. 

Oh no, this was definitely a bad idea. Now I feel all fluttery on the inside. I feel like a jar of bees that someone has shaken violently! Ugh, this is the worst. I’m never saying something like that ever again, that was disgusting.

_ But strangely cathartic… _

Just like that, I hear the loudest and most dramatic gasp in the world and stop to turn towards Monosuke in question for the reaction. Yeah, the inner beasts within me had a similar reaction of disbelief too, but still! How rude.

The problem is that when I look at the yellow bear in question, he’s pushing up his glasses and following the movement of someone that shifts to my other side.

Following the bear’s gaze, my stomach plummets when I realize who is standing there beside me with a highly amused expression and a grin wide enough to split his face in half. I know the saying goes “speak of the devil and he shall appear”, but I never thought it could be so literal. Even his grin looks like something that crawled straight up out of hell!

“Oh-ho-ho...how embarrassing, I heard everything~” he clearly states, as if knowing that it will make me want to tie cinderblocks to my ankles and jump in a very deep lake. Of course he wants to highlight my despair...unless…?

_ He could be bluffing! I didn’t see him until now, what if he only heard the tail end of the conversation? He probably doesn’t even know I was talking about  _ ** _him_ ** _ ! _

“I didn’t say anything,” I comment through my obvious mortification,  _ hoping  _ I’m right on the mark.

“Yeah, you did. You said I have the face of a prince,” Kokichi plainly states, still grinning as he watches my reaction. 

My heart is pounding like a jackhammer, loud enough to fill my ears with the sound of pumping and fill my soul with the shame of a thousand generations of mankind. Sweat pellets over my forehead with a cold sheen, but I do my best to ignore my physical reaction and hope he doesn’t notice.

“Who said that?” I stupidly ask.

“You did, Prairie Dog. You also said I have nice eyes. And that I’m attractive again.”

“...I didn’t say that.”

“...You didn’t?”

“I’m colorblind, so I wouldn’t know nice eyes between basic eyes.”

“...”

“Actually, my eyes don’t work at all, I’m blind.”

“...Prairie Dog…”

“Who are you again? We don’t know each other. Goodbye,” I finish lying to myself, hobbling forward to get the heck out of there so I don’t have to keep marinating in shame. Monosuke keeps up, snickering on the side at my predicament as he kicks back and watches Kokichi torture me.

_ “Nee-hee-hee! _ Why are you trying to run away if you didn’t say anything? That looks like an admission of guilt to me...besides, I wanna keep going with this topic! What else do you like about me?” Kokichi asks, eyes practically twinkling as he easily keeps pace with us due to my leg.

“What topic? We were never talking.  _ Leave,” _ I stress pointedly.

“Do I make you laugh? Am I funny to you?” He asks, bounding around Monosuke and I as we walk. He’s enjoying this way too much…! Couldn’t the elevator have kept him trapped in the trial room long enough for me to get back to my dorm room to hide?! “You laughed when I made a joke about Rantaro before.”

“No,” I answer sharply.

“Hey, that’s a lie! When we were underground, you said Kokichi was funny!” Monosuke accuses much to my horror. Are they double-teaming on me?!  _ “And  _ you were going all  _ boo-hoo _ about missing him even though he’s annoying!”

Kokichi glances my way for verification, but I’ve already gathered all my hair over my face to hide how warm it’s become.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…!” I squeak.

“I bet Kokichi’s face was the first thing to pop up in your head when you read that Danganronpa document that mentioned procreation of the human race…” Monosuke cackles, obviously having the time of his life with throwing more fuel to the fire of my embarrassment.

“N-No, he wasn’t! The first face that popped up in my head was Rantaro’s!” I blurt out, dropping my hair and only processing my words a second later. I’m already screaming at myself in my head.

_ That’s not anything less embarrassing, you absolute DUNCE! _

“Um...I obviously got here at a bad time,” I hear a deep velvety voice speak up from behind me, much to my utter horror. I can’t even turn around and look at him…!

Why’d he have to get here  _ now?! _

“I-I misspoke! I meant Tenko!” I shout, panicking at the mirthful look reflected on Kokichi and Monosuke’s faces.

_ “Hwaa!  _ The best choice and answer! But we’re both girls and now I have questions!” I hear a sharp feminine voice answer from the same direction as Rantaro. At this point, my heart is about to break out of my rib cage and erupt in flames.

“I MEAN KIIBO!” I throw out as a last ditch attempt to save myself.

“Wait, b-but I’m a robo-”

_ “Why are you here too?! Shut up and just say  _ ** _‘okay’_ ** _ !”  _ I snap, finally turning away from Monosuke and Kokichi to face the three ultimates behind me- including Shuichi and Monokid who have wisely stepped aside from the other three. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m sure Shuichi is glad he’s not on the receiving end of my wrath this time, if the expression of mild relief on his face is anything to go by.

_ “Okay?!” _ Kiibo answers, before blinking and then frowning in thought. “Wait, what did I agree to again?”

…

I’m not sure at what point it happens, but I eventually wake up to find myself staring up at the ceiling with seven faces hovering over me. Five of which are students and then Monosuke and Monokid.

“...Am I dead?” I ask tentatively, still woozy and already expecting the worst when Rantaro chuckles in mild amusement despite how tired he obviously is.

“No, Prairie. You’re perfectly fine,” he answers.

_ I knew it, this is horrible. _

“Oh.” I say and close my eyes. “I’ll wait then.”

That seems to make a few of them laugh, even though I really  _ am _ embarrassed and I really  _ do  _ want a merciful god to smite me where I lay.

“That being said, are you okay? You were grabbed pretty roughly by that Exisal…” Kiibo states, prompting me to open my eyes and see him shifting his cyan eyes down towards Monosuke dubiously.

“Grr…! I should crush you for how you manhandled Prairie like that, you yellow stain!” Tenko huffs, glaring directly at Monosuke so her feelings towards him are plainly obvious.

“Not sorry,” Monosuke laughs, prompting Monokid to swat the back of his head so he turns to shoot him a look of annoyance.  _ “Hey! _ Don’t hit me!”

“I’m fine. He didn’t do anything except drop me, and it wasn’t much of a drop anyways. Also, he was careful not to touch my leg and ruin the patch,” I answer after taking a deep breath and getting myself to sit up. This is good, changing the topic should help dissolve those annoying feelings. Besides, I should probably tell them about the watch anyways. They’re gonna need to know about it in case problems arise as a result.

“Pah. It’s not that I was being careful, Ugly. I just happened not to grab you there, that’s all. Don’t make me out to be a part of your stupid Kubz-club,” Monosuke huffs, prompting Monokid to turn towards him with a bit of a grin.

“Hey, Monosuke? Why the hell are you still here, in that case? Ain’t you got better things to do? Like licking your daddy’s boots clean?” Monokid asks, grinning mockingly and watching as the yellow bear flinches a little in disgust.

“I’m not  _ licking _ his boots, the fuck?!” Monosuke shouts, turning away from Monokid. “Oh, screw you. I’m outta here since Princess Ugg here isn’t interested in heading to her dorm room.”

With that, the yellow bear bounds out of the hallway, leaving us with Monokid. I almost think he’s going to stay until he turns to face me and sighs heavily.

“Anyways, I’ll see you later, Prairie. I can’t stay here long, or Monokuma will beat the shit out of me again. Eat something and get some rest!” Monokid says, waiting until I nod to grin and then bound out of the hallway himself.

_ I wish he could stay longer. I miss when Monokuma wasn’t doing anything to separate us like in the beginning. _

“Hey, you guys!”

I follow the source of the faraway voice to see Kaito at the end of the hall leading everyone along in a group. He waves us down, prompting Tenko to turn back towards me and quickly scoop me up in her arms bridal style before Rantaro can. Rantaro is moving pretty slow because of his sleepiness and looks a bit surprised to see Tenko has beat him in reaching for me. Tenko sticks her tongue out at him before scurrying towards the dining hall where the group Kaito has led from the Shrine of Judgement enters. 

I guess we’re going to go over what happened together rather than all lock ourselves in our rooms like last time. I guess that’s a good thing though, it’ll probably be better for our general group moral...even if Kirumi is among us, for whatever reason. Maybe they think it’s better to keep Kirumi where we can all see her, rather than let her wander around alone where we won’t know her whereabouts? That’s the only thing I can think of for them wanting her around.

“We’re gonna talk real quick before we hunker down. It’s still only the middle of the day, so we may as well address the elephant in the room and talk about what we learned,” Kaito explains, prompting the others to follow after Tenko and I.

I shoot Rantaro an apologetic look for getting stolen away by Tenko, even though I can hardly do anything about the state of my leg. Also, I don’t think I could stop her even if I wanted to. 

Nevermind that I don’t actually  _ want  _ to stop her...

Rantaro offers me a warm smile in return, making my insides flutter just a bit before I turn my gaze away from him to hide the bubblies of joy floating about in my heart.

_ And to think he heard me say I was thinking about him regarding something so shameful…! God, me and my stupid big mouth! _

Before the shame can get a hold of me again, my eyes lock with Kirumi’s olive irises suddenly. In an instant, my embarrassment washes away and I tense up to stare her dead in the eyes.

Tenko and I pass said Ultimate Maid as we’re entering the dining hall, both of us watching her warily even though Gonta is visibly escorting her to make sure he can stop her in case she tries anything. Once we’re in, Tenko sits me on a seat near Himiko, planting herself happily right between us even though Angie is just on Himiko’s other side. 

Instead of sitting directly next to me on my other side to stop Kokichi like that one time before, this time Kiibo just grabs the back of Kokichi’s coat as the Ultimate Supreme Leader tries to make a speedy charge for the free seat beside me, laughing in delight when Kiibo halts him and drags him to the next seat over with him. This allows poor, sluggish Rantaro to drag himself to the seat with a thankful smile and sit down where he can melt into the table with his arms to pillow his cheek and head. 

I guess he used the last of his energy to run after Kokichi once the elevator came back up from the trial room.

With a smile, I reach over and rub the back of his neck, massaging it carefully as we wait to hear what Kaito wants to bring up first. He’s talking to Shuichi, the both of them chatting before they finally take their seats with the group.

...There are now three empty chairs around the table.

…

“Alright. Let’s brainstorm now that Monokuma isn’t here to confuse us anymore,” Shuichi clears his throat to say, turning his attention to me where I sit. “Prairie...you can help, right? If you’re too tired, you don’t have to stay here. We can catch you up on everything later if you want.”

I give him a smile across the table, still gently massaging the back of Rantaro’s neck.

…Actually, going by how his eyes are closed now, I really hope I didn’t accidentally relax him to sleep...

“I’m fine, don’t worry. I was really sleepy before, but I’m actually feeling better now. I was probably just stressed out and anxious, so that might be why I’m not so dizzy anymore,” I say, even though I can feel a little pressure between my eyebrows as I speak.

_ I’ll be fine, it’s nothing. _

Shuichi stares at me for a few minutes, making me resist the urge to swallow down the alert feeling that begins to crawl up the back of my neck. He’s…? Is he sizing me up to see if I’m lying?

_ Okay, let’s just stop him right there... _

I narrow my eyes dangerously, watching as he seems to jump a little and averts his gaze at my response. As soon as he backs down, I let a faint smirk grace my features. Serves him right for trying to use his dumb detecting skills on me. If I say I’m fine, then  _ I’m fine.  _

“Okay then…” Shuichi continues awkwardly, the only one to notice our exchange likely being Kokichi when he snickers a little on Rantaro’s other side at how easily Shuichi backs down when I show my harsher side. “Before we get to the main issue, is there anything that happened after Monokuma and the monokubs dragged you away? Of which you’re allowed to tell us, of course.”

“Actually, yeah…” I start, pulling my hands away from Rantaro to wind a lock of my hair around my finger hesitantly. Well, I don’t  _ have _ to tell Monodam tricked me like Kokichi expected he would, right? I don’t want the leech one seat away to come up to me all high and mighty over the fact he was right to be wary...even if it was for the wrong bear in question. 

Thinking of the best way to bring it up, I lift up my hand and show off my watch to the others.

“So apparently this thing is gonna tranquilize me now every time I go into a monstrous rage? Yeah, I don’t really know how it works either, but it takes my temperature, tells the time, and it can inject me with the three tranquilizer doses inside it. Also, it has a failsafe that’s supposed to ensure I refill the drugs within a certain time limit. I suppose it kicks in after the third dose of a tranquilizer wears off, but Monokuma said it’s a highly addictive drug that will essentially rot my arm. So there’s that,” I explain dismissively.

…

Everyone is now staring at me.

Rantaro even lifts his head and turns to look at me in obvious horror, his hair a mess from how he was snuggled into his arms on the table.

“Prairie, are you joking,” He says more than asks, making me shake my head no. He reaches over for my wrist and looks at the unassuming watch, giving it a good overview and then flipping my wrist around to look at the band and buckle. He fiddles with the metal clasp before he finds that he too is unable to remove it, turning away to get out of his seat. “There’s some steak scissors in the kitchen, hold on.”

“Wait. Stop for a second and use your head. How do you know that thing isn’t rigged?” Maki speaks up, causing Rantaro to halt as he moves away from the table. Her red eyes glance from the watch around my wrist to Rantaro. “What if trying to remove it triggers the watch to inject the toxic drug?”

“...” Rantaro doesn’t say anything, staring at Maki quietly like he hates what she’s saying. Once he lets out a deep breath though, he calms down and takes a seat beside me again. “You’re probably right. Fucking hell…” 

“...Profane…” I mumble beside him in an effort to get him to watch his mouth and also to make him feel a little better. He does crack a bit of a smile at my comment even though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, reaching over to give me a little head rub.

“All of this sucks,” he states out loud, his sleepy eyes filled with empathy as he lays his head back down in my direction to look at me

“Ultimate Supreme Leader here with a question!” Kokichi blurts out, raising his hand with a big smile as he stands to grin at me from behind Rantaro. Considering he’s looking directly at me, I can already tell he’s about to ask something I don’t want to answer.

_ “No,”  _ Maki and I snap in unison, watching as Kokichi swings around to look at Maki on the other side of the table and then back at me in mild surprise.

“Huh, okie dokie then. I didn’t know you two were becoming friends,” Kokichi chuckles, sitting his butt back down like the degenerate he knows he is. “I just wanted to know how recent it was...considering Prairie Dog has been wearing that snappy watch since I saw her yesterday night.”

_ Dang it, he still opened his mouth and said it! Now I have to explain myself and look totally stupid about it! ARGH, I’M GOING TO STRANGLE THIS DUMB LEECH! _

“Is that so? In that case, is what you explained to us about the watch new in regards to your time with Monokuma, or is there something else that occurred?” Korekiyo inquires, making me shoot Kokichi the nastiest glare I could muster.

“...It’s recent. I’ve just been wearing the watch since I entered the hotel because that’s when it was given it to me. I could take it off before, but I didn’t know back then that it wasn’t given to me because it was a gift,” I explain awkwardly, trying not to continue even though I know I have to.

“Oh!” Angie perks up, blinking her teal blue eyes at me when I glance her way. “I know what happened! Atua just told me! He said...Prairie was tricked by a monokub pretending to be good like Monokid! Isn’t that right? Isn’t it?”

Angie looks so excited, a look of delight as she awaits my answer. I don’t think there’s any god named “Atua” speaking to her, I think she’s just really clever. Not that it’s any good for me right now, especially since she’s one of the other people here that seems to get pleasure out of kicking me around.

“...Yes…” I grumble reluctantly in confirmation, hearing Kokichi snort.

“I told you so,” he just has to say, making me stand up from my chair and dash around Rantaro’s seat. Rantaro grabs my arm when I reach his other side, easily tugging me down to sit on the edge of his chair before that can happen though. He scoots a little until I’m both comfy and angrily giving Kokichi a death glare, the handsome teen sighing now that disaster has been averted.

“Nyeh...it was Monodam then. He was so quiet...no one would suspect him if he was a double-agent…” Himiko points out. 

That’s true, I didn’t think Monodam would turn out to be faking his gratitude for my conversion of Monokid turning to a good bear. He seemed so genuine when he gave me the cute card with the drawing and the watch that I was totally blindsided...I bet Monokid is probably going to realize very soon that this means Monodam isn’t on  _ his  _ side either.

“Right, right! Himiko, you figured that out with your magic didn’t you? Kyaaa~ You’re really amazing!” Tenko compliments the Ultimate Magician, making Himiko lazily loll her head to the side as she tries to ignore Tenko’s presence. She looks a little overwhelmed and annoyed.

“...No, it’s just obvious...after using so much assist magic on Prairie and Shuichi during the trial, I’ve run dry of mana and need to replenish it...” Himiko simply answers, making me frown in thought before deciding to dismiss it and let the redheaded girl have it. We all need a break after this trial and she likes equating things to magic, so I see no reason to stop her. It’s just Himiko being herself.

“Thank you, Himiko. Anyways, contrary to how the watch looks, Monodam is the one that gave it to me. He said it was Monokuma’s idea to make it and that he created the device…” I comment, hearing Kiibo sigh from his seat.

“They must have made it look like Monokid because you trust him so much. That was probably done to make you more likely to put it on and more likely to trust Monodam as a result. A psychological ploy of sorts,” Kiibo states sympathetically. “I-I know he was a robot, but I promise not all of us are awful like Monokuma! We’re nice and pleasant to hug when it’s cold!”

“Ah, Kii-boy...are you hitting on my Prairie Dog?” Kokichi pointedly asks with a sharp look, turning to look at Kiibo in clear offense. Although it looks like he’s offended though, I caught that twinkle of amusement he gets in his eyes when he’s about to troll someone, so I can tell he’s not actually offended or anything. “When it’s cold, she’s gonna hug  _ me. _ Not you, you rusty can of beans.”

“Hey! That isn’t even a type of electrical appliance this time! You can’t just downgrade me unprompted like that!” Kiibo complains, turning his back to Kokichi with an impudent huff. “Never speak to me again.”

_ If it’s cold, I’d rather hug an ice cube and get frostbite than hug Kokichi for warmth… _

“Was there anything else Monokuma mentioned then, Prairie?” Shuichi asks, making me look up from beside Rantaro. I shake my head, prompting Shuichi to swap topics. “Alright, so for the next thing...can you walk us through what you found underground? Those documents you came across? I mean, unless you brought them with you…?”

I make a guilty face, sighing in response to the hopefulness that he laces with his last query. 

“Sorry...I printed them out and tried to bring them up, but Monosuke ripped them up when we were leaving. I passed out in the elevator at that point I think,” I explain, hearing Maki click her tongue in disapproval.

“Then what does it matter whether she tells us or not? I don’t believe what I can’t see,” Maki remarks, standing and turning away to leave the dining hall. “This is a waste of my time.”

“So you can believe anything on a paper that has ink on it? Anyone can make a fake document,” I point out, even though my words seem to go ignored when she continues to leave.

“A-Ah…” Kaito tries to speak up, only to trail off when she turns around the corner and curse to himself once she’s left. “Fuck. Well, there goes one.”

I make a discontent noise. Kaito has too much of a potty mouth, he really needs his tongue scrubbed with soap.

“That’s fine, we can get someone to help her catch up later,” Rantaro comments, trying to ease my vexation with a hug since I’m sitting with an angry scowl on my face and a low complaining whine of annoyance. We don’t  _ have _ to help her catch up with anything. If she wants to be a loner, let her be a loner. She’s a crab anyways.

“Nishiii-! Look at those puffed up cheeks!” Kokichi laughs, poking my freckled cheek from the side with his index finger. “She’s like a hamster with food shoved in its cheeks…”

I shove Kokichi’s hand away. May as well get out what I can so we can all sooner go to our rooms. I don’t want to be the reason keeping everyone behind from their daily tasks.

“To start, the first document I came across was one called ‘The Gofer Project’. As far as I remember, it was explaining that the world was ending and we were all chosen to recolonize a new planet because of our useful ultimate talents. It said we were the Adam’s and Eve’s of the future because the world was ending for some reason or another,” I explain, prompting Kokichi to suddenly burst into giggles. 

He’s clearly made the connection to what I was freaking out about back in the hall with Monosuke, resulting in my face turning red and me reaching over to shut him up with my usual violent ways.

Rantaro ends up having to scoot our chair closer to my old seat, pushing me back on my chair so I’m back between him and Tenko. Seeing his proximity, Tenko scoots right up at my side as well in visible protest, followed by Kokichi scooting his seat next to Rantaro’s to grin at me mischievously. He’s lucky Rantaro’s protecting him or I’d kick him in the mouth.

“It’s like Small Prairie club...like Gonta make for bugs back home! We gather around bug-friends like that. Watching bug be bug. Bug to human understanding. Human learn more about bug-friends that way,” Gonta speaks up with a sunny smile, clearly happy to see our group’s weirdness as it is.

“Ah, Prairie? More on the document?” Shuichi asks, looking equally amused by group antics but trying to keep the conversation going. I look away from the others, feeling Tenko pull me closer to her side away from Rantaro who she’s glaring at. He's otherwise unbothered by Tenko trying to haul me away from him, trying to stay awake amid the meeting. 

“Oh, right. So apparently the document stated that we didn’t want to leave and we ended up having to wipe our memories because of the Ultimate Hunt,” I explain, causing Rantaro to sit up abruptly and turn towards me.

"The Ultimate Hunt?" he asks, making me nod. "So you know what they are then?" 

"Ah, a little. According to what I read, they were mobs of people that wanted to sabotage the efforts of the Gofer Project. Not sure why past the reason of simply not liking the project though, it never expanded on that. Either way, the document said the company in charge of the project erased our memories and had us live as different people while they were in production so we wouldn’t be killed by the Ultimate Hunt,” I explain, before shrugging. “I dunno if it’s true though. When I got to the part where it mentioned this whole academy was a spaceship ark, I thought it was bad fanfiction on Tsumugi’s part.”

Kokichi snorts in amusement, reclining in his seat so it’s balanced back on two legs. Clearly he thinks it sounds ridiculous too, so I’m glad I’m not the only one confused about the whole thing.

“It sure  _ sounds  _ like bad fanfiction...if it’s true, which I doubt, that would mean we’re being aired live from a spaceship to the people on Earth. What’s that end of the world thing though? Did it go into detail about that?” Kaito asks, making me shake my head no. “Damn, I wish information didn’t trickle in so slowly.”

“...And if it does happen to be true?” Korekiyo proposes the question as rhetorical, causing everyone to glance his way in disbelief. “Let us examine it from a different perspective. We all remember our first memory recovered from the flashback light, yes?”

_ But those could be to overwrite missing memories, guys, please realize this...I can’t say anything because that was the last Ugly Rule Monokuma added to my stupid personal regulations. How are they unable to tell the difference between a real or a fake memory? _

I grunt in frustration, but say nothing.

“We agree we all remembered the same thing, right? We never asked if  _ Prairie _ remembered the same things as us! Her reaction to the flashback light was pretty bloody, if I remember correctly!” Angie points out. 

Kokichi slams his chair back down properly and leans forward to look at me from Rantaro’s other side with a pout.

“Hey, hey, I asked before too and you never answered me!” Kokichi complains.

“Oh. Yeah, I didn’t see anything,” I answer, watching as they absorb my statement and frowning when some look slightly uncertain by my claims. “I’m serious, I didn’t see anything. All that stupid flashback light did was make me nauseous, dizzy, and bleed out from my face.”

“That was scary…” Himiko comments, shivering slightly from her seat and staring down at the table in thought. “You were acting weird too…”

“Sorry,” I dismiss her concerns without really meaning it. Weird or not, I had a pretty strong feeling Monokuma wouldn’t try killing me or the others back then. It was a bluff that I prodded and poked at until I was proven right- not that this development with the watch and drug is any better. A toxic and addictive drug that will decay my arm sounds a lot scarier than just outright dying. “So what did you guys see?”

“You don’t remember? We talked about it a little after we got it...actually, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t, considering your state immediately after we activated it,” Shuichi states before averting his gaze when I look at him. 

“Part of it is what you touched on in that document regarding the Ultimate Hunt just now. Although from what I remember, I was the one that willingly erased my memories. I don’t know if that’s an inconsistency or if we went to the company producing the Gofer Project, but I guess it’s something to think about for later,” Rantaro states. Kirumi clicks her tongue, attracting everyone’s attention warily.

“Rantaro, from what I recall, you mentioned the Ultimate Hunt before...why is it that you recalled that before any of us had?” Kirumi inquires curiously, tapping her gloved fingers expectantly against the top of the table.

“I remembered the name, but that was it. It seemed like it had some significance, though I wasn’t sure if it was because it was related to my talent or not. I guess it wasn’t in the end,” Rantaro sighs, the lies rolling off his tongue easily.

_ ...But he won’t lie to me anymore, right…? _

I feel his hand find mine under the table, squeezing it gently until I relax a little and drop the tension at my shoulders. I don’t know if he’s trying to reassure me because he knows I’m concerned about him, or if that’s just because he thinks I look stressed out…the reality is that it’s both, but still.

“Is it not strange to hear that people were actively against the idea of sending humans into space to colonize a new planet and rescue the human race from a fate of extinction? Or stranger yet, the fact that of all the people residing on the planet Earth, the people chosen for this space voyage were seventeen adolescents? To be fairly honest, I could continue on with this chain of oddities. Ultimate students or not, it would be wiser to hand the responsibility of human-kind’s fate to adults in their late twenties if youth for procreation is of concern. To a final point...it’s concerning  _ this _ is the pool of individuals in general we have to rebuild society and humanity,” Korekiyo points out, looking distastefully at everyone around him. 

“Ugh, that’s disgusting...if any man even  _ thinks  _ he can ‘procreate’ with me, I will give him a beating he will never forget for as long as he lives,” Tenko spits, her eyes blazing when Rantaro and I glance her way.

“Lucky for you, Rantaro would never do that, so don’t beat him up please,” I comment, still holding onto his hand when he Tenko turns her blazing teal eyes in the Ultimate Adventurer’s direction. Rantaro laughs nervously. I guess that means no promises if he goes against her words...fair enough. Rantaro should have no problems with that though.

“Huh? What do you mean? Our talents seem fitting enough, don’t they?” Kiibo asks, scratching his head in thought. 

“Actually, that Gofer Project listed reasons for where each of us would have strengths based on our talents. I don’t remember them all, but there were things like guidance, protection, health, cultivation, and history,” I say, prompting Korekiyo to cackle in disbelief.

“‘History’...those philistines have the audacity to include ‘history’ in strengths? That’s wonderful...yes, indeed,” Korekiyo comments with a look of detestation across his visible features.

“Are you okay? I think history is pretty important to include...for being the Ultimate Anthropologist, it’s kind of weird you would think that’s a little-” Kaito remarks, until Korekiyo cuts him off.

“This is absolutely  _ appalling _ if the documents Prairie discovered are true. Do you intend to continue mocking culture and humanity as you are now? Please, everyone...look around yourselves for a moment and then inform me as to why I shouldn’t find this a rather pitiful gathering of ‘beacons of hope to the human race’,” Korekiyo continues.

I don’t actually have to look around at the others to get what he’s saying. Angie even laughs, earning a soft look from Koreiyo. Clearly she also knows what he’s talking about.

“Nyahaha~! You guys would understand if you had Atua in your lives! Atua is ever so enlightening…” Angie comments brightly.

“G-Gonta...no understand,” Gonta comments nervously, looking a little scared that someone will yell at him for that.

“Me neither,” Kiibo adds slowly, prompting Shuichi to hum as if it’s been obvious to him from the start.

“Other than Angie and Prairie, we’re all white Asians…Prairie is  _ just _ white. Other than Prairie, we are all entirely or at least partly Japanese. Remember, the fact Prairie isn’t a Japanese citizen is why Kirumi was willing to kill her,” Shuichi explains with a troubled scowl. “There’s zero cultural and racial diversity here if we’re trying to save  _ all  _ of the human race. According to the document, we’re basically just saving Japanese people, one Polynesian who is also Japanese, and one European. This isn’t including Kiibo for obvious reasons.”

“Oh...oh that  _ is _ pretty bad,” Kiibo answers, squirming in his seat.

“...Kirumi  _ ‘is’ _ willing to kill Prairie. I still want to kill her and leave,” Kirumi corrects Shuichi after he finishes, earning a dirty look from Rantaro and Tenko from beside me. Kokichi on the other hand snickers at Kirumi’s input.

“Hey...if we’re in a spaceship and we’ve been launched into space...how’re you planning to get back to Earth? You’re just gonna yeet yourself out of the airlock and hope for the best?” Kokichi giggles uncontrollably, as if it’s getting funnier the more he considers it.

In an instant, everyone falls silent as if considering something.

“W-Wait...does that mean Miu is  _ dead…?!” _ Himiko asks, sitting up for the first time at the realization.

“A-Ah…! We don’t know that! We don’t know how she graduated, remember? For all we know, she could have been strapped in an escape pod that’s making its way back to Earth!” Tenko jumps in to reassure her, followed closely by Rantaro thoughtfully saying something that I think makes it a lot worse.

“We would have no idea how long we’ve been out in space and how far Earth is. So...her chances of survival would be slim when taking into consideration food and supply in that escape pod, navigation through space, and the distance to Earth. How about space debris? I can’t imagine it would be a feasible escape. In fact, she’s probably-” Rantaro comments rather morbidly, making me scowl and raise my free hand to smack his chest in objection. He looks down at my expression of disbelief and then at Tenko’s angry face. At that point, Rantaro seems to replay his words in his head and registers the gloomy expressions of everyone as a result of his pessimistic statement. He offers a sheepish laugh to cover his pessimism. “Oh, uh...sorry. She probably got home safely.”

_ What is that  _ ** _lame _ ** _ save?! Is this guy really supposed to be one of the “beacons of hope for humanity”?!  _

“Now we know which of us isn’t allowed to pass his genes on,” I comment out loud, hearing Rantaro grunt in distaste when Tenko snickers beside us.

“Prairie…” Rantaro warns beside me quietly, although it’s not like the usual warnings considering the hint of amusement in his tone. Something about it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end, especially paired with his usual deep velvety voice. For once...I am truly afraid. “I would like to remind you I remember  _ exactly _ what you said about me regarding procreation in the hallway. So don’t say things you definitely don’t mean.”

I purse my lips in embarrassment and gather all my hair over my face to hide the wave of hot shame that crawls over my features in silence. Someone upstairs is probably laughing their butt off at my misery.

“The other document was about Kokichi...” I squeak, hoping that changing topics will quickly brush aside my flustered feelings and embarrassment. “Basically, it was a newspaper snippet explaining he had an accident and drowned under mysterious circumstances. Supposedly, he was the last of all the Gofer Project subjects- the rest of you guys- that was alive, and that the Gofer Project would be cancelled since everyone was dead,” I explain, making Kokichi perk up at that and pat his tummy, chest, shoulders and head curiously.

“...Nope! I’m very alive right here!” Kokichi claims with a big grin. “So it’s a lie. Nee-hee-hee! That’s my style, a fake death!”

“It could be that since we erased our memories and became different people, the company producing the Gofer Project had to put up the illusion we were dead so the Ultimate Hunt would think it was over and stop looking for us…” Kiibo explains, before bringing a hand up to his chin in thought.

“That definitely could be. And the last document was the list of murderers and victims planned for the season, right?” Shuichi asks, making me nod in response. “Hm...I’m surprised Monokuma let us all hear that from you. Nothing’s happened with your watch, right?”

I shake my head, smiling up at him for his concern. “I’m perfectly fine, don’t worry. Nothing injected to shut me up thus far. Monokuma told me I could tell you guys about the documents if I wanted to.”

“Alright then. We have one memory that may serve to confirm the Gofer Project’s veracity. However, for now we should only consider them dubious documents. There’s enough conflicting details that I myself, at the very least, refuse to believe as of now,” Korekiyo comments. “For instance, the comment of this possibly being a spaceship. When I step outside, I find it hard to believe that what I’m looking at past the gates is somehow an illusion.”

“Huh? Oh, that’s right! There’s no way that’s an illusion! It’s the outdoors for sure, so we can’t be in a spaceship!” Tenko brightens, looking Himiko’s way eagerly. “See? Miu probably just walked right out of here no problem! She’s probably totally fine!” 

“So you’re happy that a murderer has been released out into society no problem? Miu killed Kaede, in case you have forgotten,” Kirumi has the nerve to state. “Before anyone points it out, I have duties to survive for my people. I serve to balance our country and our rights as people. Miu killed using the reason of revenge as her motive when she simply wanted to keep making insipid and useless inventions. If I were to get out, I would not be at risk of continuing to murder.”

“So  _ you  _ say…” Kokichi remarks with a twisted expression of dark amusement. “You’ve probably had people waterboarded and tortured in other ways before.”

Kirumi scowls but says nothing in response to Kokichi’s accusatory words. I’m not sure if this is a good response or a bad response on Kirumi’s part.

“Well, let’s just turn in for now. We have a lot to think about and I’m sure we’ll think of new things to address once we’ve relaxed for a bit,” Kaito says, causing a couple people to rise, including Kokichi who makes a beeline for the kitchen with Himiko and then Tenko out of concern. “Gonta, are you good with watching Kirumi alone, or would you like some company? I’ve got something to do real quick, but I can join you in about an hour or I can save it for later and hang out with you.”

“Ah! Gonta can wait. Kaito okay to do what needs done until hour up,” Gonta responds as Rantaro and I slide out from the table, already leaving the dining hall on our own.

_ I may not feel so groggy and nauseous anymore, but I still think a nap is in order. Especially after everything that’s happened. _

“Here, get on,” Rantaro offers, surprising me when he gets down on one knee and leans forward in a position beckoning a piggy-back ride. “I’d rather immediately hit the bed than have to fix your stitches all over again because of too much walking.”

Seeing that he’s in no mood to argue, I follow his orders and carefully jump on so he doesn’t topple over like he may. When he straightens up, he wobbles a bit, bit then smiles and sighs in relief. This is probably not a good idea.

“Piggy-back ride on the world’s clumsiest man? I should write my will while I’m up here,” I tease him, causing Rantaro to laugh and walk on out of the school. “On the other hand...so this is what it feels like to be tall.”

“Is it really that much of a difference?” Rantaro inquires in amusement as I take in our surroundings from our height.

“Yes, though I guess you wouldn’t know the difference,” I comment, much to his disbelief when he responds.

“Uh, you realize I grew to this height, right? I haven’t been this tall forever,” Rantaro laughs, looking up when I hit a lamp playfully in the path as we pass it. “As hard as it is to believe, I was once very short too.”

“Yeah, and then you betrayed us short people by turning into a sky scraper. The nerve,” I huff, pulling on his ear lightly in objection so I don’t scare him into thinking I’m about to rip out his piercings like he thought last time. “Why do you have so many piercings?”

“I like them. Why do you ask? Interested in getting one someday?” He asks with a smile. I hum, examining his ear where the piercings are.

“...Does it hurt to get them?” 

“Nah. It’s just a little prick and then you take care of them while they heal around the piercing. I actually have another one on my face, you know?”

“Eh?” I ask, surprising him when I grab his head and turn it unceremoniously to the side so I can lean over and see. He nearly loses his balance, but thankfully he stabilizes himself and waits until I let go. “I don’t see anything. Is it in your nose?”

“No, I’ll show you in a bit. And no more head twisting, you’re gonna kill me,” he adds, making me hug him as an apology even though he’s not really upset or annoyed with me.

He stops once we’ve entered the dormitories and has walked up the stairs to my dorm room, setting me down on my feet and turning to face me. He leans down a little so I can see him better, pointing at the tail end of his right eyebrow.

“See it? It doesn’t have the piercing in right now, but there’s two holes there for a ring,” he comments, making me squint before I finally see it and let out a noise of confirmation. “I haven’t put it on since I thought it’d be a bit much…”

“Put it on,” I say immediately, smiling up at him. “I wanna see it on you!”

Rantaro looks mildly surprised, but evidently laughs it off and scratches the back of his head.

“Yeah? Well...okay then. I’ll put it on tomorrow or something. For now, we should rest and…” he pauses as he trails off into a yawn, making me open my room door with my keys and move aside for him to come in. When he notices my invitation, he seems to consider it carefully and then makes the decision to step in after me, watching as I lock the door behind him and drag him over to the bed. “You sure you want me to nap with you…? You’re not going to get embarrassed when you wake up, are you?”

I pout and give him an indignant ‘no’, hopping on and shoving the pastel orange canopy out of the way so I can jump on. Rantaro sighs in uncertainty but also joins me, eventually melting into his side of the bed.

“See? It’s cozier than your bed anyways, so there’s no problem, right?” I ask, pulling the sheets over me and gently tugging so he gets the message to move so we can get under them.

Rantaro doesn’t move.

“...Rantaro?” I ask in confusion, turning to look at him where he’s sleeping face down on the comforter, sheets, and the pillow. At first I wonder if he’s ignoring me in favor of sleeping, but when I hear a soft snore out of him, I nearly burst into giggles at the realization. 

He’s totally out like a light! 

I swallow down my amusement and pat his head lightly before rolling over and getting comfy on my side.

First nap time and then tomorrow we talk…

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀  ** _End of 4.1 - Back to Norms_ ** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Links~
> 
>   

> 
> [Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)  

> 
>   

> 
> My internet is being a piece of work, so links for the new art will have to wait since it's not letting me load up tumblr! If you wanna peek at the art NOW though, it's one of the links in my linktree above! There's a new cover with a slumber party theme, some sketches, and another drawing of Prairie with her head shaped like Pac-Man eating a strawberry. So yeah. Have fun! :D


	55. Mechanical Emotions 101

❀ **_4.2 - Mechanical Emotions 101_** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

_"..."_

_"...Hey, again. So...I needed someone to talk to, and honestly no one else really ever seems to want to listen, so who better to talk to than you?"_

_"Not that it's very fulfilling, for obvious reasons. No offense. You get what I mean though, right?"_

_I nod in response. It's involuntary for the most part though. They usually nod and smile whenever things like this happen, right?_

_"Good! I'm glad! So...I've been having this feeling that I'm not being true to myself. It's nothing super serious or anything, but I've noticed that the way people treat me makes me uncomfortable. And I don't exactly know how to tell them without confusing them. Actually, I honestly don't really know how to tell them when it's something outside of their understanding."_

_..._

_"I feel like you'd understand the best. Because you're different too, I mean. Even if we're different in our own specific ways."_

_I smile in response. Because that's what I'm supposed to do in this situation._

_..._

_",,,Let's get out of here together then. Right now."_

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

"...Ann goh wherh..." I mumble in my sleep, only to slowly realize I was dreaming. Although I'm still half asleep, I replay the dream in my head a few times. Once I've decided I probably won't forget it, I wiggle around and shove my head under a heavy arm so it rests against my cheekbone comfortably. It's warm with a weight that is less uncomfortable and gives a feeling of security as I go still and relax.

The owner of the arm doesn't react, allowing me to snooze for just a little more before I decide to open my eyes to see I've shoved myself under the bend of Rantaro's arm. He's still fast asleep, although he's removed that striped sweatshirt of his in favor of sleeping in his tank top and a loose pair of plaid red and black pants.

_I guess he got uncomfortable in his clothing? I wonder when he left...at least he's not sloppily sleeping on top of the blankets like he was when we first dove in for a snooze._

I shift to get out from under his heavy arm and sit up with a sigh as I rub my eyes. Rantaro's probably not waking up anytime soon by the look of his state, sleeping belly up on the bed next to me without a care in the world. I'm not interested in napping anymore even if he _does _look incredibly comfortable.

...I still need to look over those Monokub blueprints. I need to get those bombs out of the bears.

With a yawn, I turn to give my room a glance and climb out of bed carefully. Where did I leave that bag of blueprints and tools? I'm pretty sure I won't finish examining those blueprints by the time he wakes up, but I might as well use the free time to get a head start. Rantaro will eventually wake up and we can finally talk, but for now there's no rush.

_...Or I guess I can be a little cruel and try waking him up now. We fell asleep in the late afternoon, didn't we? If we keep sleeping, we'll end up being unable to sleep when it's night._

I glance down at the volatile kidwatch around my wrist and hum in interest. It's already a little past nine pm, we must have slept nearly four hours by the looks of it...okay, so maybe _he's _already headed for bed and that's probably why he's in pajamas. Still, it's plenty enough time for Rantaro to wake up now! If I'm staying up all night, he should stay up with me too!

Turning to face the Ultimate Adventurer clearly on an adventure in dreamland, I pause to reconsider. Maybe I should be merciful. He wasn't sleeping well because of all that gambling he did just so he could see me, so he's bound to need more sleep than I would...

Right?

...

_No! I want him to wake up now!_

I leap on the bed with a big smile, making the mattress bounce like a gelatin snack. Knowing Rantaro, he's likely to let me get away with disturbing his sleep since he likes me so much, so I'll be an annoying kid just this once!

"Rantaro!" I chirp, jumping up a few times to bounce the bed. Maybe he'll wake up if he thinks there's an earthquake? Still, when I get up and start recklessly jumping on the bed, Rantaro remains in a state that is quite nearly dead to the world.

Once I get tired, I go for a more direct approach and push his shoulder with both hands to shake him awake. Maybe I'm too light for jumping on the bed, it wasn't actually shaking that much with my weight. Either that, or his ability to stay asleep is a force to be reckoned with.

"Wake up! No more sleeping!" I order firmly, grabbing his arm and yanking on the heavy limb in hopes of getting him to respond to something. He doesn't though, and I'm eventually forced to drop the dead weight of his arm on my lap to catch my breath.

Rantaro's certainly not dead, I can see the infernal man breathing like the doofus he is.

"Rantaaaroooo...!" I complain, crawling closer to pull on his hair firmly. No response. I pull at his ear piercings and get no response again. I poke his cheek a few times and he _still_ doesn't wake up. Heck, even when I pinch his dumb nose to get him to wake up, this man just cracks his lips open in his sleep to keep breathing.

_He's hopeless!_

For a moment, I consider covering his mouth as well, but I eventually lower my hand and let go of his nose. I resolve to simply glare at his face from beside him, pouting grumpily at my foiled plans and his dumb serene expression. He's so unfairly handsome, it makes me sick.

_Back when he told me about his twelve sisters, he mentioned that the girls were all step-sisters from his father's several marriages. I'm not sure about his mother, but Rantaro didn't sound like he liked his father much based on how he spoke about him._

_Well! I don't like his father _ ** _either!_ ** _ That womanizing barf-brained man spawned a creature like this? I hate him. Why couldn't he have given his son a normal looking face?!_

Rantaro stretches out his legs and arms with a little grunt of relaxation, alternating his body position to sleep on his side much to my surprise. Wow, the most signs of life he's shown in the last ten minutes. I guess this is normal...which explains how I was able to get away with writing on his forehead and leaving lipstick prints all over his face that time when he fell asleep in Miu's lab. Who the heck sleeps like this?!

The teen's expression hardly shifts as he traces a palm over the bed and eventually finds my hand. As soon as it slides over mine, he pulls it to his chest and hugs it against him with a soft smile.

I wrinkle my nose at the charming display.

_What an absolutely despicable creature._

Giving it one last go, I remove my hand from his grip with a scowl and resort to throwing myself across his abdomen with puffed cheeks of annoyance. He shifts a little at that, making me look to his face to see if he's going to finally wake up.

Unsurprisingly, he doesn't though. He just sleepily slides an arm under me where he can straighten me out properly and pushes me off to the space right next to him again. It's probably something he's done with his younger sisters that sleep in sloppy manners, considering how it almost seems like a paternal reflex rather than a conscious movement.

_"Rantaro!"_ I complain, pulling at his tank top to get him to pay attention. He's not awake though, the idiot is still visibly asleep like a rock- albeit one that can move a little when necessary...like to readjust the migration patterns of siblings that move around in their sleep.

With a whine of exasperation, I decide to leave the moron to keep sleeping on his own and get off the bed again. Guess I will mess with those monokub blueprints until he wakes up then. I mean, there's no waking up a guy like _that._ He could sleep through a category five hurricane and his only reaction would probably just be rolling over to get on his comfier side!

Anyways, so those blueprints are...

...

With a slow realization that creeps up on me while I'm trying to get my thoughts organized, I eventually turn to throw the blankets straight over Rantaro's head and rush to grab a clean set of my usual orange outfit Kirumi must have washed back when I disappeared into the underground offices. Along with that, I also grab clean socks and an extra pair of my boots since my last pair was left behind in the trial room. I don't put on my bow, sleeves, or gloves, choosing to just put on the necessities since I'm in a bit of a hurry.

_Shoot, I left my dumb bag in the love hotel! Please let it still be there intact and untampered with!_

I carefully examine my calf and the surprisingly clean gauze taped over my stitches, gently pulling my socks and boot over the injury which no longer aches all that much. At least I'm not limping around everywhere anymore. Resting really did help with the recovery it seems!

As I step beside the night table on Rantaro's side and scoop up my keys, I momentarily halt to glance at the form of Rantaro under the comforter I covered him entirely with. What if he wakes up while I'm gone and worries? It's happened before, even if that other time was because I decided to go to my room so I wouldn't get blood on his floor for testing my intuition.

With that in mind, I open my night table drawer and pull out a notepad and pen to write Rantaro a short note.

_"Please wait for me to come back, I've only stepped out for a moment. I'm not doing anything dangerous or mean, I promise! :)"_

Once I've peeled the sticky note off the pad, I look back to Rantaro and pull the comforter to look at his sleeping face. Despite all the ruckus I've made so far changing clothes and throwing things around, he's still fast asleep!

...

I reach out and stick the note to his forehead with an impish giggle before writing another note with the word "LAME" scrawled out on it. I stick the new note over the first one on his forehead, just so it's the first one he sees of the two. As to be expected at this point, still no response out of the sleeping beauty. Perfect!

To be fairly honest, I almost _hope _Rantaro wakes up just so I can see his reaction to finding those notes on his forehead. Sadly, chances are that he'll still be asleep by the time I get back, or he'll wake up and see them while I'm gone. What a joy I'll miss out on...

I cover him with the blankets entirely again just for fun and exit my dorm room, making sure to lock the door behind me so Rantaro and his sleeping habits don't get himself killed.

"Oh boy! Welcome back to the waking world, Miss Marble! How did you sleep?" A voice exclaims as I turn away from my door, making my heart nearly lurch from my chest until I see the familiar monochromatic bear. He lands on the rails of the dormitory's second floor with a painfully loud clang that intimidates me for half a second when it catches me off guard. "Puhuhu~! We were all starting to worry for a moment there, but you seem to be doing well!"

_Huh. I guess after what everyone saw in the trial and how exhausted I became, they were worried about me? They probably should have been a bit more worried about Rantaro- he's the one that abused his sleep schedule._

"They're making a big deal over nothing a nap couldn't fix. I have things to take care of- none of which concerns _you_, by the way," I state clearly, causing Monokuma to chuckle.

"Oh, I see...you have no idea. Well then, I'll leave you to it!"

"What? 'No idea' about-" I start, only for the bear to cut me off cheekily.

"Don't you have things to take care of? None of which concerns me? _Puhuhu, _Toodles~!"

Just like that, the bear bounds out of the dormitory building quickly, leaving me to attempt jumping down from the second story to dash after him just as the memory of my injury flickers to the forefront of my mind. I'm concerned for just a second, but I discard it when I land with little to no discomfort on all fours. As I race to the exit and shove open the dormitory doors to step outside, I eventually halt and click my tongue in dissatisfaction when I see no sign of the new mastermind of the killing game.

_Jeez, how do those bears move so fast? They're so tiny...! Besides that though, what is Monokuma talking about anyways? "I have no idea" about what? Clearly I must have missed something while I was asleep. And considering Rantaro had time to swap into something akin to pajamas, there's a possibility that something must have happened in the three hours I was out and Rantaro didn't wake me up..._

If he didn't, I'm definitely going to be having a long talk with him about those _"issues" _he needs to work on. Namely his overprotectiveness and secret keeping if he insists he truly trusts me.

Reaching Hotel Kumasutra, I pause to look down at my leg, carefully stretching it out behind me. Wow, my leg feels _much _better. I guess all the stress I put myself through abusing my intuition is what made it feel so bad in the first place.

I can probably peek under the gauze one I get back to see how everything is looking...most likely with Rantaro's help so I don't screw with it too badly. He's the one with medical knowledge, not me.

I push open the hotel doors, the first thing that stands out to me is the fact the lights are still out. There's the dim light of something by the staircase up ahead, which I immediately walk to since it's so dark inside. Bending over to lift it up, the source of light is actually one of the flashlights I brought for myself and Kokichi when we were looking around the hotel for clues. What's it doing lying outside the bag switched on though? As far as I can recall, both Kokichi and I turned our lights off and tossed them back in their carrying bags, one of which is still in a closed bag down at my feet when I flash the light down to find it.

Comforted by the presence of brightness in the dark hotel, I direct the light around the first floor to see if anybody is around. Maybe Monokuma left it out for me? No, that doesn't seem like something he'd do.

Maybe Monokid left it, but I also can't see that as possible. Not because I don't trust him or don't think he would help me out if he could, but because if he _was _trying to help, he would have no problem making his presence known like he's done before.

_Whatever, I'm done with this hotel. I just need that bag I left behind and then I'm out of here. I have no reason to keep investigating this stupid place._

_Also...I don't want to think about what happened to Ryoma too much. I don't want to give myself more stress over the fact I could have done something. I mean, he died in the room right next to mine- how did I not hear it happen? Was I just so lost in thought? Kokichi heard me when Tsumugi attacked me, and this room door was closed, so how did I not hear anything when I was attentively waiting for Shuichi to show up?_

I grunt and wipe my mind clear of those thoughts. What's done is done- I can't bring Ryoma back no matter how much I beg for things to have been different. I can't recover all the time I could have spent getting to know him.

Taking the stairs one step at a time into more darkness, I hit the second floor and make my way to my old room. So far, nothing usual has happened, though I still think it's pretty weird that the lights are off. Even the room I migrated to after the Momota incident is completely blacked out and-

The lights suddenly turn on in all of the rooms, making me jump. It's still dark in the hallway, but I can see the outlines of the hotel room doors glowing from the insides.

_What is-?_

"Hup, hup! Let there be _light_ in this here joint!" A familiar voice announces loudly from behind me, prompting me to leap nearly a foot in the air from the surprise with a shriek of terror.

As the lights flash on, the hallway becomes enveloped in the comforting embrace of bright creamy baby yellow hues, accented with rose orange shades and poppy red sprinkles of color that decorate the entire hallway. It's enough of a color and light overload to nearly blind me compared to the stark contrasting darkness the hallway was cloaked in before.

And next to me, Monosuke suddenly howls in horror as a response to my piercing shriek.

**_"Fuckin' hell, Ugly?!"_** The yellow bear exclaims, enough time for me to put a hand over my heart and keel over to get the rapid beating of the pumping organ under control from the near heart-attack I just had. "D-Don't just sneak up on me like that! The hell are you even doing here?!"

"I...I could ask you the same thing. I'm just here to get my bag and the blueprints for you bears. I'm surprised though, why were the lights still out?" I inquire as I flick off the flashlight I had a white knuckled grip on when Monosuke gave me the scare of my life. I set it down at the side of the hallway, where I notice a tool bag. It's only then that I realize Monosuke's wearing a yellow hard hat- the kind worn by construction workers and electricians. It matches his colors so well that I almost didn't notice it. Is he fixing something?

"Fixin' lights like a good samaritan! They've been out since the trial, y'know? The wires were burnt here and near the hotel generator in the basement, but I figured out how to fix it all on my own! Monotaro may have been our best technician and mechanic, but I'm learning to cover the gap in our team he left behind!...no thanks to _you,"_ Monosuke stresses, prompting me to wince with guilt.

I don't want to think about how I failed Monotaro either.

_It's always my fault someone dies..._

"...I'm sorry," I say, not sure if I'm trying to apologize to Monosuke, myself, or Monotaro himself.

Monosuke seems caught off guard by my words for a moment, but he soon brushes it off with a grunt to turn away from me and focus on the exposed wires of a light switch that's been removed.

"I didn't know Tsumugi messed with the lights that badly. I could see her accessing the breaker and switching the lights she didn't need off, but burning wires...?" I speak up, looking around until my eyes land on the room door where the crime was committed. I look away quickly.

"Tsumugi didn't have anything to do with this. Your detective was off on that point, this happened at random and had nothing to do with the murder," Monosuke states, tinkering with the wires using a dual pair of pliers.

"Eh?" I ask, confused by the information. "But then...she just had night-vision goggles at hand? I couldn't see her, but I _knew _she could see me at least. And there's no way she would have just had those kinds of goggles lying around if she didn't plan to mess with the lights in advance."

"She didn't. She used her mastermind perk to get help from Monokuma. He brought her a pair of night-vision goggles and left her to deal with the rest of the problem herself. Hey, don't you have something to do? I don't wanna chit-chat right now. Much less with your death-marking ass," Monosuke huffs, not once turning to glance my way.

Feeling rather pitiful, I start to turn and make my way to the hotel room I left my stuff in, only to hear the bear add something that digs deep in my core.

"And stop apologizing for Monotaro's death. I don't wanna hear that meaningless shit out of you. We both know you care more about your classmate's deaths more than his death."

I stop in my tracks, feeling my face fall as soon as I process his words. I _am _sorry though. I _didn't _want Monotaro to die. Monotaro's death affected me too, even if Monosuke doesn't think it does.

"...But I mean it..." I can't help but say, only to feel something hard hit the back of my head. I let out a sharp yelp of pain, reaching back as I stagger to regain my balance from the unexpected assault. There's a blossoming ache of pain but no blood when I touch the area of trauma and bring my hand back to see the damage. Looking behind me, I notice the weapon on the ground to be a wrench- one that was clearly thrown at me by the working yellow bear that flings off his hard-hat carelessly to address me head on.

"Oh, _I'm sure_ you do. You must feel awful! You know who probably feels worse though? _Monotaro. _The one who you got _killed._ The one who isn't here anymore, _because of you._So yeah, you feel like shit because you're responsible. That's nice, but it doesn't matter. I don't care how good of intentions you think you had. I don't _care_ how happy you made him!"

Monosuke surprises me when he suddenly bounds forward in my direction, launching himself against my belly full force. He tackles me so hard that my stomach even objects internally, both from lack of food and the direct assault as my backside slams into the hallway floor with a thud. I grunt, taking a moment to recover the air he violently knocked out of my lungs.

"Monophanie has thought about going soft on you because _Rantaro _cares about you. Maybe it doesn't seem like it may happen from your perspective, but she's considering it. She still hates your guts, but you know what?" Monosuke states as I sit up, the bear casting me a piercing glare with his left white eye. "I can guarantee **_I hate you more than anyone else._**You can be sorry all you want, but you _deserve _to feel like shit. And I'll always _cherish_ how much I actually hate you."

I can't say anything, breaking into a cough when I try to speak up in an effort to console him. Sadly, a little voice in the back of my head tells me even if I _could _speak right now, there's nothing I could say that would make him feel better.

"...I'm sure my hate for you will keep me alive. I don't care about you at all. I don't like a single thing about you. Nothing about you is worth dying for."

Monosuke stares at me for a full minute, watching me struggle to catch my breath. Everything he's saying...he sounds like he's trying to convince someone. Maybe himself? I've noticed he's changed quite a bit himself since we all met. Him and Monophanie, at least, even if both still hate me to the moon and back. For all I know, with how much Monophanie has come to like Rantaro, maybe Monosuke is actually starting to like me a little too.

_Or I could be totally off the mark with that assumption, but still...my efforts to push Monotaro away were hardly considered "hard work". So maybe I need to..._

"I guess you really hate me as much as you're saying then," I say, noting how Monosuke tenses up at the sound of my voice again. "...You're right. My words don't mean anything. Nothing about me _is _worth dying for."

I meet Monosuke's eyes, feeling my stomach swirling angrily at what's about to come out of my mouth. I'm going to make myself sick saying this, but...it's for a good cause, I'd like to think.

I can only hope Monotaro can forgive me for my cruel lies.

...

_"It's too bad your stupid brother didn't get the memo."_

Monosuke appears stunned for a moment. He takes so long processing my words that I almost think he didn't hear me. The moment he fully realizes what I've said, he's shaking violently from top to bottom.

"What...**_what the fuck did you just say?"_**He asks in a slow and deliberate manner, his voice careful and almost devoid of all emotion. Like the calm before a storm.

"...I said your brother was stupid. And he didn't get the memo even though I warned him. You're right, I'm feeling sorry for nothing when I shouldn't be feeling sorry at all. It's _Monotaro's_ own fault for sticking around," I remark, staring at Monosuke for his response.

His fur bristles on either side, white and yellow-gold fur strands alike spiking up almost like an angry animal in defense mode.

To my surprise, Monosuke suddenly launches himself at me again, aiming straight for my face and prompting me to snap my eyes shut with a violent flinch. Prepped to grit my teeth and stomach the attack, I wait for the final blow...which doesn't come following the loud thud I hear from two hard forces crashing. Puzzled, I open my eyes to see the hold up.

Unexpectedly, the reason Monosuke is unable to tackle me a second time comes in the form of a certain blue bear's sudden appearance. From what I can tell as the two land, Monokid must have tackled Monosuke out of the way just before he could hurt me.

"For _real?_ You're going to defend her even after she says _that _about Monotaro?!" Monosuke shouts, angrily gesturing my way. "She's going to get _you_ killed! And then she'll say the same shit about you too! How could you just let her talk about Monotaro like that?!"

"That's enough! There's heckling- Monokuma doesn't care about that- but you're literally trying to _kill_ her now! Which means _I'm _allowed to FUCKIN' step in! If you can't control yourself around her, Monokuma's going to boot you away anytime you're in Prairie's proximity. _Got it?_ I may be following Monokuma's orders here, but don't think for a second that I'll tolerate this SHIT out of you either!" Monokid snaps, turning away from his "brother" to face me. Although he came to rescue me from Monosuke's rage, Monokid doesn't look too happy with me either. He gestures for me to stand up with a mildly aggressive motion- like he's trying to control his own temper.

"Come on. Let's get your stuff and go," Monokid says as I climb back up to my unsteady feet carefully. Monosuke looks pretty irritated by Monokid's intervention, but evidently turns away with an angry snort to snatch up his hard hat and place it back on his head, resuming his work on the hotel lights.

With Monosuke's focus no longer on me, I make my way to my old hotel room and open the door with Monokid's supervision. Once I've located my bag, Monokid escorts me along the hall past the other bear, down the stairs, and out of the hotel- only stopping the moment we're outside. I'm sure he's angry with me at this point, and I keep my mouth shut rather than apologize.

_If Monokid changes his mind about me over this, then that's better in the long run. So be it. I'll miss this, but-_

_"IDIOT!"_ Monokid suddenly blurts out loudly, startling me when he delivers an unexpected swift kick to my good leg. I yelp, startled by the assault but generally unsurprised by his resentment. I expected anger, but not in the form of physical objection...he could have just let Monosuke beat me up, couldn't he?

"I know _exactly _what you're doing! You think you're slick or somethin'?!" Monokid snaps, clearly agitated, though I slowly realize it's not for the reason I had hoped for.

Of course Monokid wouldn't be fooled. He's gotten to know my habits and behavior pretty well, I guess.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I meant what I said," I try again, even though I can feel my cheeks getting warm with the shame of lying to someone I genuinely care about.

"...You can't push me away. Not like that, at least," Monokid responds dryly with a huff as he crosses his arms. "And Kokichi is right- you're a shitty liar."

I swallow down my feelings, trying to act in accordance with my resolve. It's so hard. I want to do anything else right now. I'd rather have Kirumi try to drown me all over again. Still, I bite my emotions away and turn my attention towards Monokid.

"Then how?" I ask, watching the blue bear cock his head to the side thoughtfully as he takes a moment to actually think about it.

"Hm, good question. Well, I guess...you'd have to kill me yourself. With _your _**_bare hands._**Do that and then I'll be successfully pushed away for good! LITERALLY too!" Monokid claims, making me glower at the conflicting blue bear before me. Can I maybe _scare _Monokid into losing faith in me?

"Okay then," I respond, walking closer to him.

Despite my words and the clear acceptance to his challenge, Monokid doesn't move an inch. My initial efforts to contest his faith in me aren't surprisingly effective. Once I'm close enough to him, I kneel down in front of him and wrap both hands around the bear's neck. I'm not even sure how I should attempt to threaten him...he's a robot. I can't just _pretend_ to aim to strangle him.

"Oh, by the way, if you stick your fingers right in the intersection of my head and body, an upwards yank should pop my head right off and snap the wires that process the majority of my energy!" Monokid states brightly in a helpful manner, prompting my eyebrows to knit together dryly. This bear is certainly devoted...

I follow his directions and gently place my fingers where he told me to. My grip isn't very tight at all though. It's careful and soft, like I'm handling something invaluable and precious. Something that can't possibly be replaced or replicated.

...

A heavy sigh escapes me as I drop my hands from Monokid, making the blue bear snicker in amusement.

"There's not a bad bone in your body, Prairie," Monokid comments as if it's a fact of life, a statement somewhat irritating in a way. I wish he hated me as much as Monosuke does.

"You can only say that because you don't know enough about me," I accuse, looking away from him and standing up so I'm not so close to the bear anymore. "And don't say you do, because _I _don't even know enough about myself."

Monokid shrugs at, easily admitting to it despite how it may come off.

"I know. That's okay though, all we need to do is get you and your friends out of here. Then we'll have all the time in the world to all get to know each other!" Monokid says before seemingly realizing what he's implying and clearing his voice box suddenly in embarrassment. "U-UM! Y'know, if you still want me around after all of this 'n' stuff..."

When I look back at him, he's fidgeting with his paws nervously, up until he seems to snap out of his daze and jumps forward to hug my leg. It's the same one he kicked before, although the pain is already long gone from how much force he initially held back.

"I'd like to know more about you after this. You're like...a cool big sis," Monokid admits sheepishly, making my heart melt at the confession. A big sister? Me?

_I wonder if I'm actually a big sister from whatever family I have..._

On impulse, I reach down and pat his head even as my nerves scream at me to stop fawning over the little bear. Monokuma is definitely watching this- and I can only imagine what he'll want to do to Monokid. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about losing Monokid too.

_That's why you need to keep your space though. The more you want to defend me, the more expendable you are to Monokuma. How can you know this and keep gravitating towards me?_

"If we get out of here, I want to go where you go. I want to be more like you. And if I don't make it out, well...there's no amount of code or mathematical equations to express how special you are to me- and I think Monotaro would feel the same," Monokid says, hugging my leg a little tighter. "Please stop blaming yourself for what happened to Monotaro."

The bear releases my leg and steps back to look up at me.

"I've gotta go, but remember what I said, okay? Don't give up hope on getting out of here just yet," Monokid says, offering a final smile before he turns and bounds off into the darkness of the academy. Probably heading back to wherever Monokuma is since he's not allowed away unless given orders or dismissed by the larger bear.

_..._

_"So you're finished trying to escape? You don't want to leave so badly anymore?"_

Kokichi's words after I told him I was done trying to leave the killing game echo in my mind, stirring up discomfort in me now that Monokid is also urging me to keep trying. I don't know if Monokid bounded off before a response because he was being nice and knew I'd be unable to say I'd keep trying, but...then again, I don't think I could say "I already gave up" to him to his face either. Not with everything he admitted to me about wanting to stay with me after the killing game.

I was under the impression there was no reason for me to escape myself because I'd be alone if we left. Rantaro, Tenko and the others...they would have lives they would want to return to. Places I don't think I'd belong in without an identity, or places where I'd be more of a nuisance to my friends rather than a comfort. Maybe it's weighing heavier on me than I thought if I was subconsciously preferring to give up and resist escape just so I could stay around everyone here...Monokuma even flung that fact in my face after I had a meltdown when I gave Angie a black eye.

_But if Monokid wants to stay with me if we escape...that's not a bad idea at all. I'd actually really like that._

There's a tense pain in my chest as I start walking away from the hotel, hands tightly clenched around the strap of the bag hanging over my shoulder and across my thorax.

There's something about that feeling of hopefulness that scares me.

As happy as it makes me to have heard Monokid's words despite Monokuma separating us, I have a feeling there's a high chance my emotions will backfire on me if something happens to him. Maybe I was doomed from the start. I can't control how I feel. I get irritated quickly, I can get worked up really fast...it's like I have no regulation on the level of emotions I experience. I never even know what's coming next half the time. Even right now, it's like I'm already grieving for Monokid before anything terrible has happened- just because of something _good _that happened. How does that make any sense?

_Alright, you need to calm down. Stop thinking about it, or you're gonna spiral and get nothing done. You don't need to reconsider just yet, you just need to focus on removing those bombs in the other three monokubs._

_One step at a time._

So I have the blueprints, but I don't think it'd hurt to head on over to the library to see if there's books on the subject of coding and robots that I can reference for anything confusing in the blueprints. Although I remember the kubs all seemed to have different schematics, Monphanie's design specifically looks much stranger than the other bears.

They all have bombs, yeah, but her schematics have a complexity that almost looks like there's way more mechanical parts shoved into her body. Monosuke's was the simplest one to deal with, Monokid's seems like the second-most easiest to deal with, followed by Monodam, and then Monophanie.

I enter the school building and make a sharp turn to head for the basement, feeling my stomach growl slightly in objection when my eyes flick past the door to the dining hall. It's already ten, so I don't think those doors are open anymore.

Grimacing at the pain and ignoring the urge to throw whatever monocoins I have in my coin pouch to try and get food from the monomachine in the student store instead, I make my way down into the basement and look around at the dark hallways. It's much darker in here than the rooms usually are, but it's a little more foreboding with it being night and all...

I walk over to the main doors of the library and open one to peer inside. No one is in here right now, giving me just a little more security as I slip inside and shut the door behind me. For a moment, I lean back against it and look up at the ceiling with a sigh of relief. The smell of old books is oddly comforting, inviting me to push off the door and approach one of the bookcases to begin looking around at the spines of the books shoved and scattered across the entire room.

Sadly, none of the books are actually organized and I can't help but start rearranging some of the interesting books, getting lost in the unattainable task simply to silence my thoughts for a bit. It feels like completing a crossword puzzle or playing a word search game, one that I do for quite some time. I even have to set my bag down as I remove books and exchange them around with others I'd like to return to.

I'm halfway through arranging the middle shelves of one bookcase with things I'd like to read later when I hear something outside in the hallway that gives me a pause. Stepping back from the bookcase to approach the other side of the library quietly, I eventually hear a door shutting along with a heaving grunt that manages to reach my ears in the silence of the library. It sounds like someone entered the game room and was lifting up something heavy just now...

_What if it's Kirumi?_

Should I leave and go back to my room? I didn't even start looking for the books I needed- I let myself get distracted!

Curiosity eventually gets the better of me, prompting me to abandon the book in my hands and set it down beside my bag to slip out of the main door to the library. There's no one in the hall, so they must have entered the game room...it might be hard to be sneaky about peeking in there.

Still, I walk over to the game room anyways and carefully open the door to peek in.

...

I don't see anybody.

_Alright, well they certainly didn't disappear, so they must have moved to the AV room. In that case..._

With a nervous jitter, I quietly open the door and slide inside despite my gut saying this might be dangerous. Ignoring the insisting urge I have to just run back to the library to grab my things and leave the basement altogether, I make it to the end of the room...and notice the red and orange flame designed sliding door open just a crack. It's open just enough for me to peek in for some answers.

As soon as I see who it is, I realize I've made a horribly risky mistake. The only good thing about this is that I was being careful when I entered the game room, or else they would have noticed me much earlier and I'd be doomed. This person in the room is even _worse _than running into Kirumi.

He hums a happy tune I don't recognize as he kneels down between two blue couches, shuffling through a brown cardboard box a little and then reaching up to brush aside a dark lock of his hair that gets in the way of his vision.

"Boring, not that one...not that one either..." Kokichi says to himself softly, up until he eventually pulls out something that looks like a disk, which he stands up with and makes a funny face like he's surprised to read what's written on the front of it. With a bit of a wry smile of confusion playing on his lips, he kicks off his shoes and jumps up on the couch to stick the disk in the overhead projector, pressing a few buttons until there is a visual projection on the wall ahead.

With the video display opening to something that's hard to see on the fabric of the wall, I squint a little until Kokichi steps off the couch and hops a little to grab the pulley of the white screen and yank it all the way down where he can properly see the video. As soon as it's down and doesn't roll back up, he steps back and sits on the couch. Thankfully, he's out of the way enough for me to see what kind of video was on the disk.

_"A Life of the Prairie Dogs of North America: Graduate Thesis" _rolls up on the screen, prompting my eyes to narrow suddenly.

He found...a video on prairie dogs? Real furry prairie dogs? And _that's _what he decided to play on the stupid projector? He couldn't find anything that may be useful to us? Like...I don't know, self-defense instructional videos?

The intro sounds like the kind of music you'd hear maybe from a time in the wild west where cowboys ran amok on horseback. There's a clear harmonica and banjo playing in the background, upbeat and bright as the camera scans over a few of the animals on the American prairie.

Is he really going to watch this? ...What a weirdo.

_"Prairie dogs live highly social lives in communities called 'towns', made up of dozens of prairie dogs with expansive burrows where they reside during the night and retreat in to get out of the extreme weather. The prairie dog is highly territorial towards outsider prairie dogs, and will become ferocious to drive away unwelcome intruders."_

My eyebrow raises when I see a prairie dog pop out its head from a burrow on the screen, making its silver screen debut as it blinks it's dark little eyes around. Even I can't help but gush in my head when I see it looking around all adorable like it does. I had a blurry image of what they looked like in the back of my mind, but seeing one now, I feel just a little less resentment against the nickname Kokichi gave me.

Kokichi chuckles at the sight of the little face. "Cute."

I turn my blue eyes in his direction, ducking a little more from where I'm peeking through the door to make sure he can't see me. He called them cute too...

My brain begins to spin up stupid little assumptions, prompting me to pinch my cheeks hard to snap me out of my thoughts.

_Dummy, he's saying that about _ ** _actual_ ** _ Prairie Dogs, not _ ** _you_ ** _! Stop getting all worked up over this! He's stupid anyways!_

_"These little creatures hold the record of having the second most complex language in the animal kingdom second to us humans and far more sophisticated than even whales, chimpanzees, and dolphins alike. Unlike humans, they can cram several different details into a single bark-like chirp, which is where they get their namesake from as they share information among the colony."_

And then the sound of the prairie dog chirps fill the AV room, a little chorus of warning chirps at the sight of a predator.

Kokichi seems to think this is pretty funny, his chuckles evolving into laughter that gradually grows into something hysterical when the prairie dogs on screen start doing something the narrator calls "jump-yips".

They throw their little heads up in the air and get up on their two back feet to cry out into the sky, dropping back down or even falling back into one another as they yip loudly. It looks like they're cheering a little, a cute display that even the narrator says they aren't quite sure of the meaning of in the language of prairie dogs.

_"PFFT!" _Kokichi can barely contain himself, struggling to breathe as he even slides off of the couch amid his laughter. "She even _squeaks _like them...!"

My mouth pops open with a sharp flash of offense. Okay, yes, I think they're cute, but he's totally saying that in a mocking manner! He's totally looking down on me and making fun of the way I sound! _This_ isn't the way I wanted him thinking of me when he was calling them cute!

_You don't want him to think about you AT ALL, remember?!_

Grinding my teeth angrily and ready to swing open that sliding door to teach that leech- which is frankly an _uglier _species- a valuable lesson of underestimating the biggest and rowdiest prairie dog in _this_ town, I'm just about to get up on both feet when I feel something tap my shoulder. It's not Kokichi, who is still laughing on the floor of the AV room ahead of me, completely oblivious of my presence lingering outside the room.

I turn my head and look up, flinching slightly when I see Korekiyo silently observing my reaction from where he's half leaned beside me. He looks rather amused by what he's caught me doing, prompting me to squeak sharply. Realizing my fatal mistake, I slap both hands over my mouth in horror at the sound that's escaped me.

_Oh no! Please tell me he didn't hear that!_

Upon looking back into the AV room, I see Kokichi clearly hasn't noticed any difference between my squeak and the prairie dog squeaks coming from the speakers at the four sides of the room. That in itself is pretty embarrassing, considering it sounded quite like the prairie dogs on screen, but I just resolve to carefully shutting the AV room door the rest of the way and promptly turning to take Korekiyo's arm and quickly lead him out of the game room and into the hallway where we're safe.

"Spying on Kokichi, I see? Did you perhaps learn anything novel and interesting after your time crouched there by the floor?" Korekiyo asks in an uncharacteristic tease once we stop beside the main doors to the library. My cheeks are probably red considering how warm they feel. To think I was caught watching Kokichi like that...Korekiyo probably thinks I'm weird now!

"I-I just heard a noise while I was in the library and wanted to make sure it wasn't Kirumi. When he started playing that prairie dog video though, I got distracted and couldn't help but stay and watch too! They're just...kinda cute," I half lie, considering I was also definitely watching for the exact reason I probably shouldn't have been. As in just watching how Kokichi behaves when he's alone. Not that I'll admit that to anybody.

Korekiyo doesn't look like he believes me, but evidently gestures into the library.

"Since you don't seem quite too keen on Kokichi becoming aware of your presence here, how about we continue our chat within the confines of the library? I'm sure you've experienced enough embarrassment thus far with how I found you huddled up beside the AV door..." Korekiyo comments, stepping around me to push open the library door. He glances back my way to see my answer while I grab my hair and hide my cheeks.

Still, when he holds the door open for me, I walk in and wordlessly accept his invite to keep me company.

"I must say, it's wonderful to know you've finally awoken from your strange slumber. Many of us were rather worried about your state of health as soon as we realized you were unable to awaken," Korekiyo starts up the conversation when he seems to understand I might not be in a state to begin talking on my own.

That being said, what he brings up first is surprising enough for me to drop my hair as my face slowly cools down. "Strange slumber"? _I _couldn't wake up earlier? Well, I guess I could attribute it to my intuition rebound, but I'll just have to brush it off since I'm talking to Korekiyo here. If I revealed anything about my intuition to him, Monokuma likely wouldn't hesitate to tranquilize me. Or worse, inject that scary drug into me through the watch.

"Oh...I guess I was really tired? I think it was warranted, that trial was a pretty intense one we had to deal with. Plus, my leg definitely needed some rest, so it was only natural I'd take a nap along with Rantaro," I answer, hopeful that it's a good enough answer for him.

"...Prairie, may I ask for your estimated length of sleep?" Korekiyo inquires after a moment of examining me with a critical eye. Strange question, but since this is Korekiyo we're talking about, I guess strange questions are to be expected when holding a conversation with him.

"Oh, uh, maybe four hours? I don't exactly remember when I fell asleep, but I'm fairly sure it was a little under four hours. Why?" I ask, even though my brain is already coming up with assumptions from the question in general.

_Did I sleep longer than that? Like...maybe I skipped a day or something? And the nine pm I saw in my watch when I woke up was me waking up nearly thirty hours later?_

"Prairie, you have been asleep for five entire days," Korekiyo explains rather casually to me, leaning back against one of the low shelves as I take a moment to process his claim.

_Five days?!_

"Wait, _five _days? Kiyo, are you joking around or are you being serious? C-Can _anyone _sleep for five days like that without any type of response? What about using the bathroom or eating? I know I'm hungry right now, but I'm not _five days _hungry. I don't even feel like I need to go to the bathroom right now!" I state, hoping he's about to cackle and tell me he's done that to watch my "beautiful humanity" in action.

Unfortunately, he just stands there and watches me without another word. Like he's waiting for me to accept his words as the truth. I could probably run into the other room where Kokichi's at and ask _him _for a second testimony, but chances are that even if Korekiyo was lying, Kokichi would just grin and lie along with him to fan the flames of chaos.

On the other hand though...Korekiyo isn't exactly the type to make jokes or play tricks like this. Even if it was just a small exaggeration, he doesn't strike me as that kind of person.

"I-I didn't know. There wasn't anything weird when I woke up. I mean, I saw that Rantaro was wearing pajamas when I remember him falling asleep in his usual clothes, but I just thought he had woken up sometime while I was asleep and snuck off so he could let me sleep longer..." I trail off, half guilty for being upset with him for thinking he abandoned me sometime while we were napping to keep me "safe". He must have been trying to wake me up like I had done before I ran off to get the bag of monokub blueprints.

_All the more ironic he ended up not getting up when _ ** _I_ ** _ tried waking him from _ ** _his_ ** _ sleep..._

"No, that certainly was not the case. I assure you we all attempted to try awakening you from your slumber. Rantaro indeed let you sleep longer when he was unable to get you on your feet at the night of the trial and execution, but after returning to make another attempt, he became aware of the unfortunate predicament," Korekiyo explains, his gold eyes shifting to meet my blue ones as he turns and leans a bit lower to get a better look at my face. I feel my heart skip a beat at that, the little attribute that gets nervous around good-looking guys activating on impulse. Korekiyo either doesn't seem to notice the change in my demeanor, or he simply doesn't care for it. "I believed you would have felt it, however Angie quite spectacularly slapped you across the face in an attempt to rouse you. To be fairly honest, I wasn't quite sure the mark would disappear, however your skin appears clear of the trauma from what I can see."

_I guess that's payback for throwing a can at her face and giving her a black eye? Well, if she slapped me that hard, I'm sure _ ** _glad_ ** _ I didn't feel it._

"What else did they try? Maybe a spritz of a water bottle would have been enough?" I suggest, prompting a dry chuckle out of the anthropologist. Going by that response, I guess they tried it and no dice. Bummer.

"'A spritz of water'..." Korekiyo cackles a little in mild amusement, pushing his hat up slightly atop his head to compose himself. "Gonta was kind enough to carefully set you within your shower to spray water across your face with the shower head. I'm sure you're well aware of how that fared, if you neither reacted nor remembered it occurring."

_Holy crap...this has to be a side effect of my intuition. That's all _ ** _way _ ** _too weird for it to be normal exhaustion. Especially since I don't feel like I'm starving and since I was able to avoid using the bathroom that long. I know I pass out whenever I overuse my ability, so...maybe this is a result of abusing it so often. Problem is that I need it though, and I might have to keep abusing it at times. The situation sucks, but...I can't just not use it if the occasion calls for it._

"Rantaro failed to find an appreciation for most of the methods the other students applied, whether successful or not. He had been forced to dismiss Kokichi specifically for attempting to line the boys up to see who's 'true love's kiss' would be the solution to the dramatic hypersomnia you were experiencing...which then devolved into less than acceptable behavior due to Tenko trying to get violent with him. There wasn't much any of us could do, so we all came to the agreement that it was better to simply wait," Korekiyo says as he runs a finger over a spine of a book to his side. "It would appear that this was the best course of action, considering you've finally woken up and don't appear worse for wear following such a strange occurrence."

"Yeah..." I trail off, not quite too sure what else to say about it. I snap out of my momentary daze and shake my thoughts out of my head to dismiss the topic. There's no sense in keeping Korekiyo asking questions and making observations on something I know he probably shouldn't. "Anyways, um, what brings you down here?"

It is a little weird he's down here, to be honest. It's past ten and he's up and about? I expect it out of Kokichi since he seems to be the type that enjoys staying up late, but Korekiyo?

Actually...now that I think about it, I still don't really know that much about him, so I guess I shouldn't be making assumptions expecting anything out of him.

"When I found a bag of blueprints and tools left abandoned in the library, I had a small suspicion someone else might have been in the immediate vicinity. As much as Kirumi has reassured the rest of us that she only intends to murder you, no one is all too keen to be in her presence for obvious reasons, as you would expect. I too went around to investigate who could be awake at this time. Regardless of that, I'm simply in search of finding something I can invest my time into reading. As far as activities that are to my specific tastes, this is really all that will satiate my curiosity. Perhaps until my lab opens, that is," Korekiyo explains, pushing away from the shelf to walk a little around the library.

As soon as he allows the space between us to grow, I ease up a little. He's still a little creepy, but I can't deny he's one of the more interesting characters in our group. Admittedly, Korekiyo can be a bit difficult to understand and he talks a lot, but that's okay. I still want to get to know him more.

_"Khehehe...!"_ Korekiyo cackles a little, rubbing his arms over his shoulders a little as if he's a bit uncomfortable. "I see you're still wary of me despite our previous time spent together."

I can feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, one that's more along the line of horror that he's noticed something I didn't want him picking up on. I don't want to hurt his feelings...! He's just _different!_

"No! No, I promise it's not that I'm wary of you or think you're dangerous. You're just a little different and I'm still trying to understand you. I'm not good with boys!" I blurt out, only to feel just a little worse with those last words escaping my mouth. Yeah, everyone already knows that at this point, but maybe I should try harder to allow new memories to bury it from existence. Embarrassed, I wave my hands up and try again. "Look, I just don't know you enough...I'm curious and I want to know you better even if you're different."

Korekiyo is staring at me. I can't quite pinpoint his reaction, not only due to the mask over the lower half of his face, but due to how much of a poker face he seems to have. It's close enough to the level of blankness that Kokichi's poker face can hit. Korekiyo is _impossible _for me to read right now.

Somehow, the fact I can't tell sort of alleviates my embarrassment a smidgen.

"In that case, I'm flattered you'd still like to engage with me despite my...'creepiness'," Korekiyo comments, visibly amused as he steadily walks back towards me and promptly peeks in the direction of my bag. "On another note...may I ask what you intend to do with those items in that bag of yours?"

I laugh nervously at the query. Should have known he would bring it up...actually, he probably already looked in that bag before he went looking around to see if Kirumi was in the game room or AV room.

"M-Monokub blueprints. I'm studying them to see if I can remove the bomb from inside..." I trail off, a little nervous to admit I'm also fully intending on helping more than Monokid- if the other two remaining bears with bombs will allow me to at least. It's a bit surprising that I'm more hesitant about revealing that tidbit to Korekiyo than I am admitting it to Kokichi. I guess that goes to show how much unnecessary time I've spent with Kokichi over the others here.

I really do need to branch out and get to know the others better. I definitely want to spend even more time with Tenko. Maybe I'll try talking to Kaito and Kiibo later as well...and Himiko too.

"I see. You legitimately care for Monokid, don't you? It's certainly one of your most charming aspects. As much as someone seems to bother you, you still go out of your way to try and help them regardless of conflict..." Korekiyo states, crouching down to pull out one of the blueprints.

My stomach churns slightly when he unrolls the diagram of Monokid and stands up to examine it. Something about him touching the document immediately puts me on edge.

_What if he tries to rip it up...? Would he? It's not like anyone else seems to like the monokubs, Rantaro is probably the only one I'd be comfortable handling such important papers. From Kiyo's perspective, I can't imagine the bears are of any importance to him like they are to me._

I eye him like a hawk the entire time that he's looking at the paper, only relaxing after he rolls it back up and holds it out to me.

"Would I be correct in guessing your presence here has to do with finding material related to mechanical schematics? I'm not a mechanic myself, but I have had plenty of time to explore the library. Perhaps I can help search for books on the subject matter."

I feel a smile form on my face as I take the blueprint from him, gradually becoming comfortable in his presence at his offer.

"You're willing to help me?" I ask, tilting my head slightly to the side and watching the corners of his eyes wrinkle a bit in what I assume is made from a smile I can't see under his mask. It's such a big library, so his help would be much appreciated!

"Of course. Unless you have somewhere to be?" he says, just as I give a happy jump and turn to grab the other blueprints from my bag.

"Alright, I'm gonna lay these on the floor then. I was going to bring these back to my room since Rantaro is still sleeping there, but whatever. He'll live, I left him a note I would be back in a bit if he wakes up while I'm still gone," I explain as I take the papers and spread them on the ground in the middle of the room where we're less likely to step on them.

The smile of relief on my face from Korekiyo's offer of assistance, despite it being for the monokubs, is nearly impossible to remove at this point. It remains even when Korekiyo picks up my bag to bring it to my side. He hovers over me for a moment where I'm knelt down, almost looming over me and observing as I eventually begin digging the bag he offers me so I can set heavy metal tools on the corners of the relevant blueprints to keep them from rolling up.

The specific three blueprints I have set out are the ones for Monokid, Monodam, and Monophanie. I flatten the large blue pages to the best of my ability and then set aside my bag to squint down at the painfully tiny text of notes on Monokid's schematics for a moment. Even if I didn't _say _I was intending on working on Monodam and Monophanie, he'll probably just attribute the presence of their blueprints as a second and third example for me to work on Monokid.

"...Is Rantaro aware of your location in that note of yours, perchance?" Korekiyo inquires, his words nearly slipping past my attention as I'm reading some of the notes to Monokid's unique details. He seems to have some sort of a modem for hyper-accurate timing that I don't see in Monophanie's or Monodam's diagrams. Sheesh, I need a magnifying glass _big _time, I feel like I'm going to give myself double-vision trying to read this.

"Hm? Oh. No, he has no idea. I didn't intend to come here, and I didn't bother to tell him where I intended to head out to either. It's okay though, he could probably find me if I got lost in a labyrinth with the way he doesn't give up on things. I mean, he _did _destroy his sleep schedule by being stubborn on those slot machines in the casino..." I trail off, leaning down closer to the paper.

_What does that say...? Why is the text on this so dang _ ** _small_ ** _? What, was this written by hamsters or something?!_

"You made your way down here solus and not a single soul besides me knows of it...or that you're awake once more," Korekiyo reflects out loud, like it's far more interesting than it really is.

"Well it's an awkward time anyways, most people are asleep besides you and I guess Kokichi. I don't see any reason why I ought to have woken anybody up to announce I woke up from what I thought was just a nap of a few hours. It just seemed like unnecessary input," I answer, finally getting up on my feet and looking around the room. I'm not the one that's searched the library extensively, so I turn to Korekiyo and look up at him. He's already staring at me. "Where should we look first?"

...

"How about we begin over there? I recall displacing quite a few books on technology in that pile a few times I've been in here. I'm unable to guarantee they'll still be there with the amount of us that come in and move books about, but with the two of us searching, we may find them yet," Korekiyo states, pointing to several stacks of books at the back of the library to the right of the moving bookcase.

_No one else really knows the hidden door is there besides Rantaro, Shuichi, and I. I guess there's no real need to keep it a secret, right? ...Well, I won't say anything for now. I'll probably talk to Rantaro and Shuichi about telling the others now that we know exactly who was walking in and out of that door. And the fact that the individual in question is very much dead._

"Alrighty! Let's get looking then~" I say, invigorated with energy. I leave the blueprints out and take Korekiyo's hand to lead him over to the stacks of books.

We look through quite a couple, falling into a comfortable silence as we search titles, read summaries, check indexes, and eventually go through the process of rejecting book after book when they don't match the content and key words I'm searching for based on text on the blueprints I return to every now and then.

I already knew there were way too many books about murder littering the library from the other times I've spent walking around in here, likely Monokuma's attempts at desensitizing us into trying to commit atrocities of the like so we can play his horrible game. There's books on murderer biographies, true crime non-fiction, books glorifying murder, murder mystery books...but hey, Rantaro managed to find the fictitious book _Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea_, so it's not totally hopeless.

About maybe thirty minutes of sharing a few comments here and there on findings we collect- of which we have only two books on robotics and coding- I eventually find a book on specifically mechanical work with electronics.

_Ah-ha! Here we go, one of only a fraction books that have nothing to do with murder!_

During the time I'm reading through the index of the book that is starting to look like a winner, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end inexplicably.

_What's that feeling for...? Maybe I'm cold or something? I do have a bit of goosebumps from the slight chill in the library, I guess. The temperature definitely ought to be a bit warmer in my opinion._

I frown slightly, unable to focus on scanning the index. I've glossed over it three times without absorbing what it says, mostly distracted by the creeping feeling I'm getting.

_That's weird, maybe Kiyo and I should just take what we have and-_

Something passes over my line of vision, prompting my blue eyes to eventually settle on the object and register it as a satin blue ribbon. Either end of the ribbon is held by the familiar white bandage wrapped hands of Korekiyo. It's shiny under the light of the library, giving of a royal blue tone that I'm momentarily entranced by.

Admiring the ribbon, I eventually notice it get lower, brushing against the tip of my button nose as I stare curiously. It's as soft as it looks, that much I can say.

Korekiyo extends the space of the ribbon's length between his hands casually without a word...

And then he pulls it back against my neck unexpectedly.

I squeak a little in surprise and then I hear the unmistakable sound of something very large and heavy falling from somewhere outside the library.

"Hm?" Korekiyo hums curiously, just as the front door of the library is thrown open.

"PRAIRIE!" Kokichi blurts out upon entry, only to stagger to a stop when he gets the door out of the way to see us. Korekiyo seems unconcerned by Kokichi barging in, but I on the other hand am _very _concerned.

First of all, how the heck did he notice us here? We weren't exactly being _loud_, and not even because we're respecting the rules of a library.

"K-Kokichi?" I ask the new visitor in confusion, squirming just a little as Korekiyo eventually finishes tying the ribbon off into a bow at the side of my neck. His careful motions are what initially surprised me after he pulled the ribbon taut around my neck, gently sliding it across my throat until the ends were even enough for him to make a nice bow. Since Kokichi has gotten rather quiet now despite my confusion, I focus my attention on Korekiyo. "And, um, what's the ribbon for, Kiyo...?

"It's a prize I happened to have been fortunate enough to win from the monomachine. However, I have no need for this type of accessory and had the notion you'd possibly enjoy it far more than I would," Korekiyo explains nicely, prompting a small smile on my face before I notice Kokichi bypassing his pause to make the rest of his way across the room where we are.

"Why are you hanging out with Creeps McGee when the coolest person in this place- and I mean _me, _if that's not obvious enough- is literally just a room away?! Do you have any idea how long you've been sleeping?! I've been waiting ages only to find you getting cozy with the Ultimate _Necrophiliac!"_ Kokichi complains, stopping _way _too close to me for personal space to be in the forefront of his mind and jumping up and down impatiently. The locks of his dark hair bounces with him, followed by a frustrated whining noise of contempt as he stops jumping to face Korekiyo. "Go away."

_"Necrophiliac"?! He's WAY out of line here!_

_"Kokichi! _You don't have to be so rude! Kiyo's around because I _wanted _him around. You can't just barge in and chase him away for absolutely no reason!" I snap, quick to come to Korekiyo's defense considering he doesn't seem like he's about to fight back. He's got a personality more on the type B scale...that's fine though, I have no problem speaking my mind for him. "Besides, you're the one inserting yourself here! Why don't _you _leave?"

Kokichi hardly seems to pay attention to me, still staring Korekiyo dead in the eye unblinking. I let out a noise of annoyance, turning to face Korekiyo instead.

"Don't listen to the dumb leech, okay? He's just being stupid," I say in hopes of making him feel a little better after such an uncalled for and nasty remark. Korekiyo seems appreciative of this, but simply pats my head and hands me four other large books we found in our search.

"That's perfectly fine, he doesn't bother me at all. I can only imagine the kind of life he's lived for him to be as closed off and untrusting as he seems to be..." Korekiyo states, surprising me with the flicker of shade he's dropped. Then again, he's dropped rather questionably rude comments a few times before around me, so I guess I shouldn't be. Still, that's only happened when we're having legitimately important conversations with the whole group. Not when we're together on our own. Just like the last time I spoke with Korekiyo alone, he's a lot more pleasant to be around when it's just us.

Kokichi still doesn't respond to that, not even after Korekiyo's comment. He just turns away and walks over to the blueprints I've left in the middle of the library floor to give them a curious look. 

"Kokichi's demands aside, I do think I'll be taking my leave in any case. It was engaging while it lasted, but eleven pm is hardly a time I ought to be up and about. Thank you for making my night a little more eventful than it otherwise would be," Korekiyo surprises me with saying, causing my face to fall slightly.

"I hope it isn't _his_ behavior making you say this..." I huff, a little annoyed but mainly at Kokichi for ruining what was a relaxing night. Since I don't want to be sending him off with a scowl though, I relax my features and flash the taller teen a sweet smile. "But if you insist, have a good night then. Thanks for helping me and thanks for the ribbon! It's really pretty and I love it."

Korekiyo smiles under his mask (I think) and then turns to head for the exit.

"Goodnight, Prairie," he says, though saying nothing in Kokichi's direction for obvious reasons. When they cross paths on Korekiyo's way to the exit, Kokichi _maturely _sticks his tongue out and uses his finger to pull at the skin under his left eye like a child.

It isn't until Korekiyo leaves that I march on over to grinning Kokichi with my five books to furiously yank on a lock of his hair just as he turns away from the closing doors.

"Ow! Heey, that's not nice!" Kokichi complains, pouting sadly. "I chased the creeper away from you and everything, why are you hurting me?"

"Stop calling him creepy. The only creepy one here is _you!_ You were so freaking rude just now to him! What is your problem anyways!?" I accuse, setting my books in my bag and collecting the tools and blueprints I had left out to run back to for information.

"Fiiine...I do have a problem," Kokichi sighs, suddenly looking very tired as he runs a hand over his face and turns towards the side uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I know that was all really mean. I just couldn't control myself..."

_Huh? He's...actually sorry?_

I look up at him, eventually standing up with my bag to examine him for any sort of tricks he may be trying to pull. When I'm unable to detect anything that may be disingenuous, I hum in exasperation.

"If you really mean that, you should apologize to him. You could probably still catch u-"

"_NO! _I'm a baddie, this sort of behavior is in my BLOOD. I said what I said and I'd do it again! I regret nothing!" Kokichi suddenly complains, grinning widely as he evidently grabs my hand tightly with his. In the middle of being disappointed but not surprised, Kokichi catches me off guard with the sudden capture of my hand unprompted. "Now let's go watch scary movies in the AV room! I found some really popular old ones that are _super _scary!"

_"Hey!" _I complain with a bewildered stutter, unable to pull away as he starts dragging me off out of the library with him. Being around Kokichi is the ONE THING I didn't want! I don't want to be around him anymore- I don't even want him as a friend! This isn't going to help me get him out of my head! "I-I don't like scary movies!"

"Oh, don't lie to me, you don't _know _that! You probably don't even remember what scary movies are like!" Kokichi laughs, eagerly hauling me into the game room and then the AV room. He shuts the door behind us amid my mild panic, prompting me to turn towards the side door of the room and quickly stride towards it to make a fantastic getaway.

When I try to slide the door open, my heart drops in dismay at the sharp stop it gives as it opens up barely five inches- enough for me to stick just my arm out of it, but nothing more like the rest of my body. I'm small, but I'm not a _beanpole!_

_"Nishishi~!_ Nice try, there's no escape!" Kokichi cackles, making me look back at him as he finishes dragging a couch back and propping it up sideways against the sliding door to block off the exit. He drags the second couch to the middle of the room, only for me to finally notice one of the large tower speakers that had been a few feet behind the left couch completely collapsed and broken on the floor. As if noticing my confusion, Kokichi laughs. "I got excited when I saw you and totally broke it running out of here. Who cares, we don't need that many speakers anyways."

I blink down at the speaker as he kicks it off to the side, making sure it's out of the way entirely before moving the good speaker towards the middle behind the single couch he's arranged in front of the projector screen. He isn't watching the prairie dog video anymore, instead the display is completely blank altogether as it projects a square of light on the pull-down screen ahead. Once Kokichi turns out the main light, all that's left is the glow of the projector, and the blue lights of the three remaining speaker towers.

_He seemed like he was in a hurry to run out of here, and I don't know if it was because of "excitement". What would he have had to see for him to run out of a room without a care for what's in his path? He came in like an olympic sprinter, it's not like I was..._

My thoughts suddenly flutter to the blue ribbon I'm wearing and how Korekiyo had moved to tie it around my neck, taking a moment to imagine how it may have _looked _like to anyone else that didn't find Korekiyo as comfortable to be around.

...

"Did you think he was going to strangle me to death?" I ask bluntly, making Kokichi look up from the box he's digging into on the floor.

"What? Strangle you?" He asks curiously before he seems to put the pieces of my query together upon the realization. _"Oohhh! _You think I was _worried _about you!"

He snorts in amusement at that and returns to looking through the box of discs.

"Please. The man may be tall, but he's also _twig_. You could probably snap him in half if you wanted to. I'm more worried about _him_ considering your track record," Kokichi chuckles to himself before he finds something he likes and gets up to jump on the couch. With a little nudge, he pushes it into the projector's disk reader, presses a few buttons, and then takes a seat. When he sees I haven't moved from where I am by the unopenable second door, he pats the seat next to him with a grin. "Now sit and watch movies with me. You owe me for helping you weed out Mastermind Blueberry Moo-berry at the trial the other day."

_I can't tell if he's lying about being worried, but I guess there's no way to be sure. He'd never tell the truth about it if he was...and I don't want to kid myself into thinking he was concerned since that's just going to make me feel even more weird about him._

Despite the urge to run away, my legs carry me over to the couch beside him as the intro credits and a few unfamiliar old movie trailers play. I take a seat awkwardly and set down my bag on the floor beside the couch, only to feel my nervous state spike when Kokichi scoots unbearably close to my side.

"Yay! Our first date!" he cheers, prompting me to suddenly stand up and grab my bag.

**_"Goodbye," _**I don't hesitate to snap until he grabs my hand when I try to leave and pulls me back so he can sit me down on the couch beside him. Just as I'm about to argue and call him names so he can just let me go, he reaches over to the other side of the couch and produces another box- this one chock full of snacks and drinks that give me a pause.

"Five days of no eating...that's gotta make you just a _teensy _bit 'hangry', am I right?" Kokichi says more than asks, a knowing smirk across his face since he's noticed I've suddenly relaxed at the sight of the food.

",,,It's not a _date _though, don't make this weird," I huff reluctantly, pulling a bag of teriyaki flavored beef jerky out of the box and opening the pack as Kokichi fishes out one of three bottles of grape panta.

With that, Kokichi and I focus our attention on the projector screen as the title of _"The Thing" _eventually makes itself known. I don't know what the movie is about at all, but hopefully it's nothing too scary...

_Why did I let myself be roped into this? I don't think beef jerky is worth it..._

Still, I shove a piece in my mouth and get to chewing, momentarily wondering if Rantaro is still sleeping like a rock as I begin to let myself become enraptured in the snowy setting of the movie playing for us.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 4.2 - Mechanical Emotions 101_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Links~
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[Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)  

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[Halloween Prairie and Rantaro!](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/632707518895996928/prairie-as-a-pirate-captain-along-with-vampire)  

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> [Squeaky Toy Abuse](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/632707518889705472/just-something-cute-i-imagine-this-is-how-prairie)  

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	56. El Amado

❀ ** _4.3 - El Amado_ ** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

“How scary is this movie? Maybe I shouldn’t watch this…” I say, looking in all directions of the room. Kokichi glances my way, unperturbed by my anxiety.

“It’s not _ that _ scary, I promise~” Kokichi comments with a pleasant smile, prompting my stomach to sink immediately. He _ “promises”?! _

“You’re lying to me! I’m serious, Kokichi, this _ better _ not give me nightmares! If it does, I’ll never speak to you again!” I snap, looking nervously from the screen to the comfortable teen sitting cross-armed beside me. He looks pretty amused by my discomfort, something that only serves to irritate me.

“Aw, yes you will. You like me too much to never speak to me again. Also, if you don’t remember, we both saw how well trying to give me the silent treatment worked the last few times you tried it. Either way, if you _ really _get scared, you’re welcome to jump in my arms!” Kokichi reassures me...which fails to do its intended purpose. Nervous by a large margin, I look back at the other couch currently blocking my exit.

Would it be possible to just swat it out of the way and make a break for it?

“Mousey mouse, nothing scary has even happened yet, calm down. Look at the cute doggy! Be one with the fluffy!” Kokichi says, reaching over the side of the couch to haul out a large blanket and turning towards me to scoot closer to pull it over both our shoulders.

“H-How am I supposed to relax when you’re making me watch a scary movie and-” I cut myself off with a flinch when I feel him wrap an arm around my waist and force me to recline into the backrest of the couch with him. I squirm until he gets the message and moves his hand so it’s not on the most ticklish part of my waist. “...Doing stupid things like pretending to _ flirt _like this?!”

“Nee-hee-hee~! Is that how you’re interpreting it? Me flirting? Are you sure you aren’t just seeing things that aren’t really there…? You kinda do that a lot, y’know?” Kokichi has the audacity to say with a raised brow, prompting me to scowl as a result. “Seeing” things? No no no...I’m not seeing anything because I _ know _ there’s nothing there. You know what I _ do _ see through? I’m sure I see a dumb _ leech _trying to play pretend about it.

“You literally called it a date the second I sat down on the dumb couch,” I accuse, watching an expression of confusion roll across his face. Oh, great. Here it comes…

“Darn...it’s _ so _hard to joke around with you...you take everything too seriously,” Kokichi laments with a sad face. “I almost don’t want to hang out and watch movies with you anymore.”

“Oh, that’s awesome! Peace out, Leech Face, thanks for the beef jerky-” I say, moving to stand until Kokichi wraps his other arm around my waist to lock me in place. Just as I’m about to complain, Kokichi bursts into a dramatic and pitiful fit of tears for show and throws himself straight across my lap.

_ “Waah! _ I’m sorry, I’m _ lyyyying! _ After all the trouble I went through to get this all set up for the two of us, you just _ can't _leave!”

“W-What?” I ask, totally confused by his words. He’s saying he set this all up for us? When he had no idea I’d be waking up tonight? “You’re right, that _is_ such a lie. You didn’t know I had woken up until twenty minutes ago!”

Kokichi goes full stop with his exorbitant amount of sobs, turning his head slightly to look up at me from his layed out position with a mischievous edge to his demeanor.

“But didn’t I? How sure about that are you, Prairie Dog…?” He inquires with a sneaky look forming in his violet eyes as he promptly bends his legs and crosses his ankles comfortably in the air behind him. “What if I had predetermined knowledge on it? What if I told you...it was maaaagic-”

_ “Himiko _ is the Ultimate Mage here, not you. And I don’t believe you,” I object, peeking a glance at the TV and suddenly yelping at the sight of something in this movie that looks like smouldering human body parts. My hands immediately fly up to cover my eyes with my hair. “EW! What _ is _that thing?!”

“Ah, the movie _ really _ picks up now!” Kokichi says, making me wiggle my legs until he lets out a laugh. “Hey, you aren’t _ that _scared, right? It’s just a movie~”

“I-I don’t care! That doesn’t change how I feel right now! I don’t like body horr-” I start to say before I’m cut off.

“But you’re totally cool with revisiting the love hotel where Ryoma died though, right?” He asks innocently, finally prompting the pieces to come together in my mind.

_ So he saw me enter the hotel and decided to set this all up while I was inside getting my bag...ugh, this isn’t Kokichi _ ** _just_ ** _ torturing me over my crush on him and over my dislike of horror movies- this is him trying to capitalize on gathering intel on my business. _

_ In short: I don’t wanna answer him. _

I reach to my left as I give him a scathing look, bringing up my bag of beef jerky to take another piece to chew on it slowly. Despite my sudden tight-lipped hostility, Kokichi pushes on anyways with a pleasant smile. He's gotten a little too comfortable laying there on my lap… 

“Why did you go into the hotel? For that?” Kokichi asks, pointing a finger towards my bag on the floor to the other side of me. Although he’s pointing at it, he never looks away from my face. Obviously he’s trying to read my reactions to get his answers since I’ve made it obvious I’m not about to talk. “Those are the blueprints for the monokubs, right? Can I just-”

When he reaches his hand over to pluck a rolled up blueprint from the bag, I slap his hand away and raise my knees to push him off of me.

“No, you _ can’t. _ Thanks for asking,” I curtly respond.

_ I shouldn’t be watching movies right now anyways. I should be reading those blueprints and books so I know how to properly remove obstructing devices in their systems and then remove those dumb bombs they’re stuck with. _

_ Stupid Kokichi doesn’t need me here. _

“Do you really want to be here stuck with me right now? You could be doing anything else. Be honest, this can’t be all that fun for you. All I’m gonna do is bully you and cover my eyes when there’s a scary scene…” I state, covering my eyes yet again from the projector screen when I see another gory scene of a body..._bodies?_ I don’t know, the bloody mess flashes across my vision just barely with how fast I cover up my eyes with my hair.

Kokichi sighs dramatically, which is enough for me to prepare for his rebuttal to my claims.

“Of _ course _I want you here! And yeah, this would be WAY more fun if you’d stop trying to run away! We’re barely fifteen minutes in and all I’ve heard out of you is complaint after complaint!” Kokichi accuses, prompting a mild edge of surprise in my gut. That’s not at all what I thought he would say. “Just for one night, let’s forget all this killing game stuff. We’re just two people watching a spooky movie together in the dark. Okie dokie?”

I drop my hair to look him in the eyes, examining his features for any sign of deception. When a smile graces his face and he shoots me a wink, my brain short circuits and my cheeks embarrassingly grow several degrees hotter much to my dismay.

“F-Fine. I’ll _ try _to watch this stupid movie with you...just don’t think this means anything. As soon as it’s over, we’re not friends anymore.”

Kokichi’s expression contorts into a look of dismay in the corner of my eye as I peer at the screen, make a face, and pull my hair up again.

“We’re not friends once we leave?” He asks sadly, watching as I Iook back at him and shake my head ‘no’ in response despite the small specks of tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “In that case, we’re _ never _leaving the AV room! And I’m gonna put the movie on loop!”

I roll my eyes, looking past my curls to the projector screen to see if the horrors are gone. The doggy on the screen has come back, which is enough to allow me to drop my hair again and relax.

_ So he just wants to watch movies with me. And somehow he’s not lying. He’s just miraculously being truthful all of a sudden? When I asked him to be honest just a moment ago, I didn’t think he actually would try being honest. Not that I can actually verify that he’s being truthful right now. He’ll have to prove me wrong while we’re hanging out. _

Everything is telling me this is a bad idea. That I should forget about this and head back to my room on the double where Rantaro’s waiting. I told myself I’d avoid Kokichi from now on so I could overcome my stupid crush on him, and yet here I am.

…

_ Let’s just pretend then. Let’s just give into the lie until it falls apart, because we both know it will. _

I set aside my beef jerky snack and scoot closer to Kokichi, hooking my arm with his under the blanket. Feeling the gesture, Kokichi glances my way with mild surprise as I get cozy and pull up the hood of my suit over my head in case I need to hide. Both from the movie _ and _Kokichi, who’s now attempting to lean forward and get a look at my face even though I’m making an effort to hide how red it probably is.

Eventually, he just stops and leans back to watch the movie with me.

Other than the horrifying sight of body-horror and gore occurring on the screen, Kokichi seems to keep true to his word. He doesn’t bring up the killing game at all- though that isn’t to say it’s smooth sailing during our movie time. 

Kokichi pokes me every now and then under the blanket, which almost always has me flinching from how tense I am watching this movie with him. Sometimes he blows on my neck to scare me, and I have to swat him multiple times. I don’t hit him very hard, which he seems to find amusing. Still, he thankfully keeps any comments to himself about it.

Another rather scary scene occurs, making me squeak and pull my hood over my eyes. Peeking out from a small gap in the fabric as I sink back into the couch in order to make myself as small as possible, Kokichi lets out a laugh of amusement that cuts through the tension of the scene.

_ “Nee-hee-hee! _What are you so afraid of? It all looks so fake! They probably used some kind of fruity sandwich jam for all the blood and stuff!” Kokichi claims through his giggles until I peer up at him.

“I-I still feel uncomfortable looking at it all…” I whine, prompting him to ease up on his laughter to pat my head in almost mocking comfort. I show more of my face so he can see my scowl under my hood. “Don’t patronize me just because you can handle gore and I can’t.”

“Aw, no, that’s not what I’m trying to do...I’m trying to get you to see it differently so you’re less scared! I mean, the more you know about something, the less scary it can possibly be, isn’t that right?” Kokichi inquires, prompting my irritation to fade to a certain degree. True, he’s not wrong, I guess…

That said, I return my focus to the movie and try to get comfortable with looking at it directly. Even though I definitely have a grimace on my face at the sight of the gummy-looking practical effects, I try to power through it. 

I may or may not end up leaving this movie night with an eternally plastered look of distorted disgust, but at least Kokichi won’t be able to make fun of me for covering my eyes.

...I know what he said makes sense. The more you understand something, the less you fear. That may not be true for _ every _situation that can happen, but it’s true for most. He said he wouldn’t talk about the killing game anymore tonight, and his comment probably isn’t in reference to the killing game in the first place, but...I can’t help but wonder if he’s hinting at it beyond my fear of the movie we’re watching.

My heart nearly leaps up into my throat when the chaos on the screen increases, which is made worse when Kokichi pulls his arm from my grip inexplicably. As embarrassing as it is, I’m unable to stop the distressed whine that escapes me when I’m left to grip air. On the other hand, Kokichi snickers in amusement.

I’m making the effort to WATCH the ugly scenes, the least he could do is let me use him for moral support!

“Now, hold on, I’m just getting cozier,” he answers before casually resting his arm behind my shoulders so I’m instead forced to grip on the front of his clothes nervously.

_ This is...so embarrassing. _

That’s what a little voice says in the back of my head despite Kokichi’s obvious enjoyment of the situation- whether it's for the reason of torturing me or because he’s actually enjoying our time together is up for debate. 

A little less than an hour later, the film finally ends and I’m left in a frozen state of not wanting to move and also wanting to run back to my room to hide under both Rantaro’s arm and my pillow.

“...Well, I’ve got to give it to the director. He was certainly..._ creative. _Especially for a film made in nineteen eighty-two,” I cheep nervously as the credits roll.

“It’s one of the better horror flicks out there in my opinion. So, how are you feeling?” He asks, surprising me when he unexpectedly reaches over with his free hand to tilt my chin up where I can look up at him.

Sometime while watching the movie, his presence became so comforting that I had forgotten about being nervous in this situation. I had been more concerned over the movie and scares presented there.

So the moment my eyes make contact with Kokichi’s violet gaze, I realize just how much of a bad idea this had been for me to agree to. It’s the sudden dryness of my mouth before I can even try to form a coherent response in my head. The sensation of my heart speeding up despite the movie having ended stuns me into a paralyzed state...but only for a moment.

“I…” I nervously speak, well aware of the embarrassing tremor in my voice as I lean back from his touch and swallow down my anxiety. “I watched your horror movie, okay? I-I’m gonna leave now.”

Kokichi’s face falls and he pouts, keeping me rooted to the couch with his arms around me when I shift to try and stand up.

“One more! Please~?” He asks, leaning much closer to me than I’m comfortable with. “It’s gotten too _ romantic _to call it quits already.”

Had we been a cartoon or something, my eyes would have popped straight out of my skull then and there.

_ “Gyh! _ That’s EXACTLY why I should call it quits now! Believe it or not, I’m completely uninterested! I’d rather eat cauliflower!” I complain, somewhat getting a hold of myself and watching as he lets out a long sigh. He releases me from his hold to lean back into the couch.

“Alright, you can go. But if you leave now...I’ll take it as an answer,” he says as I finally stand up. Hearing his strange words however, I pause and turn to face him. He’ll take it as an “answer”? To what? He never asked me anything as far as I can remember.

“What do you mean ‘as an answer’?” I ask curiously, watching as Kokichi examines his nails thoughtfully.

“Oh, you know…” he says, though he makes no move to elaborate. Mildly frustrated, I toss him a scowl.

“No, I _ don’t _know. That’s why I’m asking you,” I huff, feeling my temper rise slightly to a three on the anger scale. For once, I’m almost relieved since it pushes down the intense fluttering of butterflies in my stomach and replaces it with a fire of vexation instead.

“It’s the whole reason I brought you down here!” Kokichi states, suddenly visibly irritated as he too stands up and places his hands on his hips.

Startled by his sudden proximity, I move to take a step back until he grabs my hands and tugs me in his arms. It’s like one moment I’m somewhat in control of myself, and then the next I’m a stiff board plank at risk of eternal petrification.

_ What? Wait a second, what’s happening? _

I blink up at him, so stunned that it’s all I can do as I process my arms curled up into my chest protectively and the feeling of his arms firmly around me. The horror movie already ended, so it’s almost ironic I’m even more terrified _ now _ than I was sitting through the last half of such a gory movie.

_ What is this? What’s he doing? _

“D-A-T-E,” Kokichi spells out to me slowly and deliberately. I want to almost snap at him and tell him that doesn’t answer my question until he grins and adds, “If you’re _ ditching _ a date, you’re telling your date you’re not interested. You said so yourself a moment ago. So I guess my chase ends here, right? Because your answer is a resounding, ‘no, I don’t want to even _ try’?” _

_ He’s...he’s being serious? He wasn’t just saying that to make me uncomfortable? _

“So if you leave now...you bet I won’t try chasing you again. I’ll respect a legitimate ‘no’ if that’s what you’re saying, but I just want to make sure you know exactly what a ‘no’ carries with it,” Kokichi explains, smiling brightly at me as I break my brain trying to decode him. “Trying” being the operative word here. I know I’m not dumb by a long shot, but boy do I _ feel _pretty dumb when I try to understand Kokichi’s behavior.

Where do I even _ start _ with this? Okay, disregarding the fact this is probably a total lie, why would he even give me an ultimatum now of all times? There’s no doubt he’s implying he’s interested with his words, but...this isn’t one of the other guys. This is Kokichi. A known _ liar. _

…

_ But what if he isn’t lying? What if his cruel words _ ** _before_ ** _ in the classroom were the lie? _

“...You said you’d never be interested in a bitch like me,” I remind him, even though I don’t actually want an answer to that bitter memory.

“Well, yeah_ . _ I’m a liar, you’re gonna have to take me as I am. I’m not usually _ hostile _ like that though, I promise. It’s not a very good idea to get close to someone in a situation like ours. Someone could hurt you to hurt me...or on the other hand, you’re in a position to hurt _ and _ take advantage of me. I’m sorry I was so cruel. It wasn’t until I thought you’d never wake up that I regretted pushing you away,” Kokichi elaborates, hugging me close to rest his cheek against mine. Now I’m _ really _panicking on the inside. “But you woke up! So...let’s get our date game on, or we can call it quits here. Permanently.”

He pulls back to give me some space, watching me quietly with an unreadable gaze. I can’t tell if he’s nervous or anything like I am...he looks pretty relaxed. And I can’t tell if he’s lying still either, even though I’m somewhat trying to stifle the logical side of myself insisting it _ is _a lie.

His behavior up to this point doesn’t match what he’s said. It would be stupid to fall for his flirtatious claims. 

Scarier than that is knowing how much I want to give in to curiosity and throw caution to the wind, despite what I know. The need to allow my skittish nerves over him run rampant without a need to feel ashamed or reel myself in.

_ I said I’d let myself pretend, right? Like it’s true? In that case… _

With careful movements, I set my bag back on the floor and take my seat on the couch again.

The feeling of my doubts melting away into acceptance has me breathing a small sigh of resignation. Chances are, even if this _ is _ a lie like I suspect, he’s probably littered some kernels of truth in his words. Not that I’m in the mental state to think about that right now though, considering everything related to him liking me back are probably _ none _of those kernels of truth. The things I’m feeling right now are very new, very alien...and very scary.

Is that a testament to how much I like him, or the idealized version of him I’ve attached to? Is this really how crushes work? This all seems very confusing and messy, I’m obviously not ready for this kind of a thing- even on a level like this where I know it’s totally illegitimate.

Kokichi, with a skip to his step originally not present prior to my answer, finishes inserting another movie in the disk reader attached to the projector. When he sits down with me, I’m all the more jarred by the situation when he promptly pulls me back over to his side to get cozy again.

_ Come on, me, you can still back out of this! You're not totally wrapped around his little finger yet and you don't need him! There's plenty of fish in the sea, don't settle for the bloodthirsty _ ** _piranha_ ** _ ! _

He picks up the blanket to smooth it out over us again, allowing me a moment to examine his features. I don't really know what I'm supposed to be looking for…I'm almost tempted to use my intuition to get a clearer answer on his behavior here, but I decide to reserve it for my work on the monokubs. Plus, I need a break more than ever after what happened. I don't want to sleep for another five days just to confirm what I already know about Kokichi. 

That being said…I've noticed the time in which I fall asleep after abusing my intuition has increased since the last time. First time I overloaded, I passed out for maybe a few hours. Then there was when I was in the underground office system under the Academy where I passed out for two days, but this most recent time it lasted five days. Does that mean that every time I abuse my intuition, I'm putting myself at risk to pass out in rising increments of time? If I strain myself again, does that mean I could end up sleeping seven to ten days just to recover the next time?

It's obvious there's a pattern there, but on the other hand…maybe I _ should _be abusing my intuition? 

Not to be reckless, but this last time I was able to abuse it _ way _more than I had in prior times. In fact, I went off using it immediately after I woozily woke up when Monosuke dragged me out of the underground. I know I had no choice since Kirumi was trying to kill me, but the fact I was able to hobble into the hotel and wash off both old and new blood after just waking up and using my intuition like crazy to get away from Kirumi was a very new thing. 

So in other words…I can maybe train myself using it so I can increase the threshold of strain I can handle- even if the consequences of that training means an excessive amount of sleep. 

Should I really risk it though? 

_ I hate that I can't just go ham using it. Not having any sort of rebound or backlash would have been the best advantage, but at the moment it's more of a liability than a step up over Monokuma. Worse than that, he knows _ ** _something _ ** _ about it that I don't. So maybe me having it is normal to an extent? Are there other people like me? I don't understand. I don't know why I'm able to do things like that. _

"Whatcha thinking about?" Kokichi half snaps me out of my mental musings with a low query, prompting me to look up from the spot on the floor my vision had locked on to look his way curiously. 

Well, I guess I could try talking about it in a sort of vague way? He did imply he knew I had an advantage over the rest of them, and while I'm sure he wasn't referring to my intuition, I don't know what he _ was _talking about. 

Then again, it may be a bad idea confiding in Kokichi or asking for advice, especially right now with this little pretend date he's trying to pull...

No matter how much I want to trick myself into thinking he's interested- regardless of my denials about liking him and wanting to separate myself from him- I need to remind myself that this is a lie I don't want to get legitimately tangled in. 

I don't know what his motive here is and I know he wouldn't be playing this up so much unless he had something to gain out of it. In the scenario that this is a lie, it knocks off the motive being something like a kiss or frisky business of the type. Kokichi said it before, he's not interested, and I have reason to believe that was the undeniable truth. 

_ Whatever. Let's talk so I don't have to watch whatever this "Grudge" movie is… _

"Remember back in the hotel, when you implied I shouldn't quit trying to escape just because it wasn't easy? Not that I've changed my mind or anything, but what sort of 'advantage' do you think I have based on that Sudoku puzzle book you got from me?" I ask curiously, noting the edge of surprise in his features as he gives me a funny look. 

"Ooh, are we cool with talking about the killing game then?" He asks, the fingers of his arm across my shoulders playing with the tail end of the blue ribbon around my neck. It tickles a little, but I just reach up and slip my fingers under the ribbon so there's less of that light friction tickling my throat.

"For the moment," I answer, resulting in his smile slowly forming into a more sly fox-like grin. 

"You know…you're starting off questioning me, but how do you know I'll answer you truthfully? I could lie or say something _ crazy _ for every response I give," Kokichi points out, causing me to shrug almost immediately and answer him, "I don't really care about whether it's a lie or not." 

His brow furrows slightly, peering at me studiously for the odd response. 

_ He's not as expressive as this when we're around the others, is he? Usually he's got that blank mask across his face or a fake smile. Like Rantaro sometimes sports. _

"What's the point of asking me anything if you're sure I'll give you bogus answers?" Kokichi inquires dryly.

_ I could use my intuition later to verify what's true or not from him, but I can't tell _ ** _him_ ** _ that. _

"Maybe I'm asking legitimate questions, but maybe I also just want to hear your voice when you talk? I don't know…" I grumble, looking away quickly when my face starts to get incredibly warm.

"...That's a level of stupid I wasn't expecting out of you, Prairie Dog. So forgive me when I say I believe you, but at the same time, I _ don't _ believe you. If you think saying something true and embarrassing will distract me, it won't. But that's so _ cuuuuteee~" _ He has the nerve to coo, reaching over with his free hand to pinch my cheek. My stomach flip-flops uncomfortably, making me stand up again and shove the bundled up side of the blanket I was using against him.

"I'm not interested in talking to someone that's gonna have a double-standard on who gets to lie and who doesn't. If I have to take you as you are, a _ liar, _then you should have no issue if I don't wanna answer anything or lie myself," I state, picking up my bag and moving to the back of the room quickly to push the couch down on its legs. "Think of it this way: you can stop pretending now and we can both head on back to bed." 

The furniture slams down loudly as I speak, shaking a bit upon impact against the ground. Before I can push it away though, I feel Kokichi grab my arm and turn me to face him. I'm already ready to talk back, up until he pushes me against the wall and rests his arm an inch or so above my head. 

Just like the other times when he's done something very bold and forward, the words I prepare die out straight on my tongue. 

Kokichi on the other hand just seems more than amused. I can only imagine the smile on his face means he finds it funny how easily it is to play with my emotions.

"Fair point. Come back?" He asks, purposefully leaning closer so the thoughts in my head slowly start becoming white noise again. His free hand finds mine, carefully weaving his fingers with my own until I find him leading me back to the couch.

Honestly, I kind of want to beat him up to settle the confusion in my brain as it goes haywire. I promised Rantaro I would work on my temper though, so beating Kokichi up is unfortunately not on my agenda.

…Yet.

I sit down with him again, feeling the blanket cover us once more. 

It's quiet for a little while, enough for a scare or two in the movie to catch me off guard. Although he's not as close as he was when he pushed me to the wall, my heart is still pitter-pattering violently from the fact his hand hasn't released mine since then. 

I almost forget I've asked him a question in the last ten minutes when he finally responds. 

"The gibberish in the margins of the puzzle book didn't make any sense to me. When I first read them, I thought you were one of the stupider people here just trying to _ look _smart because of your massive ego. So far, it looks like my first impression was totally wrong. You're legitimately brainy, maybe in a way even I don’t understand," Kokichi speaks up, removing his arm from behind me to fold both behind his own head and stretch out his body. I hear his bones crack a little before he relaxes and lets out a sigh. "So my deduction came to be the idea of you secretly being somewhat of a genius…and guess what? I'm right." 

… 

"You're wrong," I say after a pause, somewhat embarrassed by his claims. "Maybe I'm on the smart side, but I'm not a genius by a long shot."

Kokichi scoffs at that. 

"How'd you figure out Tsumugi used the blanket as a body bag and filled it with chains to get it to sink in the water outside the hotel? Even Shuichi was stumped over it, and the rest of us were crawling around the school looking for his hotel key," Kokichi says with a bit of a grin. "Even caught me by surprise."

_ Shoot. I don't have an answer to that, but I didn't figure it out…I just used my intuition to compile all the details and do the work like a calculator. _

"...I'm not a genius and that's hardly an advantage. You're really smart too, so if you're putting me up as someone that should continue to go against Monokuma, why can't you just elect yourself to that position? You just sound like a coward to me," I comment, not holding back with my words since he hasn’t held back with his.

He lets out a chuckle of amusement, even leaning forward to rest his elbows over his knees and hold his chin over his hands.

"For someone with such an ego, I'm surprised you're not jumping for joy at the fact I'm calling you a genius," Kokichi laughs, obviously avoiding the question.

Well, maybe it's for the best we let that query die away then. I don't want to accidentally reveal that I-

"Speaking of what happened in the hotel though…when I brought up your advantage, you got _ preeetty _ hostile and shut me down, remember?" Kokichi adds, turning his head in his hands so he can look at me with a piercing inquisitive stare. "Considering you're denying what I've assumed to be your advantage, that tells me you were thinking about something else. If being a secret genius isn't right, then what _ is _that advantage of yours?" 

I stare at him quietly, not saying anything. He seems to understand my expression though, smiling and sitting up properly to lean back into the couch with me again. Our conversation evidently dies off when I choose not to respond, leaving the question to hang in the air. I don’t even want to say “I can’t answer that”, since it’d be a dead giveaway that not only is there an advantage, but it’s one I’m not allowed to talk about.

The movie is getting creepier and creepier as it nears its end, but I'm surprisingly not as scared as I was when we were watching the previous movie. Maybe because I'm more focused on the conversation? Still, Kokichi manages to get me to jump when he pokes my side suddenly under the blanket.

"Stop that," I huff, scowling in his direction, feeling my face growing warm again when I realize he's not even focused on the movie anymore. In fact, he seems entirely focused on _ me _right now. Taking in his appearance, it slowly occurs to me that this poke probably wasn't to scare me like his previous attempts, but to get my attention. 

Well, now he has it. What does he want? 

“What is it?” I ask with a puzzled frown.

He's just staring at me with an unreadable look. 

Kokichi takes hold of the blanket and pushes it off of us, making me tremble a little as the cool air of the AV room hits the open areas of my skin where I'm sitting with my legs and feet up. Confused, I look back at the movie and then at him. The movie's not over…is he saying I can leave now? That we're done in here?

Before I can ask, he grabs my legs and turns me so I'm facing him instead. It's a single fluid motion that immediately changes the mood of the room when he crawls closer without a word to explain himself. Something that sets off several alarms when I’m forced to lean back to reclaim some space.

_Oh God, is he trying to do what I _**_think _**_he's trying to do?! Wait, this is supposed to be a _**_fake _**_date! Did I miss something?! Did I pass out?! Am I having a nightmare?! Stop, stop! _**_I thought he was_** **_LYING_**_! _

I squeak and try to scuttle off the couch, only to be held back by Kokichi pushing me down on my backside. His hand grabs mine and pins it up above me with little effort, leaving me an embarrassed mess under him. There's short circuits happening in my brain that I didn't think could be possible. As much as my nerves are screaming at me to just throw myself off of the couch, there's a curious side that also wants to just lay there to…see what happens. 

Thoughts in my head begin to grow silent and completely void of further reasoning. 

Unlike me, Kokichi seems pretty composed. He looks serious as he stares down at me, examining my features as I keep my free hand knotted up in the front of my suit as if to anchor me to reality. I have no idea what I look like, but I'm pretty sure there's about twenty different variations of fear and anxiety visible on my face- along with the unmistakable feeling of heat radiating off of my cheeks.

"You must trust me a lot to be letting me do something like this. It's not like you don't have the strength to shove me off, you've done it before. Just get a little angry and bam, I'll go flying," Kokichi says, a bit of a smile playing at his lips now that he’s talking again. "...But I guess you don't want that, do you? You're here because you want me out of all the people trapped in this academy with us."

A block of ice has formed in my throat and around my body, keeping me frozen. Kokichi's tight grip remains around my wrist above me, which I don't bother to try to rip away from. There's a small sliver of logic in my mind still trying to insist this is a lie, but it's so low that I eventually find it drowned out by the thunderous sound of blood pounding in my ears. 

The temptation of waiting and seeing what happens is so overwhelming I can't even fight it. I don't _ want _to fight it. 

"...Nothing to say to me, Prairie?" Kokichi asks as he reaches out to run his hand over my neck and flushed cheek, inciting chills up along my spine that only do more to shut me down. He chuckles a little at the frozen look I'm still wearing and then sighs as he continues in a low tantalizing murmur, "Fine. I wasn't interested in talking anyways...if you catch my drift." 

Kokichi offers me one last smile and then rests his forearm on the couch by my head so he can lean down more. A squeak of realization escapes me when he rests his forehead against mine, his violet eyes hazy and half-lidded as he peers at me. My face grows warmer and warmer when his nose grazes mine in an Eskimo kiss, followed by the warmth of his breath as he exhales softly from his inviting lips. 

I can't look anymore. My eyes immediately snap shut tightly, terrified even though a large fraction of my nerves are singing like they're part of a choir. I know _ exactly _ how close he is and it's mind numbing. It's bizarre. When I agreed to watch movies with him, this was _ nowhere _within my radar of presumed possible outcomes. 

_ Please just get it over with already! I'm gonna faint! I…I should have just gone straight to my room after I got my blueprints! Maybe Rantaro could have stopped Kokichi from dragging me anywhere. I don't have enough self-control to say no to this stupid…stupid... _

I whine the longer it takes him to go in for the finishing blow.

…

"Hey…have you ever heard of something called 'misattribution of arousal'...?" 

Confused, I open my eyes and feel my eyebrows knit together. 

"H-Huh?" I ask dumbly.

And then I feel something cold click tightly around my wrist, followed closely by Kokichi using his free hand to grab my other wrist and push it up over me.

My brain is still half mush by the time I feel metal graze my other wrist, the clicking of the object reaching my barely functioning ears before Kokichi finally pushes up from how close he was with a huge grin as he turns to burst into laughter. 

"That was so_ EASY…!" _ He sputters in a fit of giggles, still sitting comfortably on the couch beside my curled up legs I've pinned to the backrest.

Kokichi isn't holding on to my wrists anymore. So then what's…? 

I try to move my arms down, only to look up and see a pair of handcuffs linked in a double loop around the metal armrest of the couch- which is basically just a metal bar connected to the backrest and to the bottom of the seat. 

Unfortunately, both cuffs are tightly wrapped around both my wrists, which effectively traps me to the couch with no way of comfortable maneuvering from how the cuff has been looped around the metal bar. Upon seeing my notice of the handcuffs, Kokichi snickers wildly in that trademark laugh of his. 

_ "Nishishi! _ Jeez, I really expected you to fight me off when I decided to go for it, but color me surprised! You really _ do _like me! Damn, that's some low standards you have," Kokichi laughs, finally stepping off the couch. 

I'm still reeling from what nearly happened, but I still watch as he brings his attention to my bag and promptly drags it away from the couch so I'm unable to reach him or it. My heart rate increases more now, this time for a totally different reason as I turn my body to the side so I can watch what he plans to do. When I try to slide the cuffs along the bar, it meets the couch at either end, proving escape impossible. 

"Yeah, there's no getting out of that until I want you to. Sorry, Prairie Dog, you'll have to grin and bear it until I free you~!" Kokichi chirps, pulling out one of the blueprints and unrolling it with interest. _ "Whooa! _ These are SO detailed! Someone put a lot of care into building those annoying bears, huh? Wow, I didn't think they'd look so complex on the inside..."

I already know what's coming next. I know because Kokichi isn't as nice as Korekiyo.

Kokichi stares at the blueprint for a moment longer.

…

And then the tell-tale sound of the page ripping hits my ears as Kokichi splits it straight down the middle. 

"Oops! Oh…shoot, my bad," he says, putting the halves together and then ripping it up further and further. His effortless and fake apologies are dry like a desert, escaping his lips as he shreds the blueprint and then steps over to grab the box of disks by the projector screen. In a second, he's dumping out it's contents to toss the shreds in and bring it back to where my bag is. "So sorry. I'm really bad at handling paper. Ooo, it's just this urge to _ rip _ that I'm _ toootally _ unable to control! _ Wheee~! _" 

Helpless to do anything, I just watch as he grabs the rest of the blue prints and shreds them joyously, tossing all the shreds in the box and putting his hands on his hips with a sigh once they're all in pieces.

"Now for the finishing touches," Kokichi says, pulling something out of his pocket which cements the fate of the blueprints when I hear the strike of a match. The start of the fire is sort of pretty. Even if that horrible movie is playing behind him, I can hardly pay it much attention from the layers and layers of turmoil I'm feeling where he's left me. Eventually, the cardboard box and the pieces of the blueprint are completely enveloped in flames. Smoke fills the room, making Kokichi and I cough a little until I hear the sound of a smoke detector I didn't know existed beeping loudly over the sound of screams in the movie.

Next thing I know, the sprinklers in the room have started to go off, dousing the fire until Kokichi and I are drenched down along with it. The overhead projector sparks and then shuts off entirely under the water sprinkling into its system. Once the fire finishes dying out, Kokichi sweeps the wet locks of his hair behind one ear and turns to give me a charming smile. 

"And that's that! No more monokub blueprints! Last thing we need is for you to help them make our lives even more miserable. I really don't get why you wanna help them so badly, but whatever. Not like you can do that anymore now that I've dealt with the problem," Kokichi snickers before turning his attention back to my bag to see what else is inside. "...The rest looks like useless shit, so you can keep that."

Kokichi seems to realize I've been pretty quiet thus far other than a few coughs here and there, and stares at me for a moment to probably gauge my mood. Presumably, he finds something since he starts talking again. 

"Aw, are you sad I don't actually like you?" He makes a sad pout, wringing out the water from his hair despite the fact the sprinklers are still going off. "Prairie Dog, didn't I say it before? I'm not interested in a bitch like you, remember?" 

… 

"...Well, I'm heading back to my room since it's super late. Bye~!" He brightly states, leaving everything where it is and marching past the couch to the AV room door. Doesn't seem like he intends to free me on top of everything he's already done, leaving me to my soggy fate as I hear the tell tale sound of the couch being moved out of the way.

A heartstring inside me is pulled taut as I hide my face in the couch seat and bite my lip to contain the flurry of emotions beginning to swirl around now that Kokichi is leaving. 

_ Stop that. _

_ You knew it was a lie. _

_ You knew it was a lie. _

I continue to repeat it in my head until the tingling in the corners of my eyes and the thick pressure in my throat relaxes to a degree. There's no reason to feel like that. I knew it was going to fall apart from the start, and I expected it would be something like this. 

Yes, I'm upset about the blueprints too, but still… 

I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't disappointed by the outcome of this fake date with Kokichi. 

I was having a good time. He's annoying, he's really nosy, and he roped me into watching a movie with him…I didn't know he was aiming to tear up the blueprints because it ensured I couldn't mess with the monokubs.

But I still liked hanging out with him. 

As much as I liked it though…now I just feel utterly humiliated. I let myself get too caught up in the pretty lie.

I sigh and look up at the metal bar, shifting my wrists to see the possible methods of movement. I lay back once I've determined the best path, gripping the bar with both hands and bracing my legs against the couch to arch my body up. 

That's when the door to the AV room promptly shuts with a force that startles me out of my concentration. 

_ "Heeey~! _What's crackin', Kirumi?" 

Those words loudly coming from Kokichi in the game room are enough to turn my blood ice cold, ironically firing me up to finish my motion. With a single hard push of my legs, I manage to flip myself up and over the side, nearly making the couch lift up on the other side until I land on both legs and let it slam back down with a wince at the noise it makes. 

"...What was that noise?"

It's her voice, making me work to find some way to detach from the stupid couch Kokichi had the bright idea to leave me stuck to. Eventually I find a little nut over a screw that's poking out of the side of the armrest against both the frame of the seat and the frame that makes up the backrest. 

_ The tools! _

"Oh yeah, the couch I had up against the wall probably fell. As you can see, I was horsing around and accidentally set fire to something. Hey, you wanna go in and clean it up for me? You sure look like you're desperate to slave away for someone! You can call me your master as much as you want again~!" Kokichi laughs, the lies he speaks effortless and natural as they pass through his lips.

I scramble to stretch out my body and drag the bag towards me, looping my tip-toe first and then the rest of my foot to drag it over to me. The metal against metal isn't so loud this time, a relief for me as I eventually use my foot to spread out the items and move the books aside. 

_ I don't have time to sort through all these stupid tools! Just give me the one that I need _ ** _now_ ** _ ! _

I close my eyes tightly and activate my intuition, using a foot to curl my toes around the tool I need and passing it to my bound hand where I can quickly get to work unscrewing the nut with my eyes closed. 

_ Of course I get to experience another harrowing situation…one after another they hit me! I shouldn't have left my room AT ALL. _

It feels good to be angry, eventually getting the nut off of the screw to the frame of the seat, pulling the arm rest to see if I can stretch it out enough to just slide the double looped chain of my handcuffs out from under. When I find it doesn't quite pull away from the long screw that pierces the armrest through the middle, I lean back and press my foot against the side to pull at it. The straight shape of the screw versus the way the narrow holes on the armrest have to arc to come off makes removing only one side difficult, but I continue to attempt brute force anyways. 

"...As a matter of fact, I think I will take you up on that offer. You may leave now," Kirumi speaks up, causing a laugh out of Kokichi. 

"I was lying, I don't want the help of a toilet-scummy aspiring murderer," Kokichi chuckles, like it was obvious from the start. "What are you doing down here anyways?" 

I pull more, hearing the click of each groove of the screw pull away from the armrest, until it clicks back several groves when the force pulls it back over the screw. I make a small noise of disgust under my breath and move to drag the cuffs to the other end to get the nut to the backrest out too. Clearly the only way to pull it off is to pull it straight back off the screw- and that can't happen unless it slides off _ both _ of the screws.

"Kokichi...she's in the room, is that right?" Kirumi inquires, what sounds like a bit of a smile in her words. "Remember what I said before? If you intend to stand in my way, I will not hesitate to cut you down."

"She who?" Kokichi plays dumb. "If you're talking about Prairie Dog, I'm pretty sure she's still a vegetable in her room with the avocado." 

_ Stupid Kokichi! Stupid, lying, DUMB FASCIST IDIOT, KOKICHI! _

The nut gets stuck either in my hurry to undo it or because of the water on it, making me have to run it the opposite way to try and get it unstuck. That's what I get for not using my intuition to unscrew this nut, I guess! Wow! Tonight is the worst night of my entire life, and I don't even _ remember _my entire life! This is so unfair. 

"I promise you will lose more standing there, than you would if you got out of my way. If you aren't lying, what's the harm in allowing me to give the room a look? Or are you saying an empty room is worth the spilling of your blood?" Kirumi inquires, making her intentions very clear. "I have no problem with making your death look like an accident if she truly is not in there." 

_ …Got it! _

I pull the bar off of the stupid couch frame and hear Kokichi sigh from outside of the room. It's when I turn with my handcuffed hands and the detached armrest that I see the other couch by the door, grabbing my nearby boots and hurrying to slide them over my wet socks. Once they're on, I go around it and crawl under just in time that the door slides open. 

I see her footsteps come in slowly as she enters the room, followed closely by Kokichi's feet even though he stops at the doorway. Nervous but desperate to get out of there, I push aside my conflicted feelings over Kokichi aside and reach out to pull gently at the dangling strap of his pants to get his attention.

He surprises me when he immediately kneels down to help pull me out from under the couch, our eyes focused intently on Kirumi’s back all the while I get on my feet and back out of the AV room with him quickly. Our footfalls are silent as we move, up until Kirumi finally turns around and catches sight of us crossing the game room. 

I panic. 

Since I’m still holding the armrest to the couch, I close my eyes and fling it forward at her face on impulse.

Kirumi obviously doesn’t expect the long throw, grunting as the metal object hits her and sends her reeling back over the bag of tools and books I’ve had to abandon for now.

“GO!” Kokichi orders, pushing me forward so I’m running ahead of him with the stupid cuffs still wrapped around both my wrists. Thankfully the chain between them isn’t as short as they usually come, so I can still do things like grab door handles and push them open for us. 

My focus becomes somewhat foggy with anxiety as we race up the basement stairs and into the first floor of the school, making it all the more difficult to decide what to do. I hesitate once we’re at the top step and look around, not sure of where to run next amid my panicked state. 

Fortunately, Kokichi seems to already have a destination in mind, and he yanks on the chain of my handcuffs to drag me up the next set of stairs. He makes a beeline down the hall and to the Ultimate Pianist’s lab, kneeling down and pulling out tools from his pocket to work on the door quickly. As he does that, I shift to stand at the corner where I can look out towards the stairway.

_This is way too risky to be doing right now, what is he thinking?!_ _Kirumi is going to be here any second now!_

Just as I have the thought, Kirumi charges up the stairs and stops at the top step. My stomach constricts tightly when I notice her giving the large space a scan, her large scissors from the last time she tried to kill me gripped tightly in one hand. She doesn’t seem to notice us yet in the area to the left of the stairs, since the hall breaks into two segments with the Dragon statue path as an optional escape.

Kirumi stares for a moment and then turns her attention towards the hall leading _ our _way.

I don’t think she sees me peeking when I pull back and return to Kokichi, pressing up against the wall in an effort to make myself as small as possible where he’s still concentrating on the lab door. Her heels clicking down the hall are the only signal telling me she’s coming our way, making me exhale softly as I prepare myself for a fight I’m definitely not ready for.

Kokichi stands up just as Kirumi steps past the corner, her attention turning towards us as we catch the movement of her sudden presence upon us. Without a second thought, Kokichi opens the door and shoves me inside as I see Kirumi break into a sprint. I stumble a little, seeing him turning the lock on the inside before he shuts the door with a slam that echoes through the school, effectively leaving himself on the other side with the bloodthirsty Ultimate Maid.

The hiss that leaves his lips is sympathetic but manufactured, followed by the falter in Kirumi’s footsteps.

“Man, you were _ so _close! That’s a shame. Too bad, too sad. I guess you’ll have to try again next time!” Kokichi brightly states, my heart already going on overdrive at the fact he’s not in here with me where it’s safe.

_ He has no idea what she’s capable of, does he? Kokichi should have come in, why did he lock me in here without him?! It’s dangerous and he’s choosing to poke the sleeping dragon! _

I step closer to the door and pause before I can turn the lock. Maybe I should wait a bit before turning the lock, since-

The doorknob jiggles a little, clicking against the lock for a second before the person testing it decides it’s not open.

_ Good thing I didn’t already turn it. _

“...If she didn’t know you and I were here, I would probably split open your stomach instead of hers. You’re very lucky,” Kirumi comments through the silence in the hall, making a cold sweat develop over my forehead at her threatening words. I’m almost tempted to swing the door open and hit her with a desk for that.

“Nishishi!” Kokichi laughs, seemingly unbothered by her words.

…

The sound of heels clicking away down the hall is enough for me to breathe a mild sigh of relief. At that point, I put my hand on the lock again and wait a minute or two longer before I finally unlock the door to let Kokichi in. Poking my head out of the hall, I’m able to confirm that Kirumi has left.

What perturbs me is that Kokichi isn’t around anymore either.

I look around the area at the other two classrooms across the hall, eventually retreating back into the lab and locking the door with a frustrated scowl. Where is he? Did he just leave me again like he did with the stupid couch?

_ ...I hate him. I don’t get him at all. _

As I’m mulling over plots to get some revenge on Kokichi later, I’m eventually snapped out of my thoughts by a quiet urgent knocking on the door. Is that him?!

I should have questioned more, but I impulsively open the door without hesitation and am greeted with the sudden dry look Kokichi shoots me as he hurries in and locks behind himself.

“Prairie Dog, as adorable as it is that you’re so eager to see me, maybe you should _ ask _who’s knocking before you open any locked doors? Just a word from the wise,” he comments, grabbing my handcuffs and dragging me over to the window of the lab. “Can you climb fast with those on, or do I need to get them off right now?”

“Eh? I think I can, w-why?” I ask, feeling him turn me and push me up on the frame of the window.

“Because Kirumi’s coming back to break down the door,” Kokichi quickly answers, gesturing for me to hurry and climb. “So let’s disappear into that little hiding spot of yours so she thinks we’re Houdini’s in training.”

At that, I move quickly to climb up over the wall and into the little alcove I found, turning to help pull Kokichi in just as the tell tale sound of violently splintering wood reaches our ears. Kokichi gets up in the alcove with no problem either, although he does end up half falling on me as a result of the slight drop.

“Whoops. Well, not that you hate it, right?” Kokichi comments cheekily with a grin, prompting me to scrunch up my nose in distaste and shove him off of me with a few smacks of vengeance. I only stop once the bangs in the lab get louder.

Eventually there’s a crash...and then silence.

Kokichi sits up but stays quiet as we listen for the sound of Kirumi’s movement. My ears strain to hear her heels clicking, which are considerably more muffled from our distance and the wall between us. 

…

I don’t know how long we’re up there, but we’re silent for the most part until Kokichi finally speaks up to break the silence.

“She’s probably gone now,” he says, shooting me a bit of a wicked smile. “Hey, Prairie Dog? You fancy taking a peek to see if the coast is clear?”

Rather than answer him, I ignore his presence with my arms crossed, seated as far away from him as my sanity can handle. Now that the adrenaline from Kirumi’s presence has died away, all I feel is continued resentment towards the annoying leech I’m here with. Yeah, I was worried he’d get hurt, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him. What he did in the AV room was legitimately awful.

“Praiirieee Dooog~” Kokichi tries to get my attention again before realizing I’m ignoring him. “Aw, we’ve stepped back into silent treatments again?”

_ I wonder _ ** _why._**

“You don’t hate me, do you? Prairie Dog still loves me, right?” 

_ No, I definitely hate you. And any remnants of my crush on you only fuel that hatred, you rancid pile of flaming garbage. _

Kokichi starts crawling towards me, only to start snickering when I immediately raise my foot up to keep him at a distance. When he tries to bypass my leg, I kick at him to push him back away from me. He seems to give up at that point, hands up in surrender.

“Okay, I’ll stay over here then!” He states, before pointing at the handcuffs around my wrists in amusement. “You’re cool with the jewelry staying on? I can’t exactly remove them when you’re all the way over there.”

“...Just toss me the key,” I remark, watching as Kokichi snorts at the query. Ah...I guess that means there is no key. He was gonna leave me in the AV room with _ zero _ escape other than his own lockpicking skills. “You were gonna leave me there. Imagine if Kirumi had gotten there way after you left? I’d be dead.”

“Oh, don’t give me that. You were able to get out just fine without my help anyways! If I really _ had _left, you would have had it handled,” Kokichi answers much to my irritation.

“Yeah, because I _ happened _ to have a bag of tools with me _ . _ Don’t tell me you expected me to do that, I only did it because you said Kirumi’s name in the first place. Also, it took me _ time _ to get the armrest off. If Kirumi had come in without any warning, I wouldn’t have ‘had it handled’, I would be a corpse,” I snap, watching as Kokichi eyes me carefully.

“For the sake of the argument, I wasn’t actually going to leave you there. I was planning on stepping out just for a bit to get you talking since you got so quiet. You know, it’s a good thing I did! Otherwise, we would have _ both _been caught by surprise!” Kokichi points out, prompting me to glare at him and then turn my gaze away. I don’t believe him. His answer is too convenient. “So...handcuffs?”

Kokichi is holding up his tools when I look back at him, waiting for an answer.

…

“Fine. Just do it quick,” I give in, holding out my cuffs so he can reach them. Unfortunately, he instead makes his way over to sit next to me, brushing his wet hair behind an ear where he can see what he’s doing. I half lean away from him, but he ignores it as he gets to work tinkering with the lock of my right cuff. “...I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

Kokichi smiles at my words, even though my statement comes out bitter and hateful.

“Oh, trust me, I am. I had you wrapped up around my pinky finger even though you knew exactly what was going on. I’m not even sure how it still worked out for me in the end,” Kokichi admits, making my irritation fade just slightly.

_ It worked out in the end because I wanted the lies to be true. Except they’re not. Maybe this harsh wake-up call will help make severing my feelings to him easier. _

Another thought, one that _ should _be more important, flutters to the forefront of my mind as I watch him tinker with the handcuff lock. A small frown is playing over his features, the teen totally oblivious to the smile that's started to form across my mouth. 

“I got these unlocked easily before, but it might be all the water that’s made them temperamental now...don’t worry, I’ll still be able to remove-” Kokichi starts, only to be cut off when a sudden chuckle escapes me at the thought in my head. Kokichi looks at my face, eyeing me with a curious glint in his eyes. “What?”

“Nothing,” I say, still smiling to myself at how funny the thought is.

See...Kokichi sweet-talked me into watching scary movies and then played with my emotions tonight. He made fake advances to trap me just so he could burn up those monokub blueprints...but because of the advantage he knows absolutely nothing about, he has no idea he got nothing out of this. Sure, it makes it a bit harder for me now that I’ll have to use my intuition as a guide, but I can still tinker with the systems of the monokubs to remove their bombs.

Kokichi did all of this for nothing.

Somehow, that makes the humiliation of Kokichi playing with my emotions and promptly stomping them to the ground all the more bearable, even if it still hurts.

“Tell meee,” Kokichi begs, pouting as he rests his head on my shoulder. I’m tempted to...but would it break any Ugly Rules?

…

You know what? Who cares.

“That’s really it. You did all of this...for _ nothing,” _ I say, starting off in a little giggle that slowly overtakes me as I try to control it where I’m still coherent with my words. “When it comes down to it, you wasted your time. You know what? I totally hate your guts now, but I don't feel so bad anymore.”

Kokichi lifts his head from my shoulder, looking straight at me with an unreadable expression. After a second, he smiles and cocks his head to the side innocently. 

"What are you talking about?" 

Good mood restored, I choose not to answer him and wiggle my wrists so he redirects his attention to them.

"You said you could still take them off, right? Please hurry. My hands are going numb," I complain, showing the red marks under a portion of the cuffs. 

Kokichi doesn't move, other than to open his mouth. Just when I think he's about to refuse and try getting more information out of me, he evidently just closes his mouth into a tight smile and works on the lock again. A moment later, the right cuff pops open and he pulls the cuff open so I'm half free. The second one comes off soon after, allowing me to rub my wrists to get the feeling back in them. 

"You're welcome," he comments when I don't say anything else, to which I continue the trend by raising my eyebrows his way and promptly rolling my eyes. He thinks he deserves a "thank you"? After cuffing me to a sofa, laughing at me for my crush on him, and then putting me in danger? Oh yeah, _ thank you very much. _ It's _ just _ what I wanted. 

Why am I up here with him? I don’t want to be around him...I’m tempted to just climb out and take my chances sneaking past Kirumi to get back to my room where Rantaro’s waiting for me.

_ ...Aren’t you the Ultimate Rock Climber? _

_ … _

I stand up and quickly race to the opposite end of the alcove, surprising Kokichi by my sudden movements as I start swinging my legs over the side and promptly grab onto the wall. 

“Wait, you’re leaving? With _ Kirumi _stalking around looking for you? Prairie Dog, this isn’t very smart on your part…!” Kokichi says as he reaches the side of the alcove, unable to get any closer. He tries to lean out and take my hand, but I’ve already moved too far out of his reach at that point.

“I did tell you I wasn’t a genius, didn’t I? Smart or not, I don’t want to be around _ you. _ I’d rather get my head hacked off by Kirumi than spend another second in your miserable presence,” I say to him, lifting one hand to stick up my middle finger. “This is what I think of you now. _ Eat shit.” _

With that half-lie, I grab onto the wall and start my scale down the side of the school, ignoring the rest of Kokichi’s words as I descend slowly and eventually jump from a reasonable enough height. With a tuck and roll of my legs, I eventually break into a run to get back to the dormitories, scanning the area for any sign of Kirumi. Although I don’t see anyone during my run to the dorms, I pause as I’m pushing open the doors when a last glance procures a result.

I see Kirumi standing outside the steps of the school building, a weapon at hand that catches me off guard. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it before- it’s an extremely long and large battle axe that I think I saw hanging in _ Maki’s _ lab, now that I think about it...is she not guarding her lab tonight? It’s a strange weapon to see, but thankfully Kirumi doesn’t seem like she’s going to try and run after me. Instead, she just stands there and watches me from afar as I go indoors to head for my room.

Nothing looks out of place inside as I march up the stairs of the boys' side of the rooms, eventually reaching my dorm room and popping my key into the lock to go in.

The first thing I see is sleeping Rantaro exactly where I left him with the covers over his body, a comforting sight as I lock my door and wait to see the rise and fall of the comforter on top of him. 

Jeez, he really does sleep like a rock…

_ It’s for the best that he didn’t wake up. I was definitely gone longer than the note I left would imply, and I’m all drenched from the fire-safety sprinklers Kokichi set off in the AV room. I’ll bet those books Korekiyo and I found have water damage now...hopefully they’re at least still legible when I’m able to return to grab them. And my lucky tools. _

I sigh and start walking, only to trip over one of my abandoned maroon shoes I’d left by the door for later use. With a startled yelp, I fly forward and land face down on the carpet with a loud thud.

Almost at the same time, Rantaro inhales sharply and suddenly sits up- pushing the comforter off of him quickly through the half-lidded haze of sleep still clinging to him. The sticky-note with the word “LAME” is still attached to his forehead.

“Wha- what is it? Prairie?! You’re awake?!” He asks urgently, swinging his attention around the room before he notices me looking at him up from the floor. He then seems to realize there’s something obscuring a portion of his vision, removing the sticky note and squinting at the lettering in obvious confusion. “‘Lame’...Prairie, what is...?”

Rantaro looks my way and then squints again.

“...Why are you soaked head to toe,” he says more than asks as he climbs out of bed, a suspicious glint to his eye as annoyance begins to stake its claim on my emotions. I did _ everything _in the book to try and wake him up before, and the sound of me being startled is what gets him to wake up like that?

He’s reading the second note now, and he quirks an eyebrow in my direction once he’s finished taking in its contents.

“Uh...as relieved as I am that you’re finally awake, I feel as if I’ve missed something here. You couldn’t have woken me up or something?” He asks, stepping closer to help lift me up onto my feet lightly with careful hands.

_ ‘Woken him up’...? _

I’ve about _ had it _ with this night.

I stare at him for a moment and then step around him to walk to the bed. Once I’ve grabbed the pillow he was originally sleeping on, I turn to face him now that I have a weapon brandished. Realizing my intentions, Rantaro holds out his hands.

“Whoa, wait a minute, Prairie. I’m trying to have a serious conversation he-” He cuts himself off when I start swinging the pillow at him. _ “Prairie!” _

“‘Wake you up’? ‘_ Wake you up’?! _ You sleep like the dead, you stupid man-child! _ A sloth like you wouldn’t have woken up if the _ ** _earth split in two_**_!” _ I argue, aiming for his head and watching as he quickly ducks so the pillow sails over him.

“Okay, okay! If that happened, I’m sorry then. But what about the fact you’re all-” Rantaro dodges again with wide eyes, the pillow nearly striking him again when I jump to swing it downwards over his head.

“Just shut up and cover your eyes so I can put on dry clothes! Or better yet- _ leave!” _

With that, I manage to swing the pillow straight against his face with a force that only a truly wronged, and tragically misled woman could achieve.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ **_End of 4.3 - El Amado_** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Links~
> 
>   

> 
> [Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)  

> 
>   

> 
> (no new art yet, sowwy~)


	57. Perks of a Survivor

❀  ** _4.4 - Perks of a Survivor_ ** ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

I open my room door, watching as Rantaro looks back at me from where he’s standing by the rails of the second story. My hair is still damp, although now it’s because of a clean shower rather than getting doused by dirty fire-safe sprinklers. He steps back in wordlessly when I move out of the way, taking a seat on the bench chair in front of my vanity so I can face him where I sit at the foot of my bed. 

Rantaro exhales heavily in a way that sounds a lot like disappointment to my ears.

“So while I was waiting outside for you to clean yourself up, Kokichi came by. Also soaking wet,” Rantaro plainly puts out, eventually rubbing the side of his face in mild vexation. “It wouldn’t be presumptuous to assume _ both _of you happened to get into mischief then, right?”

I don’t hesitate to make a face, scowling at him so he knows he’s already headed in the wrong direction with that accusation. He seems bewildered by my reaction, up until a grimace coats his features when he senses what I’m implying. The teen closes his eyes for a moment out of what I could only assume is guilt.

“Sorry, I’m doing it again. Assuming you’re up to funny business without knowing any details- just ignore what I was saying. I take it back,” Rantaro apologizes. His words are enough to relax me, allowing the tension building up in my shoulders to drop gradually until I don’t feel the familiar weight of pressure that Rantaro so loved to stack over me before.

“Thank you. Anyways, when I left you that note, I honestly meant what I wrote at the time. I was only planning to step out for maybe thirty minutes max, but one thing led to another- no thanks to Kokichi,” I summarize off the bat, watching Rantaro reach out to take my hand with the kidwatch on it. 

He presses the side button and looks at the time, only allowing me to pull my hand back to my lap quickly once he’s given it a glance. There’s a curious glint in his eyes when I do so, but he thankfully doesn’t question it.

The idea of holding _ anyone’s _hand right now is a bit much for me after what Kokichi did.

“So walk me through it. Why’d you step out and what happened after you left the room?” Rantaro inquires curiously, folding his hands patiently.

I nod, watching him smile in mild relief. I guess he almost thought I’d be unwilling? I don’t see why though. We’ve already agreed to trying to repair our friendship, which means we ought to be trusting one another. I don’t want to undermine the agreement we made in the elevator before the class trial.

All I can do is hope that Rantaro also keeps his side of the agreement…

“I initially left to grab a bag I left behind in Hotel Kumasutra and was going to come back immediately after, but I had the idea to grab some books from the library that could help me understand the monokub blueprints I had,” I explain, making Rantaro nod.

“Ah, those...I remember Maki brought it up after the gunshots we heard when you got back,” Rantaro says, making my mind drift back to Kirumi with the battle axe from Maki’s lab.

If Kirumi was able to rob Maki’s lab at a time like this, Maki isn’t in her lab. If Maki isn’t in her lab, it’s because she isn’t guarding it anymore, right? I could be wrong about that guess, but I should ask Rantaro just to be sure.

“Um, can I ask something before I keep going? Has anyone besides the obvious seen Maki’s lab during the time I was asleep?” I ask, keeping my response as vague as I can for Maki’s protection.

Rantaro looks mildly confused by the query, but eventually shakes his head no.

“As far as I know, no one has but you and Maki herself...right?” Rantaro answers, surprising me when his gaze becomes mildly pointed in curiosity. Unfortunately, my reaction probably screams that he’s right on the mark. He definitely knows I know what it looks like in there? “I suspected you’ve known for a while...I actually already know why you’re keeping it a secret from the rest of us, but don’t worry, you don’t have to confirm or say it out loud. I know it’s for Maki’s sake.”

I hesitate before nodding, watching as Rantaro rests his jaw on his hand.

“I also knew from the moment she suggested it that the gun didn’t actually come from you,” he admits to clear up the confusion, even though it still confuses me _ how _he knows that. “Don’t worry, you’ll know how I know what she’s hiding and why in a bit. I don’t know her formal Ultimate title, but I have an idea it’s related to weapons and...well, I’m not about to tell anyone her secret or anything. She hasn’t caused us any concern up till now, and I don’t think she will either.”

“...I’m sorry. I’m the one that told her to tell you guys she confiscated the gun from me. I didn’t want her to be ostracized from the group anymore than she already is,” I admit sheepishly, the truth tumbling out before I can stop myself. “She’s not the nicest person and I don’t really like her, but...I don’t think she should be alone even if that’s what she wants. Ryoma was alone a lot, and look what happened to him.”

My words make both Rantaro and myself uncomfortable, but when I look up at him, he seems to agree with the point I’m trying to make. Ryoma had killed before and hated his past. Maki has probably also killed people too, if I’m to believe what the documents underground said when they had “assassin” listed as one of the talents in the categories.

According to the plan though, she was going to be a survivor. That means without a proper motive, she has no drive to actually kill- which is a lot that could be said for someone that has the talent of a straight up Ultimate Assassin. And furthermore, that’s on the basis of whether the paper was right and referring to _ Maki _specifically. For all I know, even though I told Maki she wasn’t on the list of planned murderers and victims, she could have been swapped in to take the place of an actual assassin, couldn’t she? And maybe the room isn’t even hers! Maybe it belongs to the removed Ultimate Assassin! 

_ … _

_ Then again, that’s a far stretch to try and convince myself she isn’t the Ultimate Assassin...considering she knows exactly how to use a gun when I definitely don’t. _

“Ryoma couldn’t have been a bad person and I don’t think Maki is far off that mark either, regardless of their history. Even if I do wanna smack her every now and then when she makes me mad,” I admit, prompting Rantaro to smile a bit and laugh. “She just needs to talk to more of us and she’ll be fine.”

“...That’s one of my favorite parts about you,” Rantaro speaks up, making me blink up at him in mild confusion. He likes that I want to beat Maki up? I thought- “Even when you really get really angry at someone, you still have a glimmer of faith despite aspects of us telling you otherwise. Kaede tries to kill you, you tell her you forgive her. Tsumugi is executed, and you’re still willing to help her despite your injuries.”

Rantaro’s smile falters into a worried look, making my heart throb slightly in sympathy.

“It’s scary, but...that’s what makes you, you. If I can’t stop you, I guess I’ll just have to watch your back for you so you’re at least doing crazy things safely,” Rantaro continues, prompting me to disregard my worries about physical contact, so I can scoot closer and hug his arm in comfort. Kokichi can chew on a dirty fork, I’m not going to let what he did get in the way of comforting my other friends.

Rantaro relaxes and glances at me to find me attached to his arm like a koala again, smiling warmly and patting the top of my head so I can’t help but glow under the attention. He evidently waves off the topic with a sigh of resignation and motions for me to continue. 

“Alright, so you went to the library. What then?” he inquires, to which I nod in confirmation

“Yep. I met up with Kiyo there and he helped me find some books I needed. He knows the library pretty well, so it was a big help...even if I ended up leaving them behind in the AV room...and they probably have water damage now,” I huff, ignoring the twitch of disapproval in Rantaro’s features that he tries to hide.

I guess he’s still not on good terms with Korekiyo...he’s not _ that _ bad. He’s a little strange, I’ll give him that, but he’s got a very interesting perspective for certain topics and I believe his insight is a valuable tool here- even if it can be a bit cold at times. I think Rantaro might like him if he’d just give him a chance. Even if Korekiyo _ is _listed as a planned murderer on that paper I found. Still, that document shouldn’t be a catch-all for who is definitely going to be a murderer and who isn’t.

Kaede and Kirumi may have attempted it as per the document’s planned predictions, but I won’t let Korekiyo fall into that abyss either. He’s either not thinking about it yet, or his bloodthirst is set to come out in regards to a motive. I can try stopping him from being exposed to any motives or I can try to change his mind entirely about murder, couldn’t I?

_ Okay, that’ll be the first plan of action then in this hell hole. Making sure I influence Kiyo enough to drive him away from any ideas of murdering someone. Even if Rantaro doesn’t like it, I’m still going to do it. _

“That’s the point where everything got out of control. The last few minutes when I was with him, Kiyo gave me that blue ribbon I had tied around my neck when I got back. Kokichi must have seen us from the AV room and I guess sort of thought Kiyo was going to strangle me with it? I still don’t really know, but he came barging in on us and broke one of the speakers in the AV room in the process,” I explain, eyeing Rantaro’s look of surprise.

“Really?” He asks, looking even more concerned than before. Sheesh, it’s almost like he’s trying to find a legitimate reason to justify his dislike of Korekiyo. “That’s not very comforting to hear about Korekiyo, Prairie...are you sure it’s safe to be around him?”

I puff up my cheeks, irritated at the blatant bias he has against poor Korekiyo.

“I would think it’s safe, yes. The person I’m not so sure of is _ stupid Kokichi,” _ I huff in distaste. “After what he did, I’d rather spend time with Kiyo than _ him, _that’s for sure.”

Rantaro frowns at that, but allows me to continue on with my explanation.

“Kokichi chased Kiyo away by being appalling and rude. And then he dragged me to the AV room and forced me to watch scary movies with him,” I spit out, pulling up my legs on the bed and hugging them to myself as a chill runs across my spine at the memory of those awful body-horror scenes from the first movie. “I hated it...I don’t like horror. He even picked the worst movie for us to start with.”

He blinks curiously at that, a sympathetic smile forming on his face at my obvious disdain of horror movies.

“What movie was it?”

“...’John Carpenter’s _ The Thing’... _I can’t get the image of the defibrillator scene out of my head, it was so scary and gross…!” I complain, pulling my hair over my face in embarrassment when Rantaro starts to chuckle a little. “Don’t laugh, I didn’t like it.”

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just...you know it isn’t real, right? It’s just a movie,” Rantaro says, making me look up furiously from my hair.

“I have another pillow back here to beat the incompetence out of you,” I threaten him, watching as he holds up his hands and stands up to sit next to me on the bed where he can rub my back to console me. Although I want to jump away, I remind myself that Rantaro isn’t Kokichi and relax myself under his friendly gesture.

“Alright, so what else happened?”

“...Kokichi started getting weird,” I say clearly, feeling Rantaro stiffen up beside me. “At first he was just messing around, I think, but then he started getting a little too cozy. He was poking me and said it was a date, but I thought he was only kidding at first.”

…

“He had his arm around my shoulders and every time I tried to leave, he’d convince me to keep watching movies with him even though I didn’t want to. Maybe I should have listened to my gut, but I didn’t. I wouldn’t tell _ him, _but I was having a good time. I didn’t like the movie we were watching, but I liked his attention and I…kind of wanted more.”

Rantaro grunts, making me look up at him where he’s giving me a serious looking grimace.

“Please tell me this isn’t going where I think it’s going…” Rantaro pleads, a shadow cast over his features as he processes my statements.

“...He pretended to try kissing me and it turned out to be a trick just so he could handcuff me to the sofa and destroy the monokub blueprints,” I state, watching as Rantaro immediately stands up. Before he can make a beeline for the door, I jump off the bed and snap my arms around his waist. Once I drop my weight to try and anchor him to the room, which I'm sure only works because of Rantaro's consideration rather than my featherweight body, he stops dead in his tracks. “No! Don’t!”

“What? _ ‘Don’t’? _ Prairie, he did something pretty damn awful! You really intend on letting him get away with that?” Rantaro asks, visibly agitated by what he’s heard and my refusal of his obvious intent to go talk to Kokichi...or maybe beat him up? I don’t know, either way I’m sure it’s _ not _ a good idea that he wants to suddenly get up and see Kokichi.

“No, of course not! But I didn’t try to beat him up because _ you _ told me to work on my anger issues. Other than that though, I can fight my own battles, I don’t need you to swoop in for me,” I complain, watching as Rantaro unhooks my arms from around him and turns to face me. He crouches down to look up at me, clasping his hands around both of mine warmly. His hands completely engulf my petite hands, like mittens for my chilly palms due to the air conditioning...not that it’s as bad as it was before the remodeling done by Monotaro and Monokid, but it can still get a bit cold every now and then.

“Prairie…” Rantaro starts, green eyes blazing as he meets my gaze unflinchingly with a darkness I’ve never actually seen before on his face. This man is literally begging me to take action. “I say this whole-heartedly and with total conviction. If you want to beat the shit out of Kokichi, _ I will not stop you.” _

_ “Rantaro!” _ I scold him this time, reaching over to start yanking a bit roughly on a lock of his hair in hopes of snapping him out of his blind- yet leveled- rage. He winces slightly, reaching up to try and unknot my hand from torturing his scalp with a persistent look of frustration. “I’m not gonna go beat him up and go back on my word by getting physically aggressive. And neither are _ you _, for that matter. Also, in case you forgot-”

I finally release his hair and lift up my wrist, pointing at the kidwatch until Rantaro sighs in resignation. A little rage seems to leave him in that one breath, watered down to stray bubbles of irritation. I knew he’d be upset, but not to the point of trying to beat up Kokichi or giving me a pass on doing the leech-beating myself.

“Look, I’m not saying he’s going to get away scot-free. I’m not gonna be nice to him and I won’t be going with any of his requests from now on. Maybe if I get angry enough or he pushes my buttons, I’ll find a way to get back at him, but right now isn’t the time for that. He did something cruel and it is what it is, but we have other things to focus on- like what happened after he tried to leave me cuffed to the couch,” I point out, watching Rantaro’s expression twist as he swallows what I imagine to be a ball of rage that he’s been holding on to.

“There’s _ more…?” _ He asks, the fog of anger rising a bit more. I hold up a hand to calm him down, removing my hands from his and pulling him up so he’s standing up again to his full height. 

“Yeah, but to be fair it wasn’t anything Kokichi did. Kirumi ended up being in the game room and Kokichi had to stall her from figuring out I was in the AV room. He didn’t exactly give me anything to get myself uncuffed though, so I don’t know whether he was hoping Kirumi would just go away on her own or not," I say, trying to get his clenched hands to relax when I notice how he's got them in closed fists. Eventually I manage to get them to open and ease up.

Rantaro still looks pissed off though, so I try to continue and get through the recounting of events quickly.

"I got myself out in the end, but Kirumi chased us to Kaede’s old lab and we hid there till she left. If it wasn’t for the tools I had, I would have been in the perfect position for Kirumi to kill me. I won’t say Kokichi was _ totally _ useless since he did help me get away to the best of his abilities, but…I hate him. That’s all I’ll say on that,” I state, finishing up with a shrug. “I ditched him and got back after climbing down the side of the school wall. It wasn’t very difficult and I just wanted to get away from stupid Kokichi, so at least I managed that much.”

Rantaro’s jaw is tense, prompting me to reach up to lightly rest both palms on either side of his face. As I massage his mandible, he eventually seems to calm down a bit more to something that resembles more of his usual temperament of cool, calm, and collected.

“...You’re handling this a lot better than I would have thought you would. I’m...glad,” Rantaro says, looking momentarily embarrassed as he takes my wrists and pulls them away from his face with a smile that borders on something bittersweet. “I guess I really didn’t have to worry about anything before, did I? All I did was sort of get in your way and entrap you…”

I shake my head, bouncing lightly on my heels.

“No. If we hadn’t made an agreement in the elevator, Rantaro, I wouldn’t have held back with Kokichi after that stunt he pulled. Whether I had the kidwatch or not, I probably would have beaten him up to the full extent of my abilities,” I confess watching as Rantaro brightens up and laughs at the big smile I give him. He eyes me a moment and then reaches out to press a palm over my forehead, moving the back of his hand to my cheeks a second after.

“How do you feel after all that sleep? You’re doing okay, right?” He asks as he pulls his hand back from me with a frown of concern. “That was pretty scary what happened. You were so unresponsive to whatever we did that...well, some of us thought the worst. Monokuma said there was no reason for why you’d be asleep for such a long period of time, and we thought the watch may have malfunctioned and dosed you. Monodam came and debunked that, but...he’s not the most trustworthy of the bears, to be honest.”

With a smile, I hug his arm in hopes of easing his worries even though I know I can’t tell him the truth about my intuition, as much as I want to. “I’m sorry for scaring you...but I feel just fine and I’m not tired anymore, that’s for sure.”

“What about food? Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten anything since you passed out…” Rantaro continues, fussing over me and pushing me away from his arm so he can see me better. I guess his “big brother” habits will never truly go away...not that all of them are so bad though. Some are very endearing and Rantaro-like, so I can’t say I imagine he’d be the same if he wasn’t such a worry wart like this.

“You’ll be glad to know Kokichi managed to be useful for something else besides helping me escape Kirumi. He had snacks for me when we were watching movies, so I was able to get some nummies in my tummy,” I state brightly in hopes of warding off suspicion since I definitely didn’t eat as much as Rantaro would probably like. I’m hoping he doesn’t ask exactly-

“What did you eat?” Rantaro asks, his green eyes critical as if he’s noticed something off in my words. Well, can’t say I didn’t try. I do suck at lying to Kokichi _ and _him, after all.

“A little beef jerky,” I confess with a guilty sigh, only for Rantaro to pull away from me instead of berating me for trying to lie to him. It’s surprising, but I don’t say anything about it and just watch him instead as he walks around the bed.

_ ...He looks really good in a tank top._

I banish that sudden thought out of my head as soon as it appears, trying not to fall victim to another situation similar to what I have with Kokichi. Rantaro is good looking, but I don’t have a crush on him. Since my first crush is a total disaster, it’s better I don’t go developing any_ other _crushes that will legitimately crush me like Kokichi did.

Rantaro crouches down by a bag on the other side of the night table by my bed, making me brighten up when I see it’s actually the “Prairie Care Package” bag he’s got. Unzipping the bag easily, Rantaro pulls out a few containers and then brings them back to me where I’m seated.

“It’s not a cooked meal or anything, but it’ll keep you full until morning hits,” Rantaro says, setting them down in front of me where I’m already vulturing the containers curiously. What could it be? It probably isn’t meat...or anything that perishes very quickly, for that matter. “I had it ready for you in case you woke up at night. I had different ones the other nights just in case, but I figured I’d swap them in the morning and eat what was in there as snacks so you’d have something fresh whenever you woke up...”

It’s easy to notice the unspoken _ “if you woke up” _in his words. Regardless, his actions say he wasn’t going to give up on the possibility of me waking up, which is pretty surprising. How long would it take for someone to be convinced a sleeping person was comatose and wouldn’t wake up again?

_ It’s best not to think morbid thoughts like that. Just be happy he had faith you’d wake up and eat the food he gave you! Hungry! _ ** _Hungry!_ **

I sit down with him in front of my bed and open the first sealed container, brightening up when I see apple slices, grapes, and chopped strawberries, and banana slices.

“Fruit~!” I chirp, looking up to beam his way. “Thank you for the food!”

“Sorry I couldn’t get a nectarine in there for you too. Sadly I only found one nectarine ticket in here which I used for the package Shuichi brought you in the hotel, and I haven’t been able to snag any others,” Rantaro says, watching with a pleasant smile as I start chowing down on his gracious offering.

_ Hmm...that must have been the spare ticket I got from Kiyo a while ago. That being said, a lot of people have gotten it despite the fact that it’s such a “rare” item...not including Ryoma who had gotten it through paying an astronomical amount of coins for it at the casino. I wonder if the frequent drop of it is just luck, or if Monokid got it’s rarity drop wrong? _

“Tsumugi promised me a nectarine ticket a little after our initial fight if I wore one of her stupid cosplays. I wonder if it’s just sitting there...all cold and alone in her dorm room with no one to cash it out…” I comment between bites, finishing up all the grapes, banana bites, and strawberries as Rantaro lets out a laugh at the way I speak.

“We could try and check, but...I think we may have to enlist _ his _help for breaking in,” Rantaro huffs, scowling just at the thought of Kokichi from the looks of it. I’m murmuring something rude about the nasty leech when it happens.

I stick my fork in the apple slice and suddenly _ it _ appears in my mind as I hear the sound of the silverware spear the fruit.

The dream where Rantaro was feeding me apple slices on the beach.

Feeling my face become engulfed in heat, I eat every apple slice as quickly as I can before Rantaro can look my way, setting down the container and fork just in time to cover my entire face with my hair as I struggle to chew and swallow the fruit.

“Uh...Prairie?” Rantaro asks, presumably noticing how I’ve gathered my hair up over my face. “Are you okay over there?”

“...Yep.”

…

“Did something happen for you to suddenly go into hiding?” He asks next, amusement laced in his voice as I choose to shake my head “no” instead of answer. Clearly even a one-word response has clued him in on my sudden embarrassment from out of nowhere. “Oh. Okay then. In that case, come out whenever you feel up to it.”

“...Don’t make fun of me…” I huff, peeking over my hair at him when I see him chuckling under a hand he’s brought up over his jaw to hide his smile. He looks happier than he did before, that’s for sure. After telling him what Kokichi did, I almost thought Kokichi was done for.

“Hey, so...about our talk. I know you were just looking out for me before when I’d get into trouble so often. I may have let it come off as something I entirely hated, but I do want to say I’m grateful that you wanted to look out for me so much in the first place. Even if it did end up becoming too much for me, I just-”

“Wait,” Rantaro stops me, taking my hands in his again. This time it seems it’s for a different reason than just to be friendly. He’s obviously about to bring up a heavy topic. “Before you continue, I need to come clean about _ why _I was doing that. I gave you some reasons for my actions, and while those were true, it wasn’t the whole truth.”

_ “The whole truth”? Well...I guess that’s not surprising. He was secretive from the very start and I accepted that. I didn’t think he had more reasons to be overprotective though. Wasn’t it just because he cared about me and equated me to being like a little sister? _

“Before the killing game, things happened in my life. Things I’ve been told weren't my own fault,” Rantaro starts speaking, pausing to take a deep breath as he prepares himself to continue. I can already sense this must be something he doesn’t normally talk about, so I don't interject. “Prairie, do you remember my step-sisters? The ones I mentioned before?”

I nod in response, watching as a small smile graces his features. It’s not a nice smile. It’s the smile you see on the face of someone that’s experienced turmoil in their life and has given up fighting it. The smile he makes is a sad one that I don’t like seeing on his face. I can only wonder where he's going with this…but I eventually get my answer.

“Well. In truth, I haven't seen any of my sisters in a very long time. All of them went missing during several of my trips outside Japan. I lost track of all of them, and as of now...all twelve have been missing for years,” Rantaro explains, causing my heart to clench tightly in shock at the confession. 

Rantaro swallows nervously, eyes flicking away from mine shamefully. I've never seen him like this- it feels like I'm speaking to a much different Rantaro than the one that would plaster a more convincing enough fake smile for everyone. It hurts me seeing him like this. 

"I care about you, Prairie. I care about you a _ lot. _I care more than I thought I would have, and knowing you could disappear at any moment like my sisters did...it's the scariest thing I can think about right now. Especially regarding the concept of this killing game we're trapped in," Rantaro explains, the expression on his face almost as if he's realizing that fact as he's saying it. "Maybe...I'd even care less for myself dying in here if you weren't-"

At the small sharp gasp of horror that involuntarily escapes me at the realization of what he's about to say, Rantaro seems to snap out of his spiraling thoughts. He looks back up at me and appears suddenly guilty by saying something so dark out loud, backpedaling from his statement with an embarrassed laugh to probably let it drift by without addressing it. Just like that, he has that plastic smile back on. A fake smile that's just a little easier to see beneath now that I've witnessed it come off for even a moment. 

"Ah...forget that last part, please. I don't want you to worry about me or anything," Rantaro tries to brush it off, making me scoot closer so I can sit next to him on the carpet and defiantly hug him.

"Rantaro. Are we a team here?" I ask gently but pointedly, keeping my cheek pressed up against his arm as I hug him. The other containers I haven’t opened are still on the floor, but at the moment I can’t bring myself to keep eating even though I’m hungry.

"Well, ah-" I tilt my head up so I can stare at him and get a response faster. "Yes, I'd like to think we are…but, why do you-"

"Because. If I need to lean on you when I'm in trouble...then it's only fair you lean on me a little too when you're not doing so good either," I say, hugging him more as I process his words. "I get what you were trying to say. You were protective because you didn't want to feel the same loss you felt before."

I can feel my expression turn into something a bit somber as I redirect my gaze to the carpet floor in an attempt to recalibrate my emotions before I start tearing up. 

"I'm sorry I didn't consider your feelings. Even if I hadn't heard about your past with your sisters, I'm sorry I disregarded your concerns towards my safety in general either. I guess I see why you would get so upset before," I say, feeling him reach over with his unrestrained hand to rub the top of my head lightly again. It's been a while since he's done that, so I crack a bit of a smile and ease into it until Rantaro chuckles a little. It's not to the level he usually would...he still seems very sad. Besides that though, I need to apologize for something else awful I said too."I'm sorry about what I said before."

He looks a little confused by that second comment, blinking down at me until I pull away from his hand shamefully. I still remember the awful thing I screamed at him back when he locked me in that classroom for losing my temper, even if he doesn't recall it.

_ "If you were _ ** _my _ ** _ brother, I'd set myself on fire and jump in a vat of gasoline to put myself out of my misery!" _

My face twists with regret at the memory, prompting me to shove my cheek against his arm again apologetically.

"I didn't mean what I said before when I was throwing desks and chairs at the classroom door you locked me in," I apologize, pressing my cheek against his arm as angry tears start to form at the corners of my eyes. I must have hurt him so much when I said that. "I said I'd set myself on fire if you were actually my brother, but that was a lie. I was just lashing out and trying to hurt you like you were hurting me, even though I knew it was wrong. What I said must have hurt you more than I considered, and-"

Rantaro actually laughs a little at the mention of that much to my surprise, making me look up at him until he notices the tears now rolling down my guilty face. He quickly loses the spark of amusement at the sight, his expression turning into something apologetic.

"No! No, don't cry, I- Prairie, it didn't hurt me, I promise. I actually thought it was kind of funny. It wasn't your fault, you didn't know any better and I never told you...come on, you're alright, okay? As long as you're sad, I'll be sad too," Rantaro tries to console me, wiping my tears with a sympathetic smile that soon becomes a pout that I evidently can't help but start laughing at through my tears. Rantaro is usually so serious, so to see a childish pout on his face like I usually make is kind of funny.

"T-That sort of reminds me of when we first met," I say through my giggles, wiping away the last of my tears with my hands so I'm not such a mess. 

Rantaro looks mildly confused up until it seems to hit him.

"Oh. Right, I almost forgot about how my first time meeting you wasn't your first time meeting me. Actually, how did our first meeting happen?" Rantaro asks, leaning back against the foot of the bed with me as we relax into the calming atmosphere. We'll need this if we want to delve into more serious topics afterwards.

I look up at him with a much-too-bright grin.

"You fell out of the locker after me and turned me into a pancake because you're fat," I brightly state, watching Rantaro scowl before he reaches over to poke my sides in retaliation. I jump with a squeak and try to crawl away, making him pull me back to keep at the torture until I'm complaining.

"I'm not fat, you're just small," Rantaro defends himself with a smile, eventually just hugging me to him and pulling me to sit with my back to his chest. "So, what else happened?"

I relax now that I know he's not going to poke me anymore, feeling him brush through my hair with his fingers to organize my messy locks. Since he's so interested, I evidently move to pull my hairbrush off my vanity ahead and settle back down in front of him. When I move to pass the hairbrush over, he looks much happier than he did moments before when he was talking about his sisters. His behaviors and tendencies to treat me like a doll makes more sense now that I know what happened to them.

Even if I went and said it wasn't his fault his sisters got lost, it doesn't seem like he would believe me going by how he started the conversation. Guaranteed that regardless of whether it was his fault or not, in the end it doesn't matter since he's grieving like it was either way. Poor Rantaro...

"Well, I cut my arm, so you ended up helping me patch up the wound...which is when I told you I wasn't good with talking to boys and you told me to pretend you were a girl so it would be easier for me. When I said your voice was too deep and that you didn't look like a girl, you said it offended your femininity."

Rantaro laughs at that, amused by the interaction he no longer remembers.

"I wish I remembered that myself. Knowing I've lost some memories of you makes me feel robbed in a way," Rantaro states, carefully running the brush through my damp locks before stopping with a sigh and setting it down.. "Anyways, there's more I want to tell you if we're going to be a true team here. I'm not sure how you'll take it, but I think…even if you hate me, I'll be fine."

I squeeze his free hand with mine. 

"Don't get your hopes up, I've been lying when I've said 'I hate you' those past couple of times now," I say, making Rantaro lean around so he can meet my gaze with a slightly knowing grin. The way he angles his head down a bit makes his forest green eyes peer up through his lashes in an attractive manner that makes me want to throw a paper bag over his head.

_ "Just _those past couple of times? Or all of them?" His words make me grunt in distaste and push him back so he's not leaning around where I can see him. I hear soft laughter emitting from the petulant green haired abomination, but I admit nothing else even with his prompting.

_ No, I at the very least still hate you for that dumb face you have, trust me...and those terrible long and voluminous eyelashes you definitely don't need and _ ** _definitely_ ** _ abuse with me. _

"I'm gonna go grab what I need to show you. It's just on the night table," Rantaro says, getting up to walk over to my bedside. 

My eyes follow him until he comes back, his monopad at hand and a perplexed expression he doesn't try to hide as he sits back down next to me on the plush carpet. I duck under his arm and lean in to look at the monopod screen in his hands, noting how he seems to hesitate for a moment. He turns his head in my direction, which I catch out of the corner of my eye and mimic the movement to look back up at him.

"This is something I thought about showing you before, but in the end I couldn't do it since...I'll be honest. It reflects badly on me. I thought that if I showed this to you, you wouldn't trust me anymore. Maybe that assumption was wrong of me to make in hindsight," Rantaro admits, before glancing back at the tablet. "I'm still nervous about it now though."

…

Rantaro presses the power button on the tablet, prompting the screen to flash on and read something in a digital font of different jostling sizes as they float on the screen. Almost instantly, my heart gives a painful jerk and my breath gets half caught up when I inhale the saliva in my mouth. I turn away to heavily cough into the bend of my arm, making Rantaro wince beside me as I eventually clear my throat and point to the tablet.

“Okay, I already knew what it was, but seeing it...is a whole lot different than just knowing it exists,” I admit, noting Rantaro’s mild surprise at my words. Just going by that reaction, that tells me Shuichi hasn’t told him about what was on that pink kubzpad I received in place of a kubzpad. I’m not sure why he wouldn’t tell him, but I guess either Rantaro never asked, or Shuichi didn’t tell him because...he wanted _ me _to tell him? I don’t really know.

_ I sorta wish Shuichi told him...that way he’d have been less confused over what pushed me over the edge before. _

The text reads "Survivor Perk", and in smaller letters beneath it I read, "Logged for the Ultimate Survivor, Rantaro Amami. File 1 of 2 survivor perks issued to the Ultimate Survivor."

_ I knew I’d eventually have to think about this again, but I really don’t want to… _

Rantaro moves a free hand to rub the back of my neck for a moment, quiet as he allows me to process just the dumb _ title screen _of the monopad. It’s relaxing, even if it makes me flinch at first from the sensitivity back there. Thankfully I don’t have a fork at hand this time, or I would have flung it again at first.

"...When I learned that you were the Ultimate Survivor before, it drove me crazy. It made me think you were the mastermind for a little bit since you left behind a video to yourself,” I speak up, rolling one of my locks around my fingers nervously as I explain. “It’s what made me so upset I ended up throwing a can at Monokuma, but hurt Angie instead.”

“Hm...so it was the video you saw with Shuichi then, huh? ...That explains why Shuichi has sort of been avoiding me. He said something about there being a reasonable explanation for the video, but when I asked, he would sort of avoid answering and just say he believes in me no matter what,” Rantaro explains himself, sighing heavily. “I can’t say I’m happy with Shuichi knowing about this Survivor Perk I have, but...well, he’s better than one of the others. I guess it’s my fault in the end, I made it pretty hard for you to approach me about it.”

I frown up at him, making sure he sees my reaction to his words.

“If you don’t stop that, I’m gonna bite you again,” I huff pointedly in warning. “You’re acting as if you’re the only one to blame for our fight. Be realistic, Rantaro. It’s _ both _our faults. Me, impulsive and violent. You, overprotective and bossy. We were natural opposites that were eventually bound to snap at one another no matter how hard we tried to avoid it.”

Rantaro makes a slight face at that, but doesn’t combat my words verbally even though his expression says he disagrees. He really _ is _ a pessimist...great.

I respond by taking hold of his arm and opening my mouth noticeably. Noticing my intentions to bite, he yanks his arm up out of my grip and holds out a hand against my forehead when I move to try and bring his forearm closer again.

“No biting. Look, you see it differently than I do because you don’t understand, and that’s fine, but- _ Ow!” _ he yelps when my teeth find the part of his hand between his index finger knuckle and thumb to bite.

“You’re doing it _ again. _ You’re acting as if I’m younger and looking down on me again- you’re not the adult here, Rantaro!" I complain, jumping up to my feet as my temper starts to flare up. "WE are not adults, we’re both teenagers! I don’t need you to shield me from concepts I don’t yet understand, I don’t need you to act as if you have everything under control so I don’t freak out, and I _ don’t _need you to carry the whole weight of something that is partly my own fault. Yes, sometimes it can be a lot for me, and yes, maybe I don’t understand a lot of things like you probably do, but how do you expect me to grow if you’re constantly stifling my growth?” 

I almost want to just march out of the room again and-

“You’re right! I’m sorry, I-” Rantaro pauses to take a deep breath, exhaling heavily as he puts both hands together and presses his forehead and nose against them. “...I’m sorry. I’m working on that too. I need to step away from the mental image I made you out to be and rebuild my perspective. I’m sorry. I know that’s not enough, but I’m sorry.”

…

I sit back down beside him carefully and pull my knees up to my chest where I can hug them and get a hold of my rampaging emotions again. I’m exhausted already, and by the look on Rantaro’s face, he’s already exhausted too.

“Why do things like these have to be so hard?” I ask him, staring down at my feet to ground myself. “I hate emotions. I wish I could just brush off everything that makes me upset and go on with life. I hate fixating on things that make me feel bad.”

Rantaro reaches over and brushes his hand through my hair to rub the back of my shoulder, where I notice an ache developing from the tension in my muscles. I’m sure he’s much more tired than I am, considering he’s staying up at this time to talk with me.

“...Do you want to save looking at the tablet tomorrow?” He asks, making me pause to think about it. Whether I look at it tonight or tomorrow morning, it’s not going anywhere and neither is Rantaro. Technically I can push it aside and deal with it later, but…

“No, I can still look. I just need to calm down a second,” I say, feeling his hand massage my shoulder until it loosens enough for him to massage the other shoulder. It’s kind of funny he’s still pampering me even though I just yelled at him. I would have thought he’d want to leave me alone completely until I’d given the green light. “Y-You don’t have to do that, you know?”

Rantaro hums in confusion before realizing I’m talking about the massage. He pauses for a moment, observing my reaction as he asks. “Do you not like it?”

I let out a short breath of laughter at the question, even if it’s sort of pitiful and makes me feel guilty. Now I’ve got him second guessing everything he does. That’s...not what I meant for him to start doing.

“No, I like it...I mean...isn’t your hand gonna tire and cramp up though? You don’t have to do that for me. It must not be comfortable trying to massage me in an awkward position like you’re doing,” I clarify, making Rantaro stare at me quietly for a moment.

“No, it won’t. But you’re okay with it then, right?” Rantaro pushes again curiously, prompting me to eventually just nod since he’s not exactly focused on anything other than my answer. The confirmation on my part seems enough for him to give me a charming smile. “Then I’ll keep doing it.”

_ He’s hopeless. _

“Okay, let’s get back to the Survival Perks. You only have two of them according to the title screen of the second monopod you have, which means there’s nothing else missing so far,” I say, taking charge in the conversation since Rantaro is busy enjoying himself with massaging my shoulders. He nods to let me know he’s listening, even though he’s reached over with his other hand to work properly and look at where he’s massaging my back. 

There’s a moment I consider whacking him so he stops, even though I really do appreciate the favor, but I decidedly let it go and continue speaking. 

“This is perk one, and the video I saw was more than likely perk two if I'm to go by the fact you stated the message was for yourself. If we trap Shuichi tomorrow somewhere alone with us, he’ll be able to correct anything I may have missed or gotten confused with, and he can confirm anything I’ll be saying now so you know I’m not lying about it. Alright?”

Rantaro actually glances up at that part, genuine surprise washing over his features before something seems to occur to him that makes him laugh a little. I can't help but cock my head slightly to the side in question when I see the look he's wearing. He seems to find it funny that I've brought up Shuichi as a back-up to confirm my statements… 

“Oh, right. Okay,” he answers pleasantly as if we're not about to talk about serious things right now. Yeah, no, I guess I can't have him massaging my shoulders like this if his head is gonna be up in the clouds.

"No more," I comment with puffed cheeks of mild annoyance, turning to wave his hands off of me. Once he pulls his hands back and I confirm he's not about to do anything else like try to brush my hair again and stuff, I focus back on the topic. "Your video was awful, I'll start with that. It was you trying to be edgy, mysterious, and enigmatic, as per usual, and if I could have reached through the screen to slap you in the past, I would have."

Rantaro shifts a little in visible embarrassment, his cheeks dusting with a rare red shade as he responds, “Ah…’edgy’? Is that really the impression I give off…?” He asks, making me sniff with an arbiter’s air of eloquence. 

“Yes. You’re like a neon sign in a dark alley that says, ‘I swear I’m not suspicious or out of place’, which doesn’t go to say you’re a bad guy or anything. That being said, you definitely need to work on your delivery and self-awareness, because you’re still a weird suspicious neon sign in a dark alley either way you slice it,” I state, scooping up the tablet he’s discarded and gently tapping the screen with my knuckles. “You mentioned this perk in your video, albeit vaguely and not explicitly. I just sort of assumed it had to be the second monopod you owned.”

I set it back down, watching as Rantaro seems to eye me as I sort of disregard it for now. I guess he’s still nervous about me seeing it, but I don’t want to look at it until I’ve told him of the video. That way we can make connections about the information we’ve got and stay on the same page.

“The video starts off with you introducing yourself and explaining that the video is for you to watch once you’ve lost your memories. If I’m to go by the comments you made around ‘participating’ and that this was the ‘killing game you wished for’...I lost it over the implications that you might have entered the killing game altogether by your own volition entirely,” I explain, flicking my eyes up from where they’ve wandered down to his monopad perk. His expression says it all- he’s very surprised by that comment.

“Which also means in the beginning when you met me, you knew exactly why you were there because unlike the rest of us, you signed up for it,” I say with a mild grimace. Sadly, that Rantaro has come and gone- along with whatever imperative clues he could have given me regarding the killing game.

Maybe I should have tried harder to go against Monokuma even with his relentless threats, but...it’s not like I knew he was bluffing back then. When he had one of the monokubs grab Gonta and Tenko with an Exisal, it felt all too real and I wasn’t willing to risk it. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but I still feel guilty over thinking that I could have done more than I had. 

“...Well, that’s not out of character for me unfortunately. For once, I wish I wasn’t so secretive and cautious. You could have brought more information to me otherwise,” Rantaro says, prompting me to sigh and shake my head.

“Don’t bet on it. I actually have more information you gave me during the second reset that may be useful, but I can’t tell you about it because of Monokuma turning them into rules,” I state with a scowl as I pick up my hair brush and start running it through my hair to keep myself busy while thinking.

Rantaro looks to brighten up when he sees and reaches over to take the brush, but I hold my hand up and shoo his aside quickly with a small “no”. Maybe when we finish the conversation I’ll let him brush it a little more, but not right now.

“You also said in the video that you weren’t allowed to share the information on it with anyone here. I guess since I was able to bring the kubzpad to Shuichi without any repercussions, that rule didn’t apply to me, but it may apply to you still even if you haven’t watched the video. In that case, we may have to keep it between the three of us,” I say, noting how Rantaro seems to raise an eyebrow at that. 

“Really? My monopad said I was able to share the information, but gives caution that I need to make sure I can really trust whoever I share it with. Why just one and not the other…?” Rantaro asks, trailing off in a manner that gives the appearance he’s mostly asking himself that question rather than me. “Maybe Monokuma didn’t want the others to know about my ultimate talent, hence the emphasis of the monopad’s text stating to be cautious. I mean...when I had woken up and told everyone I had forgotten my talent, I really meant it. Contrary to what my monopod says, when I read ‘Ultimate Survivor’, it just doesn’t feel right or fitting. I don’t find this talent familiar compared to you telling me I was the Ultimate Adventurer. _ That one _ clicked in the right way.”

I give the tablet by our legs a curious look at his comment. No, that’s not it...Monokuma must have put regulations on the video for a different reason. A reason or a detail in the video that was not featured in the monopad which would warrant keeping only the information of the video perk solely private for Rantaro’s eyes only...

“I’m gonna look at this really quick, I need to check what’s on it if I’m on the right track with my thoughts,” I say, scooping up the monopod beside him. Rantaro watches as I power the thing back on, swiping the screen until I see the introduction image move up.

“Wait...what?” I question out loud as I come across a map of the first floor of the building...and then the second and third floors. And the _ fourth _floor, which I stop on to let my eyes scan the page vigilantly. “D-Did you guys open up new areas in the school?”

“No, we haven’t. Monokuma said he wanted to wait and see if you woke up so that this time you could participate in opening new areas unlike last time. The only reason you see it there is because the entire map of the school building is stored in there- including the areas we haven’t opened yet and...some of the other ultimate labs.,” Rantaro explains, prompting my gaze to drift up towards him mechanically in disbelief. He has a whole map of the entire school to himself as a perk! What in the-

I look back down at it and start scanning the visible rooms and mentally marking off which labs I see before facing Rantaro. I can see the rooms to Angie’s lab on the fourth floor, Shuichi’s and Tsumugi’s lab on the fifth floor, Kaito’s lab on the sixth and uppermost floor…

Scrolling back a few floors to check something, I hum in understanding when I see Maki’s lab. There’s an icon of a sniper and knife over the spot where her lab is, which is a huge hint related to her talent regardless of the fact it doesn’t explicitly state her talent on it. Either way, it’s the room Maki has been guarding since that area has been opened.

_ I guess he’s known she’s been giving a bogus talent from the very beginning. It’s very considerate of him to keep it under wraps for her, especially for that long. He could have mentioned it the second the killing game started so people had the heads up that she was a potential threat, but he didn’t. _

_ There’s still the question of how Kirumi got her hands on that giant axe from her lab if she’s still presumably guarding her lab, so...maybe she broke in before while Maki was away and snatched it for her own use? Kokichi saw her coming back with it when he left me in the Ultimate Pianist’s lab, but I know she didn’t go up to the next floor when I consider how long I waited for Kokichi to appear again. She may have stored it somewhere else for later use...probably for use on me, at that. _

“I can’t really tell if the one on the fourth floor here is Kiyo’s or Tenko’s...it just has an archway like they do in those Japanese shrines and temples, so I think it could be either of theirs. And I can’t tell who’s lab is up beside the magnifying glass that is Shuichi’s lab,” I comment thoughtfully, “Just by counting though, we have three labs missing from inside the academy itself, discounting Miu’s lab in the courtyard. I wonder why this thing doesn’t also have a courtyard map. I mean...it even has the room behind the library’s hidden bookcase logged.”

“I don’t really know either, but scroll down past the maps. There’s something I apparently left for myself there too,” Rantaro says, reaching over to gesture to a little bubble with an ellipse symbol at the bottom left corner of the page showing the basement floor. I swipe up as instructed and am greeted with pink text.

_ “Clue to end the killing game.” _

When I scroll further down, more text appears.

_ “Inside of this school, there is a mastermind hidden somewhere. The chance when you can find them is when they are going to make a spare Monokuma. At that time, the mastermind will definitely go to the hidden room in the library.” _

_ “In order to prove to you that this hint is true, let me tell you something beforehand. The first memory you’ll remember will be of the Ultimate Hunt. Only share this information about the Ultimate hunt with those you trust. That assertion will lead you to life or death.” _

_ -Rantaro Amami _

“...This was part of that beginning murder they planned then,” I say, prompting Rantaro to nod in agreement as soon as it leaves my lips. Good to know he’s noticed and that he agrees. “Tsumugi must have known about this message of yours, and since Shuichi shared his knowledge of stumbling across the bookcase with Kaede and the implications of it, it wasn’t an ‘accident’ that you’d be killed like Tsumugi claimed. Moreso, it was a carefully calculated plan to get you out of here as fast as possible because of who you are. From what I’m reading though, I presume Tsumugi wouldn’t have wanted to have the monopad here _ itself _for the others to see. The permit is only for the information on the Ultimate Hunt, not the tablet itself. So technically...you’re not supposed to be showing me this at all, actually. It’s against the rules.”

...

“Oh.” Rantaro for once looks pretty sheepish about misunderstanding the information on the tablet, before he gives me an embarrassed smile and rubs the back of his head. “Whoops.”

_ “Whoops”? _ ** _“Whoops”!? _ ** _ What if he gets in trouble for this!? What if- _

Rantaro coughs into the bend of his arm as if to compose himself from the slip-up, more or less unconcerned about the fact he just broke what I would consider to be an important killing game rule to a similar caliber of the Ugly Rules Monokuma has for me.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but also...why exactly would Tsumugi have wanted _ me _specifically out of the killing game? Just because I may have previously signed up to be here? Is there something I’m missing from that video of me you saw?”

I set down the tablet once it allows no more scrolling, somewhat satisfied with the revelation of new information, but still incredibly concerned about the rule Rantaro just broke. Well, Monokuma isn’t showing up yet, so maybe that means it’s...okay for him to have shown me? If we’re not getting punished for this, then I guess it’s time to tell him the rest of what I know. Going by what content the monopad perk holds, it’s said nothing about the most important information Rantaro stated in his video- which means that must be what Monokuma doesn’t want the others to know.

The only thing I have to do is figure out a way to say it without causing him too much distress...considering his memory has been wiped, either willingly or forcibly, he wouldn’t remember the previous killing game. If I was flipping out when I learned he could have killed someone, then I can only imagine how it may make _ him _feel.

“Rantaro...you-”

In that moment, we hear the sound of my door swinging open and slamming against the wall in a single fluid motion. The second I let out a startled yelp at the loud noise, Rantaro is already whirling around ready to push himself up where he can face whoever’s barged into my room. At first I suspect it to be Kokichi since he’s the only one who can lockpick...but no.

“Puhuhu~! Sorry I’m late! You two just looked so cozy that...well, I couldn’t just disturb the blossoming flowers of young love, now could I?” Monokuma laughs, rubbing his belly as he waltzes over to us. Presumably since this is Monokuma, Rantaro’s body relaxes from it’s fighting position and he simply shifts closer to my side despite the tension in the air.

“What are you doing here,” Rantaro demands curtly, eyeing the bear suspiciously. “I’m pretty sure no one invited you here.”

“Aw, this is technically my home, you know? These remodeled rooms are my method of being a hospitable host, but I still own the place. So I can go wherever I want and there’s nothing either of you can really do about that. Anymore questions?” Monokuma chirps brightly, both Rantaro and I staring at him in distaste. The feeling is a lot like a clumsy fly landing in a bowl of soup and getting stuck in the flavored liquid. His presence just ruins the whole dish.

Besides that though...is he here because of Rantaro breaking a rule then?

“You better not be here to punish Rantaro...It’s your guy’s fault for not making the information clearer!” I object with an edge of irritation.

“No, no, that’s fine! Since he’s told you in particular, I’ll let this instance slip! However, please refrain from doing the same with anyone else- _ either _of you. And that goes for that video perk now that I see how mouthy the two of you are starting to get. As for one reason I’m here...since you destroyed your monopod, I’m here to give your watch an nifty upgrade!” Monokuma says, pulling a remote out from behind him and pressing a blue button that he aims in my direction. Rantaro immediately looks on edge, but Monokuma continues before he can say anything to ward the bear away from doing whatever he’s trying to do. “Please hold out your hand, Miss Marble.”

I wrinkle my nose, but eventually lift up my arm to hold my watch across agitated Rantaro. There’s a moment of silence and then my watch lights up to show a download queue on the interface. We wait another few seconds before a checkmark appears and a new tab opens at the bottom of the watch.

“So! If you swipe that bottom tab up, all the current Ugly Rules are available for you to peruse in case you forget any! Also...there’s a new rule that I believe you’ll want to see before you continue this conversation with your friend here. And I really mean it- _ read it carefully _,” Monokuma comments, the red light of his left eye glowing ominously as he stares at me. “That’s all for now, you can continue where you left off. Oh, but uh, one more reminder before I go. No funny business is allowed here, alright? Make sure you leave playing ‘hide the salami’ for visits to our very own Hotel Kumasutra-”

_ “Get out of my room you disgusting incorrigible-!” _I snap, standing and grabbing hold of my pillow to attempt hitting the bear until I feel Rantaro yank me down beside him where he can hold me back. Remembering where I am and that Rantaro is with me, I make an effort to calm down as he removes the pillow from my grip and tosses it back on the bed.

“We won’t be doing anything like that,” Rantaro snaps, equally as off-put by Monokuma’s gross quip as I am. “If you’ve got nothing more to say, please leave.”

Monokuma snickers to himself and skips out the door, closing it with a slam that only serves to make me flinch again despite myself. Thank god he’s gone, but...something tells me this visit just threw a wrench in our conversation.

I focus my attention on the watch and swipe up to scroll through the rules. I recognize all the annoying old ones, but the one regarding mentioning the Ultimate Hunt has been turned to red text with a strikethrough that includes the subtext: “rule removed”.

That’s not what really irritates me about this so-called “upgrade” to my watch though. It’s an upgrade to have the stupid rules again, but it’s definitely a _ downgrade _in how I can approach the killing game and helping Rantaro with his identity crisis.

_ “Disallowed from mentioning Rantaro Amami's involvement in a previous killing game to anyone but Shuichi. Shuichi has also been given this warning. (Rantaro has to receive the knowledge of his second perk through different means than a human cheat sheet, sorry not sorry!)” _

Well, that explains why Shuichi never told Rantaro- Monokuma seems to have slapped this rule on him too...but what’s this about Rantaro having to get his second perk through different means? I know he hasn’t seen it, but does that mean he doesn’t have access to it readily? Is it something he has to maybe look for? Like in his lab? If it’s in his lab, then that means according to the list...we may have to wait until we open up the fifth floor of the academy. Hopefully that will be soon.

“...About that question you asked before Monokuma barged in…” I begin with a guilty lilt lacing my voice. Hearing this, Rantaro lets out a heavy breath as if he’s already guessed what I’m about to say.

“Don’t worry about it, I get it. That damn bear has...incredible timing,” Rantaro says, though it’s more in annoyance rather than in actual awe like his words may imply. “I have ideas, but I know you won’t be able to confirm them either. Maybe I could get Shuichi to finally-”

“No, he’s apparently under the same handicap according to the rule I was just graciously issued,” I snort in vexation, looking back down at the monopad. “That’s why he hasn’t told you. I should have known Monokuma would stop him…”

Rantaro looks away thoughtfully for a moment quietly, playing with some of the curls of my hair as he thinks. In the meantime, I try to think of anything else I can tell him, other than the fact he’s been in a previous killing game. He’s clearly not aware of it and he probably won’t know about it for a while. I wish I could be more useful to him, but sadly Monokuma seems to have gotten in the way of that...now it just feels like he gave me free information I didn’t have to reciprocate with a similar gesture.

Distracted and not quite sure what else to bring up, I reach over to the other container I had left untouched, popping the lid open and looking in to see what else Rantaro left me.

This container has grain cereal in it, something in the shape of small “O”s with a plastic foldable spoon atop the snack. I pluck the spoon out and unfold it, beginning to gratefully chow down some more to pass the time. Hearing the sound of crunchy food, Rantaro redirects his attention to me and casts me a warm smile that replaces the frustrated air of thought that had been wafting off of him.

“I didn’t think you’d actually eat that one willingly. You sort of strike me as the type that would prefer sugary stuff and junk food compared to healthy food,” Rantaro comments without restraint much to my mild offense.

“What? Really? Even though I’m an athlete? I probably eat garbage like this every day,” I state defensively, watching Rantaro chuckle in response to the sight of my ruffled feathers, so to speak.

“‘Garbage’...just hearing that has me inclined to believe you don’t stick to diets like that, athlete or not,” Rantaro teases me, causing me to set aside my bowl mid chew to grab my pillow and shove it against his face.

“No one asked you, you klutzy skyscraper,” I retort through his laughter, eventually letting the pillow drop to get another few bites of the cereal. 

Rantaro, despite my assault on him, lets out a yawn as he pulls the pillow closer. I stop eating to glance his way and observe his state. After swallowing the food in my mouth I stand up with the container and reach down with my free hand to pull Rantaro up on his feet, which he follows in mild confusion only after also grabbing his monopad from the floor.

“What’s up?” He asks, making me point at the bed quietly before I climb in and move over to my side with my container. “...Time to sleep?”

“Yep. You can get a head start and I’ll join in after I finish this. I don’t actually want to be asleep when tomorrow comes, that way I can say hi to everyone and we can get on with opening up the new areas Monokuma has deprived from you lot,” I comment, patting his side until he eventually steps around the bed to get in from the side like a normal person.

Rantaro gets cozy, putting the pillow at hand back in its place under his head and releasing another sleepy yawn.

“...You asleep yet?” I ask curiously after a couple of seconds, prompting him to open a single eye and frown up at me in amusement.

“No. Sleep doesn’t happen _ that _fast, Prairie.”

“Oh...? You should have seen yourself the other day then. You fell asleep the second you hit the mattress. I’ll bet in your past life, you were a rock to have fallen asleep that fast,” I state, only to regret my words when Rantaro reaches over to poke my side suddenly. I squeak and scoot away to the edge of my side of the bed, holding the container of cereal closer as I finish up the last bites.

“Be quiet and eat. I’m officially asleep now,” Rantaro huffs, even though it’s obvious he’s not actually offended if I’m to go by the smile he’s wearing.

_ ...Well, I couldn’t tell him _ ** _everything_ ** _ , thanks to Monokuma, but things seem to be better between us than they were before. I don’t want to keep him up too long into the night though. If we’re gonna keep talking through things, it’s better we do it when he’s fully rested. _

“Hey, can I ask something before I actually fall asleep?” Rantaro queries softly just as I turn out the lamp by my bedside. I glance over his way in the dark, or at least in the direction I last saw him. I can’t really _ see _him anymore with the light out, but I make a noise of confirmation as I shift to get under the blankets and cozy up for sleepy time.

Once I’ve bundled up and have established a good sleeping position, Rantaro Amami eventually gets this pressing question of his out. 

A question of his that he just couldn’t wait till morning to ask me.

“...Do you really think I have a sister-complex?”

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀  ** _End of 4.4 - Perks of a Survivor_ ** ❀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Links~
> 
>   

> 
> [Reset Linktree](https://linktr.ee/NeoStarReset)
> 
>   

> 
>   
[Christmas Elf Prairie](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/636189665468334080/merry-christmas-d-it-aint-december-yet-but-i)
> 
>   

> 
> [Rantaro Practice](https://neostarreset.tumblr.com/post/636189869204471808/rantaro-i-still-need-a-lot-of-practice-on)
> 
>   


**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Intuitively Driven](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26878339) by [IntuitivelyDriven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntuitivelyDriven/pseuds/IntuitivelyDriven)


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